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Falmouth commission pauses Green Pond marina dredging review after questions on floats and DMF restrictions
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Summary
Engineers told the Conservation Commission the Marina dredge would remove roughly 1,900 cubic yards to restore navigation, but commissioners continued the hearing one week for the applicant to provide historical float records and confirm whether DMF allows in‑water work within the DMF time‑of‑year restriction.
An engineer for the applicant told the Falmouth Conservation Commission on Feb. 4 that a proposed improvement dredging project at the marina between Green Pond and Grape Pond would remove about 1,900 cubic yards of sediment and restore navigation for moored boats.
"The total volume of dredged material is roughly 1,900 cubic yards," engineer Raul Lizardi said during a project presentation, describing an average dredge depth of roughly 1.5 feet across a 35,200‑plus square‑foot footprint. Lizardi said the plan calls for an on‑site dewatering basin at the upper end of an existing boat ramp, a full silt/turbidity curtain around the dredge area and trucked disposal off site (the application identified the Bourne transfer station as the likely disposal destination).
Conservation staff and commissioners pressed the applicant on several environmental and logistical points: time required to dewater the material, the number and size of truck trips to remove dredged material (the narrative estimated 30–50 truck trips), how barges and equipment will access the site given the nearby bridge, and whether historical permits authorize the terminal float area as currently configured.
The Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) and Natural Heritage provided comments, Lizardi said: Natural Heritage concluded the project does not constitute a prohibited take of estimated habitat, while DMF recommended a time‑of‑year restriction. On that last point, the hearing included a procedural clarification after staff and one commissioner flagged an inconsistency in the applicant’s description.
"The letter does say no in‑water dredging activity, including dredging or placing a turbidity curtain, should take place between January 15 and May 31," Lizardi told the commission after staff read the DMF language into the record. A conservation staffer had earlier told commissioners that she did not read the DMF letter as allowing dredging simply because a turbidity curtain is in place.
Commissioners also asked about shellfish protections: the applicant proposed working under the direction of the shellfish constable to rake and relocate any shellfish found inside the silt curtain, and to donate shellfish seed for propagation as partial mitigation.
After discussion the applicant requested, and the commission granted, a one‑week continuance to allow the applicant to supply documentation about past permits and float sizes and to confirm the DMF timing language. The commission will reconvene the matter after staff reviews the additional materials.
The commission took no final vote on dredging authorization at the Feb. 4 meeting; the hearing was continued for one week at the applicant’s request.
