07/08/2024
Do the beaches at Bay Avenue in Marshfield and Gurnet Road in Duxbury look any different to you? That's because the Towns of Duxbury and Marshfield were awarded FY24 Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Coastal Resiliency (CR) grants totaling $3.2 million dollars to construct a beach nourishment project along the Bay Avenue and Gurnet Road beaches over the winter.
I'm very proud to have been a part of the work done to achieve this grant for Marshfield and Duxbury. Massachusetts coastal communities such as face significant risks from coastal storms, flooding, erosion, and sea level rise, challenges that are exacerbated by climate change.
The Town of Marshfield constructed the first half of a beach nourishment project to address erosion and flooding south of Green Harbor. The project complements beach nourishment efforts in Duxbury and will ultimately result in approximately 3,000 feet of restored shoreline across the two communities.
The Town of Duxbury constructed the first phase of the Bay Avenue and Gurnet Road beach and dune restoration project using approximately 75,000 cubic yards of sand, gravel, and cobble. The project also conducted surveys of the site’s resources, facilitate contractor hiring in coordination with Marshfield, and continued public outreach. The Duxbury Beach Reservation, Inc.,constructed a mixed cobble and sand berm to address erosion north and south of Powder Point Bridge, one of two access points to Duxbury Beach. Construction of the berm maintains access to the shoreline and critical infrastructure.
CZM administers the Coastal Resilience Grant Program to provide financial and technical support for local and regional efforts to increase community understanding of coastal storm and climate impacts, evaluate vulnerabilities, conduct adaptation planning, redesign and retrofit vulnerable public facilities and infrastructure, and restore shorelines to enhance natural resources and provide storm damage protection. I am very confident that the work done as a result of this grant has long term benefits for our district and is crucial in our effort to reduce damage done as a result of storms and climate impacts on the South Shore.
