In a reversal of policy, the Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to deposit dredged sand from the Cape Cod Canal on Town Neck Beach in Sandwich.
For years, the Corps has opted to put the sand it gets through routine dredging in a disposal site in Cape Cod Bay.
But Sandwich Town Manager Bud Dunham told the select board recently, the Corps, which controls and maintains the canal, has changed its policy.
"It's one of those things that everyone's worked for under the board's leadership for almost 20 years, to try to get that done, so that's great," Dunham said.
Dunham said he expects dredging to be done off Scusset Beach, on the opposite side of the canal from Town Neck Beach, late this year. The sand would be transported to Town Neck Beach which has lost a large amount of sand to erosion over the years. He expects at least 225,000 cubic yards of sand.
Select Board Chairman Shane Hoctor welcomed the news.
"That's physically going to change the look of the town. This is a 20-year project and to get something back....is a huge win for the town."
Town Neck Beach has been hit hard by winter storms and has lost hundreds of cubic yards of sand in recent years.
In addition, a study determined that jetties built at the mouth of the Cape Cod Canal contribute to depriving Sandwich beaches of sand.