Popponesset dredging project in full swing

Barnstable County’s Dredge Program has expanded operations on the Popponesset “Longer, Wider & Deeper” (LWD) project in Mashpee with the addition of its second dredge, Cod Fish II.

The vessel began work on September 30, joining the Sand Shifter, which started dredging last week in the Approach Channel.

This is the largest single-season project in the program’s history, with a target volume of 57,000 cubic yards. The Sand Shifter has been pumping sand to a midpoint on the spit approximately 3,500 feet away, while Cod Fish II is pumping sand over a mile to Wading Place at the western end of the spit.

To cover this longer distance, a booster pump secured on a barge inside Popponesset Bay is being used, with the pipeline routed over the spit and down the beach to its endpoint.

The Cod Fish II is scheduled to move to Truro at the end of October, while the Sand Shifter will continue dredging through November.

Mobilization of equipment for this project could not begin until September 16 due to a Time of Year (TOY) restriction in place on the spit to protect endangered shorebirds.