Sandwich has struggled to manage beach erosion for decades. It has devastated dunes and forced the relocation of public infrastructure.
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Coastal erosion is becoming a very serious matter in Massachusetts because of the changing climate. But in one town on the Cape, they’ve been struggling with sand loss for years because of a man-made issue.
The beaches in Sandwich have taken a beating from erosion over the decades because of water currents altered by the Cape Cod Canal.
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"We’ve lost properties nearby. We’ve lost significant dunes. We’ve had to relocate public infrastructure so it’s really impacted the community a lot,” explained Sandwich Town Manager Bud Dunham.
The problem is a jetty, designed and built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It keeps sand out of the canal‘s shipping lanes, but it has changed the flow of water, starving Sandwich beaches of naturally shifting sand - a situation compounded by the changing weather.
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“Climate change is intensifying, and we have to put the protective measures in place,” said U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, who was at Town Neck Beach Friday. He said he was able to get $15 million to replenish the devastated dunes
and beaches. The work will be done by the Army Corp of Engineers, which will dredge the sand from the other side of the canal.
The erosion has been occurring since the canal was built 100 years ago. The replenishment program is expected to make a difference in the short term.
”Our fear is how long will it last. It’s a problem that’s been caused for decades, not a one-time fix,” Dunham said.
They won’t start replenishing the sand this summer and will wait until fall. The work is expected to take about three months.
