StormSmart Coasts - Inventories of Seawalls and Other Coastal Structures

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.

Inventory of Privately Owned Coastal Structures

Prepared for the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) in 2013 by Applied Science Associates, Inc., this technical report documents 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 are presumed to be privately owned and 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 Publically 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 reports include condition ratings and estimated repair or reconstruction costs for publically owned coastal structures. Listed below are the Summary Report for the project 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

North Shore

• • Salisbury, Newburyport, Newbury, Rowley, Ipswich, and Essex  file size 17MB
  • Gloucester and Rockport  file size 25MB
  • Manchester, Beverly, and Salem  file size 20MB
  • Marblehead, Swampscott, Lynn, Saugus, and Revere  file size 36MB

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

South Shore

• • Hingham  file size 11MB
  • Hull  file size 23MB
  • Cohasset  file size 5MB
  • Scituate  file size 43MB
  • Marshfield  file size 31MB
  • Duxbury  file size 8MB
  • Kingston  file size 3MB
  • Plymouth  file size 17MB

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

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