Major Surficial Sediment Map for Massachusetts Underway

At the July 1, 2014 NERDT meeting Bob Boeri, the dredging coordinator for Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management described a major surficial sediment mapping project conducted by Massachusetts CZM.

The focus of the mapping project was to identify hard and complex bottom types, but the map includes a wide range of sediment types.  As part of this project, over 30,000 surficial sediment sampling data points have been added since 2009 (for a total of 50,000 data points total). The landward boundary of the mapping project was 1,500 feet seaward of mean high water.

The draft surficial sediment maps have been released as part of a Regional Sediment Resource Management Work Group Report that forms part of the 2014 Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan Update.  You can review the maps http://www.mass.gov/eea/docs/czm/oceans/ocean-plan-updates/sediment-geology.pdf

 

Sed_WG_Report_Surficial_Sediment