Downloads and Free Reading Options

The Town of Falmouth invites community members to the second of two meetings addressing an ongoing assessment of the feasibility of Surf Drive beach and dune nourishment. The meeting will be held in person and via Zoom – Monday June 2nd at 6:30 PM in the Hermann Room of the Main Library, 300 Main St, Falmouth, MA. Remote attendance is also available through the following access information: Zoom Meeting Access Information: Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81389447908 Meeting ID: 813 8944 7908 Passcode: 067522 One Tap Mobile: +13092053325,,81389447908# US This community meeting will present the results of the project team’s efforts to assess the opportunities and constraints related to restoring the beaches of Surf Drive, as well as the long-term viability of Surf Drive as a Town asset. The Woods Hole Group, retained by the Town to conduct this assessment, will: Share the project goals, Present findings of site surveys, Provide insight into the regulatory environment, Present conceptual designs for adapting Surf Drive to coastal storms Discuss the relative benefits and drawbacks of various alternatives Facilitate discussion with members of the public who are encouraged to share their experience and ask questions. In October 2024, the Town received a Coastal Resilience grant award from the MA Office of Coastal Zone Management to pursue this engineering assessment building on recommendations made in a 2020 Surf Drive report. The present work aims to evaluate the performance and longevity of different nourishment designs for the Surf Drive area between Shore Road and Trunk River. The project is nearing completion of a feasibility study, including site assessment, engineering analyses, cost/benefit evaluation, and exploration of near-term and long-term options. The assessment will be completed by the June 30th, 2025 deadline required by the grant. The report generated by this study will describe the feasibility of beach and dune adaptation and recommend a path forward. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Existing reports and studies related to community resilience are available on the Town of Falmouth website at: https://www.falmouthma.gov/776/Coastal-Resiliency-Action-Committee

In April 1970, experimental plots were established on a baymouth bar at Nauset Harbor on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. On the bar both sand fences and American beachgrass (Ammophila breviligulata) were tested as alternative techniques for creating and stabilizing dunes. Elevational profiles were made periodically in the test plots from April 1970 to November 1977. The study concluded that sand fences initially capture sand more rapidly than newly planted beachgrass. Once established, however, beachgrass plantings trap sand at a rate equivalent to multiple lifts of sand fence. Using either sand fence or beachgrass, a dune growth rate of more than 11 cubic meters per linear meter of beach per year was sustained. Crest elevation increased 0.25 meter per year. (Author)