Town of Duxbury - Beach Operations - Beach Update - May 20, 2022

From: Town Of Duxbury
May 22, 2022

Hello Beach Patron,  

We apologize for the volume of beach updates coming your way, but more information is always better than less.  

Piping Plover Update

The Duxbury Beach Reservation has informed us of some new activity regarding the Piping Plovers nesting at Duxbury Beach. There are still currently 29 nests located at the beach with 3 pairs of plovers who are still currently searching for nest sites. Once these chicks begin to hatch, we expect the following dates for both Crossovers to close. We anticipate Crossover #2 to still be closed beginning 6/1, and although one nest near Crossover #1 has experienced threats of predation, the other nests are getting ready to hatch. We expect an accelerated closure date of Crossover #1 than previously given. Crossover #1 is expected to close on 6/5, unfortunately this is quicker than we previously expected, but these are wild animals and Mother Nature decides when they will begin to hatch.   

There will also be restricted sections popping up on the OSV beach as early as 5/20. There will be one located at the northern end of the OSV near the “northern poles”. While the other will be directly in-between Crossover 1 and Crossover 2. Both vehicles and dogs are NOT ALLOWED within these restricted areas, vehicles are also not allowed to drive through these restricted sections. These areas will be marked by rebar and twine as well as sawhorses and cones.  

All parking cutouts located along the backroad at Duxbury Beach will unfortunately also need to be closed while the piping plover chicks are hatching. These areas will begin to be closed as early at 5/21. It is important to give the chicks the space they need to grow and become fully fledged so they are able to leave the beach as quickly as possible.  

Northern Non-Resident Lot

Once both Crossovers experience closures we will be opening up the Northern Non-Resident lot for Non-Resident permit holders to use. This lot contains approximately 93 spaces that will be available for these permit holders to use. Please monitor our Twitter page or ask an on-duty Ranger to see when this lot will be available for use.  

Resident Lot

Once both Crossovers experience closures the Resident Lot will be available for both valid Oversand and Parking Lot permit holders. There were various great weather weekends last season when this lot did reach capacity, please monitor our Twitter page for updates.

Current Beach Conditions

With both the lack of rain and warmer weather approaching the OSV beach is experiencing sections of deep soft sand. This deep sand is very prevalent near the entrance and exit of Crossover #1. Use caution while driving in this area and be prepared for hazards such as getting your vehicle stuck on all sections of the drive on beach. Please bring with you a shovel, tow straps, or traction pads in order to help free your vehicle if you encounter this.  

Crossover Hours

One if not both Crossovers will be opened 8:30AM-8:00PM, 7 days a week. These hours are subject to change regarding threatened species activity, tide heights, and extreme weather conditions.  

If you are on the beach and need assistance please locate a Ranger and we will be happy to assist you. The on-duty supervisor phone can be reached at (339)-236-4183*

Thank you

I look forward to seeing you on the beach this season,

Ryan Brown  

Beach Operations Manager

Duxbury, MA

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