The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management Coastal Habitat and Water Quality (CHWQ) Grants fund projects that assess and treat stormwater pollution and advance habitat restoration and comprehensive restoration planning. Multiple CHWQ grants were awarded for this project to reduce stormwater runoff pollution at two public boat ramp landing sites along Scargo Lake in Dennis. Before this project, stormwater from the parking lots had little to no treatment before flowing into the lake. Now, green stormwater infrastructure (methods that use natural processes to collect and filter stormwater) have been installed to capture and filter nutrients, bacteria, and other pollutants. From design to permitting to installation of the solutions, CZM worked with project partners—particularly the Association to Preserve Cape Cod (APCC) and the Town of Dennis—to improve water quality in the area.
This page focuses on the green stormwater infrastructure installed at two landings on Scargo Lake—at Scargo Lake Beach (off Dr. Lord’s Road) and at Scargo Town Landing (off Route 6A). The results are improved water quality and habitat at the lake.
CHWQ Grant Details
Two CHWQ grants were awarded for this effort. The project also received funding from a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Southeast New England Program (SNEP) Grant in partnership with Restore America’s Estuaries, MassBays National Estuary Partnership, private foundation funding to the Association to Preserve Cape Cod (APCC), and in-kind contributions from state and municipal staff.
Details on the CHWQ Grants are provided here.
- Title: Public Boat Ramp Stormwater Remediation
- Funding: Awarded through two grant rounds: Phase 1 (Fiscal Year 2023) and Phase 2 (Fiscal Year 2024)
- Recipient: APCC
New Green Stormwater Infrastructure
Prior to this project, stormwater from the boat ramp parking lots at Dr. Lord’s Landing Road and 961 Route 6A ran into Scargo Lake with little to no treatment. This stormwater runoff carried oil, salt, nutrients (such as nitrogen and phosphorus), and other contaminants to the lake. Now, the newly installed green stormwater infrastructure captures and filters pollutants.
At Scargo Lake Beach (off Dr. Lord’s Road), a porous pavement parking lot, gravel infiltration trench, bioretention area (which is an engineered rain garden), and native plants were installed.
At Scargo Town Landing (off Route 6A), various methods to reduce stormwater pollution—underground stormwater chambers, a bioretention area near the shoreline, and a specially designed concrete mat at the boat ramp—were installed, along with native plants to take up and filter stormwater.
The Results - Improved Water Quality
This project will significantly reduce bacteria, sediments, and nutrients entering Scargo Lake, as well as reduce erosion from the boat ramps and shoreline. In addition to helping to protect the habitats and water quality of this 60-acre natural kettle hole pond, the project also provides broader watershed benefits. Scargo Lake is connected to Sesuit Creek and Cape Cod Bay—so water quality improvements here benefit downstream coastal waters and habitat.
For more detailed information about the project and additional photos, see APCC’s Scargo Lake Stormwater page and the Town of Dennis’s Scargo Lake Landings Project page.
The Bigger Picture
The Scargo Lake project is the result of a larger effort to improve the water quality of the many waterbodies and embayments across Cape Cod.
An APCC project, State of the Waters: Cape Cod, sampled and graded saltwater embayments and freshwater ponds in the region. Results showed that approximately 90% of the graded saltwater embayments and 39% of the ponds were determined to have unacceptable water quality. This series of reports, along with input from town and state staff and initial assessment and design work funded through EPA’s Southeast New England Program Grant, identified Cape Cod boat ramp landing sites with direct stormwater discharge with little to no pollutant removal.
For a more detailed history of the process and partners, including the identification of potential sites, development of concept designs, and implementation of priorities, see APCC’s Stormwater Management at Public Boat Ramps page.
More on CHWQ Grants
See the Coastal Habitat and Water Quality Grants page for information on other funded projects, along with general details about the grants, who is eligible, guidance documents, application timelines and process, and more.
| Date published: | September 10, 2026 |
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