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Home My WebLink AboutDMF Letter (McCarthy Landing Facility) to ConComThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (617) 626-1520 | www.mass.gov/marinefisheries MAURA T. HEALEY KIMBERLEY DRISCOLL REBECCA L. TEPPER THOMAS K. O’SHEA DANIEL J. MCKIERNAN Governor Lt. Governor Secretary Commissioner Director SOUTH COAST FIELD STATION CAT COVE MARINE LABORATORY NORTH SHORE FIELD STATION 836 S. Rodney French Blvd 92 Fort Avenue 30 Emerson Avenue New Bedford, MA 02744 Salem, MA 01970 Gloucester, MA 01930 March 8, 2024 Barnstable Conservation Commission 367 Main Street Barnstable, MA 02601 Dear Commissioners: The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (MA DMF) has reviewed the Notice of Intent by the Town of Barnstable to bring the Hayward Road-McCarthy Landing facility to compliance by establishing a reconfiguring zone, relocating floats, and constructing a timber pier, gangway, floats, and pilings within the Centerville River at 40 Hayward Road in the Town of Barnstable. The main in-water work includes rotating the existing harbormaster float, installing ten 12” diameter piles, and replacing existing dinghy docks with new floating docks. All piles will be driven from a barge which will maintain at least 18” of clearance from the existing substrate at all times. The project was reviewed with respect to potential impacts to marine fisheries resources and habitat. The project site is adjacent to salt marsh vegetation. Salt marsh provides a variety of ecosystem services, including habitat and energy sources for many fish and invertebrate species [1-2]. The project site includes mapped shellfish habitat for northern quahog (Mercenaria mercenaria), American oyster (Crassostrea virginica), and softshell clam (Mya arenaria). Waters bordering the project site have habitat characteristics suitable for these species. Land containing shellfish is deemed significant to the interest of the Wetlands Protection Act (310 CMR 10.34) and the protection of marine fisheries. Centerville River has been identified by MA DMF as diadromous fish passage, migration, and/or spawning habitat for alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis), and American eel (Anguilla rostrata) [3]. Centerville River acts as winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) spawning habitat. Winter flounder enter the area and spawn from January through May; demersal eggs hatch approximately 15 to 20 days later. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has designated winter flounder spawning habitat as a “Habitat Area of Particular Concern” (HAPC). In the previous stock assessment, the winter flounder stock was classified as overfished with spawning stock biomass in 2019 estimated to be only 32% of the biomass target [4]. Spawning stock biomass in 2021 was estimated to be 101% of the biomass target based on a new recruitment stanza focusing only on the past twenty years [5]. Given the new status of the winter flounder stock, every effort should be made to protect the species and its spawning habitat. Drafted 2016; Updated 2023 2 MA DMF offers the following comment for your consideration: • Grounded floats can disturb bottom sediments, resulting in turbidity and direct impacts to benthic habitat. To minimize impacts, MA DMF recommends that the bottom of a proposed float be at least 2.5 feet (30 inches) above the substrate over mapped shellfish habitat, at MLW [6]. The floats as proposed would not maintain this minimum clearance at MLW; MA DMF recommends installing float stops to maintain a 2.5-foot clearance above the substrate at MLW. • Any piles that will be removed should be fully removed from the substrate - rather than cut at the base – since the area is suitable shellfish habitat [6]. • Any activities requiring a barge should be restricted to 2 hours before and after high tide to prevent barge grounding in mapped shellfish habitat. • Fuel spills from refueling of construction equipment will adversely impact sensitive resource areas. Impacts to resource areas can be avoided by prohibiting all land-based equipment from being refueled on-site. If equipment is refueled on-site, adequate containment and clean up material should be required to minimize impacts. Questions regarding this review may be directed to Amanda Davis at amanda.davis@mass.gov. Sincerely, Amanda Davis Environmental Analyst MA Division of Marine Fisheries cc: Jeremy Packard, Foth Infrastructure John Logan, Matt Camisa, Kara Falvey, Malik Neron, MA DMF Patrice Bordonaro, CZM AD/mn/kf References: 1. Boesch, D.F. and R.E. Turner. 1984. “Dependence of Fishery Species on Salt Marshes: The Role of Food and Refuge.” Estuaries 7(4):460-468. https://doi.org/10.2307/1351627. 2. Deegan, L.A., J.E. Hughes, and R.A. Rountree. 2000. “Salt marsh ecosystem support of marine transient species.” In: M.P. Weinstein and D.A. Kreeger, eds. Concepts and Controversies in Tidal Marsh Ecology: Kluwer Academic Publisher, The Netherlands. pp. 333-365 3. MA DMF. MassGIS Data: Diadromous Fish. https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massgis- data-diadromous-fish. Accessed February 8, 2023. 2023. Drafted 2016; Updated 2023 3 4. ASMFC. 2020. Southern New England Mid-Atlantic Winter Flounder 2020 Assessment Update Report. http://www.asmfc.org/uploads/file/6008bd822020_SNE- MA_WinterFlounderAssessmentUpdate.pdf 5. ASMFC. 2022. Southern New England Mid-Atlantic Winter Flounder 2022 Management Track Assessment Report. Compiled June 2022. https://apps- nefsc.fisheries.noaa.gov/saw/sasi.php 6. Logan, J.M., A. Boeri, J. Carr, T. Evans, E.M. Feeney, K. Frew, F. Schenck, and K.H. Ford. 2022. A review of habitat impacts from residential docks and recommended Best Management Practices with an emphasis on the northeastern United States. Estuaries Coasts 45: 1189–1216. https://www.mass.gov/doc/dock-bmp- recommendations/download