Scituate-03B
Scituate, Musquashcut Brook
42.225145, -70.759538
Technical Specifications
Basic Properties
- Type
- Sluice Gate
- Material
- Metal
- Control
- Electric Actuator
- Condition
- —
- Geometry
- Rectangular
- Status
- Active
- Number of Gates
- 2
Operator & Management
- Operator Type
- PUBLIC
- Operator
- Town of Scituate
- Permits
- ACOE
- Purpose
- —
Dimensions & Elevations
- Dimensions
- 7ft diameter, 7ft height
- Invert Elevation
- —
- Installation Date
- —
- Tidal Influence
- —
Culvert Details
- Restriction Type
- Roadway
- Geometry
- Rectangular
- Material
- Concrete
- Bottom Material
- —
- Number of Pipes
- 2
- Dimensions
- 7ft diameter, 7ft height
- Condition
- —
- Comments
- Large Phragmites problem
Salt Marsh Field Assessment Results
Comprehensive field assessment dataPhysical Conditions Assessment
Channel Conditions
- Channel Alteration and Ditching
- None
- Channel Constriction
- Narrower than channel
- Channel Erosion
- Severe (>60% of bank)
- Sediment Deposits
- None
Blockages
- Debris Blockages
- None
- Evidence of Overtopping
- No
Ecological Assessment
Habitat Observations
- Ecological Impairment due to Tide Gate
- Moderate
- Crab Burrow Intensity
- None
- Ponding and Die-off Depressions
- None
- Phragmites Present
- Moderate (10-60%)
Invasive Species
- Upstream Invasive Species
- Yes
- Downstream Invasive Species
- Yes
- Invasive Species Notes
- Phragmites along upland fringe and adjacent to channel/ roadway
General Comments
Mostly pond with limited marsh habitat. Ponding and lack of estuarine vegetation community indicate that tide gate is holding water even at low tide though. Majority of wetland community is phragmites with a narrow band of high marsh immediately adjacent to channel. Heavy flow upstream through tide gate even though high tide was 2 hours ago and should be outgoing.Habitat Transects
First Transect (50 yards upstream of tide gate)
Second Transect (150 yards upstream of tide gate)
Third Transect (300 yards upstream of tide gate)
Restoration Potential
Assessment
- Salt Marsh Impairment due to Tidal Restriction
- Moderate
- Potential Extent of Marsh Restoration
- Moderate
- Implementation Feasibility
- High
- Restoration Priority
- High
- Recommended Improvement Type
- O&M and Infrastructure
Notes
Site shows moderate salt marsh impairment due to restricted tidal flow. Replacement with self-regulating tide gate could restore approximately 5-8 acres of degraded marsh habitat. Good access for construction equipment. Regional coordination completed with town DPW and conservation commission.Historical Records
Environmental Data
- Invasive Species
- —
- Restoration Status
- —
- Invasive Comments
- —
- Restoration Comments
- removed/left permanently open in 2009
- Upstream Area
- Salt Marsh: > 77 acres
Notes & Comments
- General Comments
- Refer to Scituate-03A for source data.
- Operation Plan
- —
- Operation Comments
- Tide gate left in open position to facilitate water flow. Closed only in case of predicated storm surge and then reopened following storm
- Gate Comments
- —
- Elevation Comments
- —
- Visit Comments
- —
- Other Comments
- Large Phragmites problem
- External Data Comments
- US ACOE CENED-OD-R-1993-01837 Grandfathering Permit 9.10.1993 Musquashcut Brook Tide Gate Plans (Other)
Part of the Massachusetts Bays Program© 2026 Massachusetts Bays Program. Monitoring tidegates across Massachusetts.