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Advisory board urges action to restore Long Pond herring run, cites SMAS study and coastal-resilience links
Summary
Board members urged the town to prioritize dredging and other work to restore a herring run at Long Pond and the creek entrance, citing a study that said increased flow would reduce nitrogen loads and improve pond health. Members proposed adding the issue to the harbor plan and pursuing backhoe dredging as a short-term step.
Members of the Harbor and Shellfish Advisory Board said May 20 that Long Pond’s herring run has deteriorated and urged the town to take steps to restore flow and habitat.
Speakers described limited flow through the creek, collapsed culverts and sedimentation that has reduced access for migrating fish. One board member said a SMAS study showed that increasing tidal flow by dredging the ditch would lower nitrogen loads in the pond and improve overall water quality.
Board members proposed short-term measures — using a backhoe to open the ditch at First Bridge and at the end of the creek by the boat yard — while pursuing longer-term solutions under the town’s Coastal Resilience Plan and the harbor plan update. A member of the Coastal Resilience Advisory Committee confirmed bridge work and road-elevation projects are on the town’s plan but did not give timing.
Speakers also raised public-safety concerns if culverts and bridges remain in poor condition, saying a severe high-tide event could limit road access. Members agreed to add the herring-run restoration to the harbor-plan update so it appears in harbor-plan action items and to pursue outreach and coordination with Natural Resources and DPW.
No formal vote or funding commitment was made at the meeting; members asked staff to pursue study findings, discuss short-term dredging options and report back at a future meeting.
