On Tuesday, 04/23/24 Barbara Schneider PhD, chairman of the Falmouth beach committee, introduced a discussion by the Woods Hole Group consultants regarding the status of the Surf Drive beach from Shore Street to the Trunk River. This area of the beach was the subject of an intensive study by the Woods Hole Group released in 2020. As many of you may recall the study looked at estimates for the rate of sea level rise, damage to infrastructure, property, and natural resources that might result, and addressed the potential responses which the town of Falmouth might take as this situation evolves. The meeting was very well attended, lasted about 75 minutes, and was recorded by FCTV (Falmouth Community TV).
Last evening’s discussion was presented by Leslie Fields, a Coastal Geologist from The Woods Hole Group and Kirk Bosma from the same firm. The presentation began with several images and videos demonstrating flooding, and complete coverage with sand of large portions of Surf Drive, damage to the road, threats to the bathhouse and the like, all associated with 6 stormy days in December 2023, January 2024, and April 2024. The presenters stressed that this represented a dramatic change over the past few years. A large number of the members of the audience agreed in a show of hands.
The presenters went on to re-discuss the findings and suggestions made at the time of the 2020 report. The findings acknowledged that the impact of climate change on the coastline is uncertain. However, the study included predictions that climate change during the remainder of the 21st century could be sufficiently severe to result in flooding of town infrastructure and properties and potentially loss of access to properties inland from Surf Drive. Infrastructure at risk includes the road itself, the Shining Sea Bikeway, the sewer main from Woods Hole to the Falmouth water treatment plant (the sewer main runs under the bike path), the Ellen T Mitchell bathhouse, a sewer pump station underlying the bathhouse parking lot, the parking lot itself, and the electrical connections that feed Martha’s Vineyard near the base of Mill Road (currently undergoing some reconstruction).
Having provided this information, the presenters then outlined a broad array of options to mitigate the impact on properties and infrastructure as well as natural resources. Options considered included everything from “doing nothing” and abandoning threatened infrastructure and properties, all the way to very expensive and hopefully durable responses such as raising the Surf Drive roadway (potentially in a bridge-like fashion) and protecting it with a large seawall. They had suggested, in 2020, a “preferred option” that began with modest interventions such as extensive beach and dune nourishment, coupled with ongoing monitoring of the situation, and consideration of other options (once again, options including doing nothing all the way to dramatic construction projects) if and when the evidence indicated that the initial efforts were becoming inadequate as the situation progresses.
Given recent events discussed earlier in the meeting, the presenters moved to discussion of the need to respond in some fashion at this time, given the recent impactful events. The presenters went on to indicate that the state of Massachusetts was offering grants to cover the cost of coastal resiliency projects, and indicated an intention on the part of the town (supported by the Woods Hole Group) to apply for a grant to study the feasibility and cost, as well as potential benefits at the present time, of an extensive nourishment of beach and dunes along Surf Drive. A plausible path forward was presented, pending a result of the grant funded study indicating that such a path was beneficial and affordable. This path included permitting and the building out a beach/dune nourishment sufficiently robust and stable to protect the shoreline along Surf Drive for a period of at least several years (with adequate maintenance). It was agreed during question-and-answer discussion, that this would not likely provide adequate protection in the event of a major Hurricane. In response to questions regarding what individuals might do to “help,” Leslie Fields suggested that once a grant application is submitted letters in support of it could be helpful.
The presenters also emphasized that more information could be garnered by referring to the town website and reading the report of the town-wide coastal resiliency study as well as the Surf Drive area coastal resiliency study, both posted on the town website in 2020. https://www.falmouthma.gov/1052/Coastal-Resilience-Planning-Surf-Drive-A
This synopsis was written and provided by OSDA member Paul Skudder who attended the meeting. Other OSDA members present that I saw were Laura Puopolo, Scott Puopolo, Steve Saunders, Terry Saunders, Joanne Skudder and Paul Smith.
Terry Saunders, OSDA Secretary and Web Administrator