Spotlight on Nantucket sediment transfer study and dredge plan

The Nantucket Natural Resources Department will host a sediment transfer study and dredge plan open house at 6-8 p.m. Wednesday in the community room of the public safety building at 4 Fairgrounds Road.

Representatives of the department will outline the town’s sediment transport study and dredging plan for Nantucket, Madaket and Polpis harbors and seek public input on harbor navigation challenges.

The outputs of this effort will be used to guide decision-making and maximize sediment resources on Nantucket and improve navigation in the harbors for the benefit of the public, said the Town and County of Nantucket.

Sedimentation in the harbors is an obstacle to navigation and many life activities on Nantucket, from recreational sailing to essential travel to and from Cape Cod.

Additionally, to effectively implement many of the erosion management recommendations made by the Coastal Resilience Plan (CRP) in 2021 and the Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) in 2019, additional data collection and analysis is necessary to understand sediment movement.

A sediment transport study was a priority recommendation of the CRP to understand sand and sandbar movements.

To fill the need identified in the CRP and address maritime navigational needs, the Nantucket Harbors Sediment Transport and Dredge Plan kicked-off in April 2023, with an emphasis on potential beneficial reuse of recovered materials.

This initial effort prioritizes understanding sediment transport in Nantucket Harbor, Madaket Harbor and Polpis Harbor as these areas are critical to navigation.