Many types of structures exist along the coast of Massachusetts to protect buildings and infrastructure constructed prior to coastal management policies and regulations. Historically, coastal land was developed out of economic necessity. Commercial development primarily included piers, wharves, and warehouses. Residential development, roads, and other infrastructure followed due to increasing population demand and the desire to work and live near the ocean. Today, maintenance of coastal structures built to protect public and private development in dynamic coastal areas challenges the Commonwealth, municipalities, and individuals.
To help address these challenges, inventories of both privately and publically owned seawalls, revetments, groins, jetties, and other coastal structures have been developed and are described below.
To view both private and public structure data in the Massachusetts Ocean Resource information System (MORIS), see Private and Public Shoreline Stabilization Structures - Data and Online Mapping.
Inventory of Privately Owned Coastal Structures
Prepared for the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) in 2013 by Applied Science Associates, Inc., these data and the technical report document the location and type of coastal structures, such as seawalls and revetments, not included in previous phases of the Massachusetts Coastal Infrastructure Inventory and Assessment Project (see below). These structures were identified using remote sensing techniques and are presumed to be privately owned. The data and report provide a comprehensive assessment of shoreline armoring coast-wide. Nearly 27% of the ocean-facing shoreline is armored by some form of public or private coastal protection. Below are links to the report, appendices, and data:
- Mapping and Analysis of Privately-Owned Coastal Structures along the Massachusetts Shoreline
file size 4MB
- Appendix A - Elevation Extraction
file size 1MB
- Appendix B - Structure ID Generation
- Private Shoreline Stabilization Structures - Data and Online Mapping
Inventory of Publicly Owned Coastal Structures
Prepared for CZM and the Department of Conservation and Recreation from 2006 to 2009, the Massachusetts Coastal Infrastructure Inventory and Assessment Project data and reports include condition ratings and estimated repair or reconstruction costs for publically owned coastal structures. These structures were characterized through on-site evaluation. Listed below are the Summary Report for the project, data, and the community reports categorized by region.
These files are rather large and may be best viewed by downloading to your computer. Right-click on the desired file link, select Save Target As..., choose a location, and click Save (procedure may vary slightly based on the internet browser).
- Massachusetts Coastal Infrastructure Inventory and Assessment Project - Summary Report
file size 2MB
- Public Shoreline Stabilization Structures - Data and Online Mapping
North Shore
- Salisbury, Newburyport, Newbury, Rowley, Ipswich, and Essex
file size 17MB
- Gloucester and Rockport
file size 25MB
- Manchester-by-the-Sea, Beverly, and Salem
file size 20MB
- Marblehead, Swampscott, Lynn, Saugus, and Revere
file size 36MB
- Salisbury, Newburyport, Newbury, Rowley, Ipswich, and Essex
Boston Harbor
- Nahant, Winthrop, Chelsea, Everett, and Boston Harbor Islands
file size 34MB
- Boston
file size 70MB
- Milton, Quincy, Braintree, and Weymouth
file size 27MB
- Nahant, Winthrop, Chelsea, Everett, and Boston Harbor Islands
South Shore
Cape Cod and Islands
- Bourne, Sandwich, and Mashpee
file size 17MB
- Falmouth
file size 32MB
- Barnstable, Yarmouth, and Dennis
file size 39MB
- Harwich, Chatham, Brewster, and Orleans
file size 28MB
- Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown
file size 20MB
- Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket
file size 33MB
- Bourne, Sandwich, and Mashpee
South Coast
- Wareham, Marion, Mattapoisett, and Fairhaven
file size 32MB
- New Bedford
file size 24MB
- Dartmouth, Westport, Somerset, and Swansea
file size 14MB
- Fall River
file size 18MB
- Wareham, Marion, Mattapoisett, and Fairhaven