HomeMy WebLinkAboutDMF Email EnvReview-South (FWE)_Town of Barnstable (McCarthy Facility), NOI, 40 Hayward Road, BarnstableFrom: DMF EnvReview-South (FWE) <dmf.envreview-south@mass.gov>
Sent: Friday, March 8, 2024 4:12 PM
To: Karle, Darcy; Cavanaugh, Kimberly
Cc: Packard, Jeramy M; Logan, John (FWE); Davis, Amanda (FWE);
Camisa, Ma (FWE); Bordonaro, Patrice (EEA); Falvey, Kara
(FWE); Neron, Malik (FWE)
Subject: Town of Barnstable (McCarthy Facility), NOI, 40 Hayward Road,
Barnstable
A achments: Town of Barnstable (McCarthy Landing Facility) to ConCom.pdf
Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Flagged
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.
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.
Thank you,
Malik Neron
Sent on behalf of Amanda Davis
Environmental Review Administra ve Assistant
MA Division of Marine Fisheries
836 S. Rodney French Boulevard
New Bedford, MA 02744
h p://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dfg/dmf/