10/09/2025 CONSERVATION COMMISSION Minutes

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Town of Mashpee Conservation Commission 16 Great Neck Road North Mashpee, MA 02649 The 2023 runneling project aimed to lower water levels and encourage vegetation regrowth. She presented representative data showing that average water levels in one monitored pool dropped significantly after the intervention, confirming the effectiveness of the runnels in improving drainage. Within the first year, vegetation cover increased by approximately 13% in manipulated areas compared to untreated zones. Although results from the most recent monitoring season were not yet available, the early indicators were highly positive. Ms. Tyrell emphasized that the runneling method appears to be an effective, low-impact tool in the salt marsh restoration"toolbox," helping to prevent valuable vegetated marsh from converting into open water. She concluded this portion by noting that the team is proposing similar restoration work at Sage Lot Pond. Proposed Work Areas Ms. Tyrell presented an overview map of the proposed runneling project areas. The turquoise lines on the map indicated the locations where new runnels would be dug, while pink dots represented sites where excavated peat would be deposited to form small elevated"microhabitat islands." She explained that these islands could provide nesting areas and additional habitat diversity within the marsh system. Expansion to Jehu Pond and Related Considerations The proposed work extends to both Sage Lot Pond and Jehu Pond. Ms. Tyrell clarified that, while the two efforts are related in terms of planning, they could be pursued independently. Jehu Pond presents more complex conditions due to the presence of berms and the fact that much of the surrounding land is owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of a federal refuge. She displayed maps identifying proposed restoration areas and specific berms under consideration for breaching. Upon recent field visits to set up vegetation monitoring plots, her team discovered that some berm areas initially considered degraded were in better condition than expected. Consequently, they are now reconsidering or reducing the extent of proposed berm breaching—possibly limiting it to one or two breaches or omitting them entirely to avoid unnecessary disturbance. Ms. Tyrell further explained that permitting for these projects is temporarily on hold as the team navigates state-level approval processes. Some severely degraded marsh sections identified in the southern portion of Jehu Pond will likely be excluded from the project because the peat substrate has collapsed too extensively for restoration to be feasible. She then showed a cross-sectional diagram of a runnel and a microhabitat island, explaining that excavated peat is piled nearby to form slightly elevated zones that could serve as nesting habitat for saltmarsh sparrows. At Doghead Marsh, she reported very poor rates of marsh accretion and extensive conversion of vegetated areas into open water. However, the site still has potential for inland marsh migration, which is important since Mashpee owns substantial land there. She also pointed out that a culvert beneath McGregor Road(state- owned)restricts tidal flow and could benefit from remediation. She suggested that this might be a future partnership opportunity for the Town to improve tidal flushing and overall marsh health. Permitting Pathways and Coordination Chair Cook asked about next steps, specifically whether the team would need to file a Notice of Intent (NOI). Ms. Tyrell responded that this is likely. She explained that the previous runneling work had been done in collaboration with Cape Cod Mosquito Control, under a different permitting structure, and that they intend to partner with them again. However, the state now recommends pursuing an "ecological restoration" permitting pathway, which would require filing an NOI. She noted some uncertainty about which specific subcategory applies, since the state's ecological restoration criteria focus primarily on tidal restriction removals, which differ from their current goals. This project, she clarified, seeks to alleviate impounded water caused by historical alterations rather than by modern tidal