Maximizing Parking Spaces While Protecting the Pamet River, Reusing Dredge Material for Public Beach Nourishment and Dune Creation
Pamet Harbor is Truro’s only public harbor, providing commercial and recreational boating access to Cape Cod Bay. Coastal Engineering Co. was hired by the Town of Truro to develop a “Ten Year Harbor Master Plan” to assist the Town in evaluating its alternatives for the long-term planning, budgeting, and implementation of maintenance improvements to the harbor facilities.
First, an evaluation assessment of all existing harbor facilities was performed — including jetties, moorings, revetments, parking lots, and maintenance dredging operations — to identify the issues of concern and outline options to mitigate each issue in the Master Plan. An action plan was developed, including a timeline for implementation and estimated costs to help forecast budgetary requirements and capital expenditures through the upcoming 10-year cycle.
To ensure long-term maintenance of the harbor, a 10-year dredge permit was obtained to allow annual maintenance dredging of the Pamet River Channel and basin area. The dredging is performed by hydraulic means using the Barnstable County Dredge with the clean dredge spoils placed directly on the Town’s public beach — and then placed along the shoreline for beach nourishment and dune re- establishment suitable for piping plover and tern nesting habitat.
Another portion of the work at the site was engineering analysis and design of drainage and parking lot improvements - read that case study here.
