Scituate-03B
Scituate, Musquashcut Brook
42.225145, -70.759538
Technical Specifications
Basic Properties
- Type
- Sluice Gate
- Material
- Metal
- Control
- Electric Actuator
- Geometry
- Rectangular
- Status
- Active
- Number of Gates
- 2
Operator & Management
- Operator Type
- PUBLIC
- Operator
- Town of Scituate
- Permits
- ACOE
Dimensions & Elevations
- Dimensions
- 7ft diameter, 7ft height
Culvert Details
- Restriction Type
- Roadway
- Geometry
- Rectangular
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Pipes
- 2
- Dimensions
- 7ft diameter, 7ft height
- Comments
- Large Phragmites problem
2024 Field Survey Results
Comprehensive field assessment conducted in 2024Physical Conditions Assessment
Channel Conditions
- Channel Alteration
- None
- Channel Constriction
- Narrower than channel
- Channel Erosion
- Severe (>60% of bank)
- Sediment Deposits
- None
Blockages & Issues
- Debris Blockages
- None
- Evidence of Overtopping
- No
Transect Measurements
50 Yards
- Open Water
- 25
- Salt Marsh
- 2
- Brackish
- 237
- Freshwater
- 0
- Ditch
- 0
- Unvegetated
- 0
150 Yards
- Open Water
- 214
- Salt Marsh
- 4
- Brackish
- 75
- Freshwater
- 0
- Ditch
- 0
- Unvegetated
- 0
300 Yards
- Open Water
- 371
- Salt Marsh
- 0
- Brackish
- 63
- Freshwater
- 0
- Ditch
- 0
- Unvegetated
- 0
Ecological Assessment
Habitat Observations
- Crab Burrow Intensity
- None
- Ponding Depressions
- None
- Phragmites Present
- Moderate (10-60%)
- Ecological Impairment
- Moderate
Invasive Species
- Upstream Invasive Species
- Yes
- Downstream Invasive Species
- Yes
- Invasive Species Notes
- Phragmites along upland fringe and adjacent to channel/ roadway
- Additional Comments (2024)
- 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.
Historical Records
Environmental Data
- 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 Comments
- Tide gate left in open position to facilitate water flow. Closed only in case of predicated storm surge and then reopened following storm
- 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 ProgramNavigation
Learn More
© 2025 Massachusetts Bays Program. Monitoring tidegates across Massachusetts.