Chappy and Norton Point Beach Report
TTOR, Chris Kennedy
May 25, 2017
Beach Update
Most beaches on Chappy and Norton Point are open this holiday weekend for oversand vehicles but current permits are required to drive on the beach. If you haven’t grabbed your permit yet, make sure to stop by Coop’s Bait and Tackle in Edgartown or the gatehouses at Chappy or Norton Point. Also, while its still in your mind, we highly recommend that you put your tow rope, shovel, tire gauge and a jack support board back in your beach buggy—trust us you will wish you had done this when you find yourself stuck on the beach some late evening this season.
Norton Point looks good right now but we are still awaiting Mother Nature to drop some sand on the outside beach adjacent to the gatehouse. The first ¼ mile at Norton Point is impassable on the outside beach due to erosion. OSV’s may travel on the inside trail just past the gatehouse and you can move onto the outside beach a short way down the barrier beach. Norton Point gets a little skinny as you near Wasque which allows only one vehicle at a time to traverse a short 200 foot section of beach before you reach Chappy. Norton Beach will have a number of plover and tern nests established shortly which will probably require the closing of the beach near sections where chicks are located. Still too soon to be able to predict where or when that will happen, but experience has taught all of us that it is likely to happen.
Wasque Point is really broad in most spots, but severe erosion at the junction of Leland Beach and Wasque Point has forced the Trustees to temporarily block through traffic to Chappy as of Thursday mid-day(5/25/2017).
A Coastal Flood Warning has been issued for Martha’s Vineyard by the National Weather Service for tonight. We will re-evaluate the situation in the morning and will reopen access around Wasque to Leland as soon as we can.
At Wasque Point, please avoid the beach grass which is slowly beginning to move outwards from the cliff. The grass helps stabilize the beach which is in all of our interests. No shorebirds are currently nesting at Wasque Point but that could change as the habitat looks ideal for nesting plovers.
Leland Beach will once again be a hotspot for plovers. Several pairs of birds have been spotted looking for nesting areas on the outside and inside beach at Leland and we expect nests to be laid down close to the middle of Leland Beach in the coming weeks. Given its importance to nesting plovers we are asking fishermen and vehicle drivers to once again keep their dogs on a leash. Dogs which are found off of leashes may be asked, along with their owners, to leave the beach. Repeat warnings will result in permit revocation. Areas where plovers and terns are nesting will be posted as “NO Dogs” areas. Please help us pass the word.
Dogs will not be allowed on designated Swimming beaches this summer.
Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge is open for vehicle access except for the very end of the Gut where a family of plovers has taken up residence. Again, this is not a surprise as these birds tend to be early nesters and hatchers. Ecology staff have found other nests at the Elbow which may result in additional closures in that area. But we have learned that Mother Nature laughs at us when we think we have the habits and behaviors of wildlife figured out. We also expect to see plovers setting up nests in the coming weeks in all the usual places on East Beach. OSV access across the East Beach Swimming beach will be allowed until mid-June when we will close vehicle access to prevent vehicles from driving among swimmers, sunbathers and kids.
All gatehouses will be open and beaches will be fully patrolled seven days per week beginning Friday, May 26. As always the Trustees appreciate the support of the Martha’s Vineyard Surfcaster’s Association!