Harwich To Sell Excess Beach Sand

 HARWICH – With dredging of entrance channels along Nantucket Sound expected this spring, the town is anticipating having excess sand after bolstering public beaches and is planning to seek bids from private shorefront property owners who are looking to fortify their shorelines.

 Town beaches will get the first crack at the dredged sand, said Town Administrator Jay McGrail. There could be as much as 4,000 cubic yards of excess material available for beachfront property owners to purchase.

 The concept is not new. The town put in place a policy in 2012 allowing excess sand, once town beaches are nourished, to be sold to beachfront property owners. If the value of the sand exceeds $5,000, a competitive bid process is required, including a minimum price per cubic yard that covers the town’s cost.

In 2018 the minimum price was $9 per cubic yard and the town sold 8,000 cubic yards. In 2021, the town set a minimum price of $10 per cubic yard which generated $130,000 in revenue. Bid prices are usually higher than the minimum set by the town. 

McGrail said on Monday that the minimum price for a cubic yard will be $20.60. The town is literally passing along the price the county dredge charges the town, he said, adding that people “throw money” when bidding on beach sand.

The actual amount of sand that could be available from dredging the Saquatucket and Allen Harbor channels has yet to be determined because surveys have not yet been completed, said Harbormaster John Harker. There could be no sand available for private beaches, depending on the amount that must be dredged, McGrail said.

Select Board Chair Donald Howell inquired about placing sand of Grey Neck Beach, which has revetments along the shore where sand erodes quickly. 

 “The public beaches will be done first,” Harker said, citing Grey Neck Beach, Earle Road and Brooks Road beaches, where the sand from Allen Harbor channel will be used. Sand from Saquatucket Harbor channel will go to Red River Beach, he said. 

Those projects closest to the dredge location will get the remaining sand, said McGrail. Harker said the disposal pipe has a 3,500-foot range and locations beyond that would require a booster, which raises the cost of the operation.

The channel must be dredged to a depth of six feet, Harker said, and given current conditions, there should be sand remaining after covering town beaches. Should 4,000 cubic yards be available for sale, McGrail estimated it would net $100,000 to the town. Owners have been reaching out to Harker, indicating there is interest in purchasing the sand, McGrail said.

Availability of the sand will be advertised by the town this week and the bid closure date will be April 16. Dredging could run into restrictions imposed by the state Division of Marine Fisheries and Department of Environmental Protection during spawning periods.