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Engineer says Bournes Pond inlet widening would modestly lower nitrogen; residents warn of erosion, costs
Summary
Coastal engineer John Ramsey told Falmouth’s Water Quality Management Committee that widening the Bournes Pond inlet to about 100 feet would lower total nitrogen concentrations immediately — about 8% at the sentinel station and up to 15% in the lower estuary — while residents raised concerns about property erosion, dredging and project cost.
John Ramsey, principal at Coastal Solutions, told the Town of Falmouth Water Quality Management Committee that widening the Bournes Pond inlet as part of a coordinated bridge-replacement and shoreline project would produce immediate, measurable water‑quality benefits while also being a major construction undertaking.
Ramsey said the town and consultants re‑surveyed bathymetry, ran circulation and water‑quality models for a range of inlet widths, and identified an engineering “sweet spot” near 100 feet where peak tidal velocities are high enough (about 3 feet per second) to mobilize sand and reduce the need for frequent dredging. At station B3 — the committee’s sentinel monitoring location —…
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