Town of Duxbury - Beach Operations - Beach Update – 7/21/2023
Duxbury Beach Access Update
July 21, 2023
The Town of Duxbury provides periodic updates on the status of avian activity currently inhabiting the Duxbury Beach and the potential impacts their presence may have on beach patrons. Since beach stickers are non-refundable, we provide this information to the public as soon as it becomes available so that individuals may plan accordingly in terms of whether or not they decide to make a purchase.
Hours of Operation
Starting Friday, July 21- BEACH AND PARKING LOT HOURS:
Monday – Thursday: 8AM – 10PM
Friday – Sunday: 8AM – 11PM
The Town and Duxbury Beach Reservation (DBR) have a strong partnership in the management of Duxbury Beach and each has their own distinct set of responsibilities. As has been the case for many years, the hours of operation for Duxbury Beach and the associated parking lots are determined by the Town of Duxbury and not the DBR. The Town determines the hours of operation based on a number of factors including but not limited to season of the year, weather, tides, avian activity and access to the over sand portion(s) of Duxbury beach and the Town’s ability to ensure safe and appropriate access.
Recent occurrences of vandalism at Duxbury Beach have been a source of great concern for both the Town and DBR and any further instances of those illegal activities will have an extremely adverse impact on the Town’s ability to continue to use Duxbury Beach. The Town is obligated to ensure that all beach patrons are following the applicable rules of conduct as noted in the Duxbury Beach Guide and the Town's Beach Use by-law. The Town is maintaining its commitment to providing enforcement of the applicable laws and will issue citations as determined by Duxbury Police.
As an additional means of helping prevent any future acts of vandalism, Police Department personnel will be present at/near closing time and making routine patrols throughout each night during the season to confirm that those areas remain vacated.
Beach Status
As of the morning of July 17th, we have 46 pairs of Piping Plovers on the beach, with 0 active nests, 12 broods of chicks, and 17 broods that have fledged. To date, we have lost 19 nests, and 10 broods. The Least Terns are in the thick of nesting. The oldest chicks are between 16-21 days old. We have noticed an uptick in young chicks between 1-5 days on the beach signifying that many nests have hatched. There are nests that are still incubating and will hatch soon.
Beach Access
All crossovers, the back road and cut outs will remain closed until further notice.
There are approximately 300 spots in the Resident Parking lot and 100 spots in the Non- resident Northern Lot for permit holders, both have access to multiple portable restrooms. There is also public parking at a fee at Duxbury Beach Park (Blakeman’s).
Removal of Barricades in Resident Lot
Beach Operations will be removing the barricades in the main resident lot and bayside lot that have been in place because of avian activity. This will approximately open up an additional 30 resident permitted spaces.
Please note: There are barriers in some of the beach access walkways. These barriers prevent chicks from entering the parking lot. In order to maximize parking areas, these barriers are used because if chicks enter the lot, the lot will be shut down. Please be mindful when entering and exiting the beach.
Once the birds have fledged, portions of the over sand vehicle corridors will be re-opened and patrons will then be allowed to visit those sections of the beach. Unfortunately, it is impossible to predict or guarantee a steadfast over sand corridor re-opening date since these are wild animals and therefore are unpredictable. They may be susceptible to tidal over wash, predation, and mortality from exposure to severe weather, as well as unpredictable movements throughout their habitat on the beach. Restrictions are in place until the birds are able to fly for a specific distance, meaning these restrictions may or may not be incrementally altered. Also, many of these restricted areas may overlap to an extent in both space (area) and timing (time until chicks can fly) and may change based on movement of the chicks.
Back Road Incidents
Although the back road remains closed to Permit Holders, we are still dealing with issues involving traffic going to and from the communities of Gurnet and Saquish. The Duxbury Beach Shorebird Monitors, who are primarily young adults, have been experiencing an alarming rise in harassment such as revving engines at staff in the road, swerving around employees, yelling, and other derogatory actions. Though a small group is responsible, everyone can help maintain a safe environment. Please help support monitors by keeping a watchful eye out for any inappropriate behavior. If you witness something, please don’t hesitate to report it to Beach Operations or the Duxbury Police. Thank you for being supportive.
Further, on Monday, July 10th, representatives from the Town of Duxbury and DBR met with staff members from the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations. During the course of that meeting, serious concern was expressed by the state officials with regard to the recurring problem of vandalism, harassment of DBR staff and speeding along the back road. The Town is currently developing a plan to address these concerns which will be required to be in place before the State will allow us to re-open the beach to OSV once the birds have fledged. One of the primary components of the plan and which is being implemented immediately is that the Town will be addressing speeding, much of which has been occurring by motorists heading toward the Gurnet/Saquish area (which is actually a part of the Town of Plymouth) and as such, visitors to the beach should expect to see law enforcement officials addressing this in the days ahead. The property owners in the Gurnet/Saquish area, pay for private security to prevent non-residents and uninvited guests from this area. The staff at the guard shack will also be checking to ensure that resident or guest permit holders only are allowed to drive to the Gurnet/Saquish neighborhood.
Greenhead Season
Greenhead season has arrived. Please bring appropriate clothing and bug spray.
Beach Lifeguards
Weather permitting, Beach Lifeguards will be on duty 9AM – 5PM, 7 days a week. All Beach Lifeguards are trained in CPR, AED, and first aid. Please seek them out if you need medical attention. Beach Operations has a beach wheelchair for use for those that need it. Please see a Beach Ranger at the guard shack for assistance.
Dog Areas and Sensitive Wildlife Areas
Dogs are allowed at Duxbury Beach Reservation. However, they are only allowed while on leash in the parking lots and along the roadways. Currently, there are no areas on bayside or oceanside beaches where they are allowed. This might change in the coming days based on what broods fledge and Beach Operations will be updated with any changes.
Sensitive Wildlife Areas are in effect on most of the beach. While beachgoers are invited to set up and enjoy these areas, it is with sensitivity to the chicks that are also using the beach. We ask that you do not drive, ride a bike, or play large recreational games in these areas. Games and ball throwing will be allowed in these areas so long as they do not directly impact active Piping Plover or Least Tern Chicks. In the case that the game is located near a brood a Shorebird Monitor may ask beachgoers to relocate down the beach to a different area to continue their game. There are areas where full recreational activity is allowed. Currently, they are bayside north and south of the Powder Point Bridge until the Sensitive Species Areas signage and on the Resident Beach, and at Duxbury Beach Park between the signage.
Where to Find Updated Information
Please continue to check for the latest updates as conditions and circumstances can change with little or no advance notice based on activities of wild animals. This information will be updated if conditions change or as new information becomes available. For further information about Duxbury Beach conditions, please visit the Town of Duxbury Beach Operations website at:
https://www.town.duxbury.ma.us/beach-operations
The most up-to-date information pertaining to beach conditions including restrictions and access limitations may be found by following Duxbury’s Official Beach Operations Twitter feed at:
https://twitter.com/BeachDuxbury
For additional information, please contact:
Beach Ops: (339)236-4183
Duxbury Police: (781)934-5656 (press ‘0’ for desk operator)
Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we continue to maintain as much pedestrian and ORV access as possible while managing protected species.