Longer, Wider, Deeper

Longer, wider, deeper

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Longer, wider, deeper •

The Popponesset Spit and Popponesset Outer Approach Channel leading from the Bay to Nantucket Sound are vital organs to Mashpee’s ecosystem. Keeping the Outer Approach Channel dredged allows for proper flushing of the Bay with each tide. The Popponesset Spit protects the Bay and land of Mashpee to flourish.

SPB with the Town of Mashpee, has obtained all necessary permits to expand and deepen the Outer Approach Channel, and place that dredged sand on the Spit - strengthening the barrier beach.

  • • Widening the channel by 50 feet

    • Extending the length by 250 feet

    • Deepening the channel by 2 feet

    • Adding a new catch basin west of the channel to catch sand as it drifts eastward before it fills the channel to prevent it from filling in as rapidly.

    The Town of Mashpee has approved final permits for the channel project.

    Permit applications have been filed with the State of Massachusetts, and final approvals were granted in 2023.

    Army Corps of Engineers dredging permits were approved Spring 2025.

  • Estimated $4 Million

    Costs include:

    >Dredging 40,000-45,000 cubic yards from the Outer Approach Channel for placement on the Spit (annual dredging usually results in 5,000-10,000 cubic yards).

    >Purchase and installation of additional beach grass to anchor the new sand

    >Project management using Woods Hole Group, our coastal engineering firm

    >Additional trucked sand to complete the scope of the design

  • We have applied to various Federal, State, and private grants - all pending awards.

    We expect the majority of funds raised to come from public donations like you!

  • September 2025-Winter 2026

    Permit limitations due to spawning fish and endangered birds’ migratory patterns, likely leaving a window between September and January 15 to execute. Dredging activity scheduled for the Fall and dune reconstruction will coincide and follow.

  • Save Popponesset Bay: LWD Project Q&A

    1. What is the LWD Channel Project?

    The LWD (Longer-Wider-Deeper) Project is a large-scale coastal restoration effort that includes:

    • Expanding and deepening the navigation channel

    • Rebuilding the width and height of the Popponesset Spit

    • Adding a nature-based catch basin to trap sand before it clogs the channel

    This integrated approach has just received final approval after more than 10 years of studies, planning, and regulatory review. It ensures a sustainable sand source, reduces the need for costly trucking, and improves the long-term health and resilience of the bay.

    2. Who is leading the project?

    The project is being led by a team of experienced coastal experts:

    • John Malloy, Project Manager, has overseen more than a dozen nourishment and dredging efforts over 12+ years and helped secure vital community and government partnerships.

    • Tara Marden, Coastal Geologist and Senior Project Manager at Coastal Protection Engineering, brings over 30 years of shoreline restoration and permitting experience. She shaped the project’s phased design and implementation.

    Together, they’ve laid the groundwork for one of the most ambitious community-led coastal efforts in Massachusetts.

    3. When will the project begin?

    We’re ready to get started.
    With permits secured, a formal MOU signed with the Town of Mashpee, construction plans finalized, and the Barnstable County dredge scheduled, the project is fully shovel-ready to begin in September 2025.

    4. How much will it cost?

    The total project cost is estimated to be $4 million. Save Popponesset Bay is applying for a grant through the Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Coastal Resilience Program, which should be awarded summer 2025.

    To qualify, we need to raise a local matching contribution, making community donations critical to unlocking state funding.

    5. Why is this urgent?

    Despite past restoration work, Popponesset Spit remains highly vulnerable. With sea levels rising and coastal storms intensifying, just one major storm could:

    • Breach the Spit

    • Flood marshes and nearby homes

    • Disrupt recreation and shellfishing

    • Destroy a decade of progress

    We are one storm away from irreversible damage. This project is our best opportunity to secure the Spit’s future - for the environment and our community.

    6. What impact will this project have?

    The LWD Project delivers lasting, measurable benefits:

    • Strengthens the Spit by rebuilding its width, height, and storm-buffering capacity

    • Improves navigation by expanding the Outer Channel

    • Creates a sustainable sand source via sediment reuse

    • Reduces future costs and maintenance with a natural sand-trapping catch basin

    This is more than a dredging project - it’s a science-based solution to protect one of Cape Cod’s most treasured natural assets.

In 2013, following Hurricane Sandy, SPB with the support of our partner Mass Audubon, initiated a campaign to restore the Popponesset Spit and significantly improve its resilience to future storms and sea level rise while helping to maintain water quality in Popponesset Bay. SPB collaborated with Woods Hole Group, a coastal engineering firm, to develop a strategy and design to achieve these objectives. SPB worked diligently to design and permit the Longer, Wider, Deeper Project, coordinating efforts with State, Federal, Barnstable County, and Mashpee Town officials and Mass Audubon Society.

SPB is undertaking a fundraising campaign with the goal of raising approximately $4 million to implement the Longer, Wider, Deeper Project. This initiative aims to significantly enhance and safeguard the Popponesset Spit and Bay, by adding over 70,000 cubic yards of sand to widen the Spit beach and dunes. The Popponesset Approach Channel to Nantucket Sound will be extended by 250 feet, widened by 50 feet, and deepened by 2 feet, incorporating a catch basin along a portion of the channel to prolong the channel's lifespan between future dredging projects. The channel dredging is expected to yield over 40,000 cubic yards of sand to be placed onto the Spit. Additionally, SPB plans to truck in up to 30,000 cubic yards of sand to further buildout the dune and beach area. SPB plans to begin construction in September 2025 and complete the project during the winter 2026 season.