NLWC News

MA DEP Visits Geotube Expansion Site in Sconset

July 31, 2025

In April 2025, the Nantucket Land & Water Council (NLWC) joined over a dozen Nantucket residents—including members of the Nantucket Coastal Conservancy, property owners in Quidnet, and the Greenhill family—in filing a Request for a Superseding Order of Conditions (SOC) with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). This action was taken in response to the positive Order of Conditions issued by the Nantucket Conservation Commission on March 20, 2025, which approved a three fold expansion of the ’Sconset Bluff Geotube project.

On Monday, June 23, Whitney McClees, Environmental Analyst with MassDEP, conducted a site visit to inspect the area in ’Sconset where the proposed geotube expansion would take place. This site visit is part of the state’s permitting process under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act, which was triggered by two separate SOC filings: one from the owners of two Baxter Road properties and the other joint request from the NLWC and the resident coalition a.k.a. “The Residents Group.”

The NLWC has long opposed the geotube project and any proposed expansion, based on several key concerns. Chief among them is that the project—even with the current conditions—fails to meet the performance standards outlined in the state’s Wetlands Protection regulations. Analyses conducted by NLWC’s coastal consultant, as well as the Greenhill family’s engineering consultant, used SBPF’s own monitoring data to show that:

  • The existing geotubes have caused significant damage to adjacent public beaches, at times eliminating a walkable beach in front of the structure.
  • The geotubes have accelerated erosion of the coastal banks to the north.

Additionally, the geotube structure remains out of compliance with its original permit due to SBPF’s failure to provide the required mitigation sand since 2016. This ongoing violation led the Conservation Commission to issue a removal order, which was upheld by Superior Court and remains outstanding.

To help brief Ms. McClees ahead of the visit, The Residents Group prepared a detailed Pre-Briefing Slide Deck, which outlines the major issues of concern and includes hyperlinks to supporting documentation.

Click HERE for our Geotube Project Pre-Briefing Slide Deck

The SOC filing has also triggered a requirement for the project proponents to submit documentation to the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) Office. MassDEP will not advance its review of the SOC until MEPA review is complete.

If you’re interested in learning more about this project, please review the Geotube Project Pre-Briefing Slide Deck and stay tuned for further updates!

MassDEP Casts Doubt on 'Sconset Beach Geotube Expansion

September 10, 2026
On August 31st, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued a letter rebuking the efforts of Siasconset Beach Preservation Fund (SBPF) to expand the geotube project on Sconset Beach. Nantucket Land & Water Council (NLWC) along with over a dozen Nantucket residents, including members of the Nantucket Coastal Conservancy (collectively “Appellants”), appealed the Conservation Commission’s March 2025 approval of an Order of Conditions for the geotube expansion. Now seventeen months later, DEP’s letter dated August 31, 2026, casts grave doubt on whether the expansion project will be approved by the state agency. This setback follows the denial of a license for the project at Town Meeting last spring.

Letter from the Nantucket Waterkeeper

September 1, 2026
To the Editor,  This letter is about the water situation on the island. As the Nantucket Waterkeeper, I measure the water levels in our aquifer every month (a half-century tradition of the Nantucket Land & Water Council) at ten wells across the island from ’Sconset to Madaket. These wells are simply metal or pvc pipes installed just far enough below the surface to reach and measure the ups and downs of our aquifer. This data is used by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and Mass Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). It's also available to the public on USGS’s website- The exact well used to determine if we’re in a drought or not is well #228 . You’ll notice that it continues to trend downward. With the exception of two very shallow wells in Madaket which have shown some recovery from recent rain, the other seven wells across the island continue to trend downward.

Eelgrass-Friendly Moorings Installations Begin!

July 16, 2026
On Monday, June 29th, 2026 , the Nantucket Land & Water Council (NLWC) in collaboration with Nantucket Harbormaster Sheila Lucey , Anderson’s Stillwater Moorings , & Nantucket Mooring s, officially began installing eelgrass-friendly moorings along our testing site in Nantucket Harbor. Installation has moved forward thanks to a generous grant from the Great Harbor Yacht Club Foundation to support eelgrass-friendly moorings in Nantucket Harbor. Eelgrass is paramount to maintaining the health and fragile ecosystems within our harbor . Eelgrass meadows aid our water quality by filtering out runoff contaminants , removing excess nutrients , providing necessary habitats for wild bay scallops and juvenile fish species , and helping to combat environmental events like coastal erosion and storm surge . Traditional moorings utilize a mushroom anchor and a heavy chain that digs into the harbor floor. As wind, tides, and currents move boats and moorings, the chain drags on the harbor floor creating a circular scour – a place where eelgrass cannot grow. Eelgrass-friendly moorings are a type of mooring that protects eelgrass meadows while allowing us to continue using and enjoying our boats as we always have. The eelgrass-friendly moorings use a pyramid style Dormor anchor and an ecorode elastic rope replacing traditional chain and mushroom anchors. The elastic does not scour, allowing eelgrass to grow sustainably in our harbors.
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