This petition is being submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) to provide the names of residents and property owners who endorse the letter Seacoast Shores Association Inc (SSAI) sent to DCR the week of September 23, 2024.  The undersigned fully support the Town of Falmouth’s request for permission to place construction equipment on Washburn Island.  The equipment will be used to relocate sand from the southwestern tip of the Washburn Island sand dune to the middle of the sand dune.  The goal of the project is to restore the Eel River channel.  The town's request was presented by Falmouth Harbor Master Gregg Fraser and Joseph Voci, Chairman of the Falmouth Waterways Committee.  

This project is needed in order to move the Eel River channel back to its historic location and restore its full width.  Over the years the western tip of Washburn Island has shifted to the north and ecreted to the west, greatly reducing the width of the channel where it passes by the Menauhant Yacht Club (MYC). This project will move the Washburn spit closer to its historic reach and restore the width and recreational use of the inlet. 

Safety

The encroachment of the Washburn spit into the Eel River channel has changed the course and reduced the navigable width of the channel, making it unsafe for boaters to pass through the inlet. Cutting back the tip of the spit and dredging the channel will alleviate a great safety risk and reduce the chance of death, injury and property damage for boaters and swimmers alike.  

This year, the navigable distance between the western tip of Washburn and the MYC floating dock is about 75 feet.  At mid tide the current in the channel is very strong, creating a powerful flow that can easily stop a boat’s forward progress and even pushes boats sideways as they traverse the opening.  This dynamic puts boaters in danger of hitting the dock or rock jetty at MYC on the west and running aground on Washburn Island on the east.  Except during slack tides, boaters must significantly increase their engine speed just to maintain navigation through the inlet.

Compounding this problem, Washburn Island is one of the most popular boating destinations on the southern Cape.  Many boaters anchor up directly off Washburn Island and many of them beach their boats right on the island.  On a busy day there can be hundreds of boats on Washburn Island, many of them beached or anchored on the western spit.  When boaters beach their boats on the western tip of the spit, sometimes with stern anchors placed directly in the channel, the navigable width of the channel can fall to less than 50 feet.  As demonstrated in the picture above, this leaves captains trying to enter or exit Eel River with very little space to maneuver.  If two boats are passing in the inlet, there is no room to navigate at all.

In addition to these obstacles, it is not unusual to encounter small sail boats, kayakers and swimmers crossing the inlet from Washburn to the MYC or Central Ave and back again.  This congestion has resulted in a number of groundings and collisions between boats trying to enter and exit through the Eel River channel.  Any experienced boater who has navigated through this inlet will agree that without remedying this situation immediately, it’s not IF someone will lose a life or limb but simply WHEN.  By this metric the value of this project is immeasurable.  Safety dictates that DCR allow the Town of Falmouth to cut back 35 feet from the tip of Washburn as soon as possible to relieve this pinch point and avoid injury, damage and perhaps worse.

Additional Reasons To Grant Falmouth's Request

There are other factors that mitigate in favor of this project.  Unlike other dredging operations, the sands that are removed from the western tip of the Washburn spit can be redistributed back on the remaining length of the dune, fortifying it against ocean storms.  This redistribution of sand will increase the area that plovers and other sea birds actually use for breeding and nesting.  

Opening the inlet will reduce the force of the tidal flow and reduce or eliminate the severe erosion that residents near the MYC now suffer.  Reducing the erosion of the waterfront properties on Central Ave will reduce the shoaling of Eel River West which is a secondary navigation problem in this area.  

This project will be funded by the Town of Falmouth.  The Commonwealth will enjoy the reduction of a great safety hazard at no expense to DCR’s budget.  All DCR need do is grant the Town of Falmouth’s request for a permit to land equipment on the Washburn spit and relocate the sand.  

Time Is Of The Essence

Dredging operations are subject to Time Of Year (TOY) restrictions.  In this case, Falmouth needs approval as soon as possible in order to undertake this work during the narrow late fall window which closes on January 1, 2025.  In order to reduce this unsafe situation, the Town needs your permission to conduct these operations now.

Conclusion

The safety of boaters and swimmer require correction of this problem.  While removing the western tip of Washburn Island may, at first blush, appear to damage the environment, these sands will be relocated to the south shore of the of the spit, thereby fortifying the sand dune and expanding the area set aside for plovers and other sea birds.  The project will ease the erosion suffered on Central Ave and greatly reduce the shoaling in Eel River West, and reduce the need for continued dredging of the Eel River channel.  This project is a win-win for the environment, the citizens of Massachusetts and DCR with the town of Falmouth paying the bill.  We, the undersigned, endorse SSAI's letter of September 23, 2024 and urge you to approve the town’s request, issue the necessary permits and work with the Town of Falmouth to make this project a reality.