Aquinnah shoring up erosion

The town is looking to dredge West Basin and reinforce the Red Beach parking lot.

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After a series of storms shook up beach and coastline areas Island-wide, Aquinnah is looking to shore up coastal infrastructure and clear out a blocked channel.

Town administrator Jeffrey Madison says that dredging is needed at West Basin, and town officials are working to clear sand from the boat ramp there so boats can safely enter. 

“We need to really dredge the entrance to West Basin,” Madison told the Aquinnah Select Board Tuesday night, “because it’s not sufficient now for boat passage at all times.”

Madison added that a boat ramp to the basin regularly used by scallopers was temporarily unavailable, due to sand buildup. On Tuesday night, Madison said that sand was to be removed from the area as a preliminary solution.

Due to erosion at the Red Beach parking lot, Madison says, temporary solutions are in progress as the town awaits analyses from engineers.

On Wednesday morning at Red Beach, an excavator was waiting for low tide to re-establish a barrier made of rocks that had moved in the storm. Madison hopes that it will stop waves from undermining the beach end of Lobsterville Road.

Madison says that he is unaware of any other Aquinnah areas significantly impacted by the storms, and that he does not yet know how much in total the storm response will cost the town. Madison also said that the town waterways account will be accessed to fund the efforts.