access channel leading to the cove through the flood shoal (U.S. Army Engineer
Division, New England, 1989). The anchorage and access channel has been
dredged one time by the New England District and on several occasions by the
Town of Chatham in the 10 years preceding 2000, with most of the dredged
material being placed on Tern Island across the anchorage from the Fish Pier and
on various mainland beaches within the Town of Chatham.
This report describes a study to update to 1999, the inlet-adjacent mainland
and barrier island shoreline response and shoal development and evolution since
the initial 3-year study (U.S. Army Engineer Division, New England, 1989) to
assess the effects of prior dredging of the flood shoal channel and evaluate poten-
tial impacts of future proposed dredging on the Chatham Inlet system. The study
area is dynamic and is still evolving. The flood channel has changed orientation
and position as the associated flood shoal development has continued to grow in
area and migrate northward up-estuary since the 1989 study, creating a problem in
maintaining a viable navigation channel for the commercial fishing fleet. Docu-
mentation of the sequence of changes will provide a scientific basis for under-
standing of the mechanisms by which the entire inlet/bay system responds to the
inlet processes and dredging.
7
Chapter 1 Introduction
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