Cape Cod towns could lose access to state money to help pay the cost of dredging. The budget for fiscal year 2027 does not include grant funds that the towns have relied upon in previous years.
In response, the Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates voted Dec. 17 to send a letter to state officials and the Cape's state representatives and senators calling for restoration of the funds. They want to impress upon them that dredging of local waterways is an economic issue that can affect tourism and marine businesses.
Delegate Elizabeth Harder of Harwich said the uncertainty of when dredging can be done in local waterways makes budgeting difficult. She said towns have to deal with conservation and environmental issues as well as local permitting.
“I believe it was Chatham that used to have a longer time that they could dredge, then a new bird showed up, now they have less time that they are allowed to dredge. So many things are out of the dredge's control.”
Barnstable County owns two dredges, and towns, with state help, pay for their use.
Deputy Speaker of the Assembly of Delegates, Daniel Gessen of Falmouth, said the state dredging funds go directly to the towns that apply for grants.
“We don’t directly receive these grants, rather the towns apply for the pot of money at the state level and that gets integrated into their budgeting for paying the dredge,” Gessen said.
Generally, Cape Cod towns have received about 30 percent of the cost of dredging from the state.
According to information posted on the Barnstable County website, in fiscal 2025, a dozen projects in eight towns were completed. A total of 77,552 cubic yards of material was dredged.
Dredged material was used for beach renourishment as well as for rebuilding and restoring barrier beaches on Bassett’s Island in Bourne, Sampson’s Island in Barnstable, and on Popponesset Spit in Mashpee, according to the county website.
The county says the largest project was in the Cotuit Approach / Entrance Channel with more than 23 ,000 cubic yards dredged. The smallest was in the Green Pond Entrance Channel in Falmouth with a little over 2,300 cubic yards dredged.
Other key projects included the completion of the Bass River Entrance Channel project in Yarmouth/Dennis, the Sesuit Harbor Approach / Entrance project in Dennis, and the Mill Creek Approach / Entrance Channel project in Chatham.
