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The Dredge Report | Week of April 11, 2021

Cod Fish I & Cod Fish II – Popponesset Bay, Mashpee

Locus

A tough week with just 2 half days of dredging as we’ve been kept in with winds from the Northeast and then from the South. Keeping the ‘cutterhead’ on the bottom when the seas pick up makes dredging very challenging.

On Saturday, we had to move two sections of pipe that crossed over from the dredge to the Cod Fish I (Booster), back over the dune then down the beach to the discharge location. This was done at the request and under the direction of the MA Audubon to help protect the nesting plovers.

Dredging will continue without the Cod Fish I (Booster) but the length of pipe will have to be reduced to 3,500′.

We have a ‘hard stop’ on April 26th so we hope that we catch a break with some calm seas.

Pipe Discharge

Discharge underway, to date we’ve dredged about 75% of the channel (~7,500 Cubic Yards) at several locations along the Sound side of the beachPipe being moved

Cross-Over sections of pipe being moved on the spit  

Sand Shifter – Stage Harbor to Aunt Lydias Cove, Chatham

The Sand Shifter was moved from Popponesset on Wednesday to Stage Harbor then onto Aunt Lydias Cove with the assist of the Chatham Harbor Master, Stuart Smith and crew. Another ‘Bravo Zulu’ goes to Stuart and his crew for their help.

The transit was done at high water and two lengths of pipe, one 1,500′ and another one at 800′ were towed through Morris Island Cut around and up to ALC.

The next few days were used for staging the pipe to the first discharge at the Chatham Bars Inn beach for a nourishment project on their property.

Dredging should start on Monday April 19th.

Sand Shifter being brought into Stage Harbor

Sand Shifter being ‘pushed’ by the Stephen Bradbury just outside of Stage Harbor 

Getting ready to move the pipe to ALC

Getting ready to being the two to Aunt Lydias Cove 

Chatham Harbormaster

Chatham Harbormaster’s ready to take the tow 

Towing through the Morris Island Cut

Towing underway through Morris Island Cut 

Rounding the bend heading north past the NWS station

Coming around the turn passing by the National Weather Service’s Upper Air Station on Morris Island – now decommissioned

Sand Shifter dropping the spuds in front of CBI

Sand Shifter drops her ‘spuds’ in front of the Chatham Bars Inn