7/9/1980 CONSERVATION COMMISSION Minutes

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CONSERVATION BOARD MEETING July 9, 1980 Present: Pauline F. DeLory, Chairperson Dorothy G. Studley, Vice Chairperson Charles Buckingham The 7:30 hearing was started a little late due to unforeseen circumstances. Barrier Beach, Popponsessett Beach, "The Spit" Rick Domas, Mass. Disaster Recovery Team Pauline: Mr. Domas, would you foresee my reading the notice in the paper. There is nobody here, I believe, that objects to this. Air. Domas: Okay. Pauline: Would you like to present what you plan to do? Mr. Domas: Let me give you a little background, first. We have Federal Disaster Funds received after the 1978 disaster to stabilize the Popponessett Barrier Beach. Like a barrier beach, in any time of a storm, it does recede inland as it absorbs storm waves. We have documentation in the turn of the century that shows the barrier beach several hundred feet out here and at one time extending to Cotuit. Various hurricanes basically have eroded the beach back significantly. At one time, Big Thatch Island was a separate island in itself. Shows where the Barrier Beach was and the is- land being behind the beach with enough waterway to go around the island. The Barrier Beach has receded back inland. Tidal currents bring the sand and deposit it in Barn- stable. You can see in aerial photographs how this feature is depleted and moved in- land. The corresponding beach has actually grown in Barnstable. That movement of sand 1s from Popponessett Beach across the Barier Beach into Barnstable. This is a very dynamic area. It is very expensive to try to stop that kind of action if we would choose to do so. In conjunction with DEQE, Lakeville, principally Bryan Donahue who has since left them, the Disaster Recovery Team and DECE have developed this plan which is an on-going plan which attempts to stabilize the barrier:- beach existing location and to increase its elevation somewhat. So to get into the specifics, it is a two- phase project. The first phase will take place in either late August or early Septem- ber. It is simply a fertilization of the existing vegetction from the landward portion of the Barrier Beach to Station 13+00. If you are familiar with the Barrier Beach, there is a leftover pier at around Station 12+00*. Station 13+60is the extent of the existing good dune line. There is some elevation to the beach,•running 13 to 14 feet above mean low water to 6 or 7 mean low water at this station. Here on the rest of the beach, it is very flat, very open, very exposed and very little vegetation at all until you get a higher growth and some tidal pools. This is a tern nesting area in this area. The first phase is the fertilization. The second phase and major phase will take place in March of 1981 which is the growing season for beach vegetation. We will be planting (Phase 2 in 1981 will entail beach vegatation, American Beach Grass and Rosa Rigosa in some 'areas 8 feet on center). hir. HenniFan: American Beach Grass -- 18 inches on center, alternating growth. Nr. Domas : Specifically, from ,Station 0+00 to Station 13400on the shoreward side of the dune line, there is an escarpment where there is dune growth on the top of the dune. We are going to put ten-foot sections of sand fencin- anchored at the escarpment beach- ward at 50 foot intervals. There will be ten-Soot sections up in through here. 1 think there are 27 sections of ten foots. From the base of the dune to the end of the sand fencing, we will plant American Beach Grass 12 inches on center and stagger those. "refer ti Stabilization Map in file.