CAPE COD COMMISSION

Cape Cod Atlas of Tidally Restricted Salt Marshes

Published December 2001

The Cape Cod Atlas of Tidally Restricted Salt Marshes was undertaken to identify salt marsh systems impaired by the restriction of tidal flow along the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The scope of this project was limited to sites where salt marshes have been impacted by transportation related facilities such as roads, railroads, causeways, and footpaths. Additionally, infrastructure built to support the extensive cranberry farming operations on the Cape was also considered in this atlas. In some cases, dikes serving no transportation purpose were identified and included if they were found to be restricting tidal flow to a salt marsh.

The Cape Cod Atlas of Tidally Restricted Salt Marshes was funded, in part, and prepared at the request of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, Wetlands Restoration Program. Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management generously provided additional funding for the printing of the final Atlas. The Massachusetts Bays National Estuary Program and the Cape Cod Commission provided additional monetary contributions toward project staff time, design and layout, and Geographic Information Systems work and mapping.

The methodology, fieldwork, site descriptions, maps, and data summaries published in this atlas were conducted, developed, and produced by the Cape Cod Commission. The background text of this atlas was adapted in large part from the Atlas of Tidal Restrictions on the South Shore of Massachusetts (Metropolitan Area Planning Council, 2001) and from the Atlas of Tidal Restrictions - Buzzards Bay Watershed (Buzzards Bay Project National Estuary Program, 2000).

Contents (all PDF files): Atlas Introduction (approx. 244K file size) Atlas for the Town of Barnstable (approx. 1MB file size) Atlas for the Town of Bourne (approx. 296K file size) Atlas for the Town of Brewster (approx. 444K file size) Atlas for the Town of Chatham (approx. 468K file size) Atlas for the Town of Dennis (approx. 692K file size) Atlas for the Town of Eastham (approx. 472K file size) Atlas for the Town of Falmouth (approx. 560K file size) Atlas for the Town of Harwich (approx. 580K file size) Atlas for the Town of Mashpee (approx. 408K file size) Atlas for the Town of Orleans (approx. 488K file size) Atlas for the Town of Provincetown (approx. 260K file size) Atlas for the Town of Sandwich (approx. 684K file size) Atlas for the Town of Truro (approx. 432K file size) Atlas for the Town of Wellfleet (approx. 468K file size) Atlas for the Town of Yarmouth (approx. 764K file size) Atlas Appendices (approx. 100K file size)

For information about the Cape Cod Atlas of Tidally Restricted Salt Marshes, contact Commission Planner Stacey Justus, (508) 362-3828.