Saquatucket Harbor is truly an extraordinary place. Its popularity is the result of its unique and simple design. Another aspect of the harbor is it's longevity. The marina has provided fun for thousands of families and a work place for hundreds of fishermen over its thirty years of existence. May its success continue and prosper in the true spirit of its mission, to serve the public boating community at large.

In an effort to prevent a recurrence of last year's 'tuna season madness' at Saquatucket Harbor, the Harwich Board of Selectmen adopted new regulations. Harwich is the busiest tuna port in the area because of its easterly location in Nantucket Sound. Local boats have to jockey with out-of-town operations that follow the tuna up and down the coast. Under the new regulations, anyone landing tuna at the harbor (who has not paid the local seasonal docking fee) must buy a $500 season off-load permit. Seventy-five of these new "T-permits" were issued. New rules also prevent the chaos and anger that erupted at times the year before in a congested harbor. The Selectmen increased the off season transient dockage fee to 75 cents/ft/night and have hired wharfingers to expedite the landing process at peak times. Citing unforeseen problems collecting the new tuna off-load and transient dockage fees, we have requested an appropriation to cover the costs associated with credit card use at the town facility.

The Conservation Commission set an Order of Conditions for the reconstruction of the Saquatucket parking lot. This is the first stage of a multi-stage ramp reconstruction project with the State Access Board. The proposal widens trailer parking area on the east lot, more easily accommodating the large size boats/rigs now being trailed in. Twenty-seven new auto spaces will be created on the north side of the west lot relocating all trim plantings there. Two extensive vaulted leaching pits are planned to be added to contain runoff.

Selectmen held off increases on the dockage and mooring rates for the first year of the Millennium. The Waterways Commission recommended a 3% CPI index increase in the rate schedule across the board. Dana Decosta echoed the sentiment of his fellow selectmen when he said he would vote against any increase while the Town was sitting on a $2M surplus in its coffer from other sources and an expectation for more surplus after the anticipated property re-evaluation. The Harbormaster expects to submit articles for needs including personnel adjustments, replacing more power centers, batter pile replacement, and adding to the dredging reserve fund will chew up all the harbor profit.

WHARFAGE & HARBOR RECEIPTS
	1998	1999	2000
Saquatucket Dockage	267,529	298,431	271,484
Visitor Dockage	73,576	80,552	153,106
Fuel Dock Commission	15,449	25,713	30,978
Mooring Permit Fees	20,010	19,947	22,127
Wychmere Town Pier	15,577	19,126	10,816
Ramp Fee Collections	13,830	15,225	17,237
Allen Harbor Town Dock	13,798	12,920	10,865
Offload Permit Fees	7,351	10,895	40,424
Allen Harbor Storage Contract	5,445	6,000	6,600
Waiting List Fees	10,790	8,385	7,010
Ice Receipts	2,166	2,136	2,117
Phone Commission	18	44	2
Other	0	355	636
Refunded Dockage	0	(587)	(244)
TOTALS	$445,538	$499,141	$573,156

Issues Effecting Our Fishermen
Harwich Port is now home to the second largest fleet of fishing vessels on the Cape Cod made up of 59 groundfish vessels and charterboats with the addition of 75 tuna fishing vessels in season. Fishermen continue to diversify to cope with tight regulations controlling the use of fishing stocks, limiting them to 88 days at sea and closures of grounds. The dogfishery has been the last to find restrictions. A small shark with a life span of 35 years, the dogfish had multiplied dramatically, filling a predatory niche as other fish stocks like cod and haddock were fished to historic low levels. That all came to an end in April when Secretary of Commerce William M. Daley announced a 4 million pound quota as part of his plan to rebuild the number of sexually mature females.

In order to expand possibilities for diminished landings, our cod fleet has been dabbling in the marketing of live seafood. Harwich is now home of Cape Live Seafood, a facility built to hold live fish for sale to Asian markets in Boston, New York and Toronto. The opening of the facility in the Harwich industrial park was the most concrete phase of a 2-year-old, half-million-dollar project funded by state and federal grants to help local fishermen market live cod and other fish.

The Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's Association (CCCHFA), has won its four-year long underdog lawsuit against the powerful triumvirate of the Secretary of Commerce, the National Fisheries Service (NMFS), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A United States district court found that federal fisheries officials have improperly managed nearly half of the nation's marine fisheries in violation of federal environmental laws. Judge Gladys Kessler ruled that NMFS failed to assess the environmental impacts of fishing on fishing habitat and the environment, in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This ruling means that the New England Fisheries Management Council, which manages fishing in this region, must go back and redo its analysis of the impact of different fishing gears and practices on the ocean bottom where fish spawn and grow. At years end, the Board of Selectmen sent a letter to NMFS against a joint venture of factory trawlers and foreign fishermen pounding herring stocks on Georges Bank.

Internship Program and Propagation Effort
Nearly 3 million quahog seed were reared at the Town Shellfish Lab at the Town Pier. Throughout the summer the hard clams grew from (1-1.5 mm) to an average of (10 mm) in size. Our largest seed reached 22 mm. The majority of the seed was the result of a DMF/County Seed Grant Program with 10% purchased from the budget. Shellfish seed was obtained from several hatcheries including: Muscongas Bay, Fishers Island, NY; Mook Sea Farm, Damariscotta, ME; and Aquacultural Research Corporation in Dennis. The lab was retrofitted with new intake filter tanks. This helped reduce the sea squirt growth in the clam silos. The lab was again the site of our third High School summer aquaculture internship program. The seven week program, managed by Heinz Proft, enabled students, Joe Centrella, Matt Brigham, Jennifer Sharp, and Jessica Martin along with a teaching supervisor, Troy Hopkins, to work closely with the Natural Resources Department to monitor and maintain the shellfish nursery during its busiest time. The lab is open to the general public and 600 people took advantage of the shellfish lab tours this year. Funding for our program was received from the Barnstable County Enhancement Grant Program. The seed appears to be a strong year class with a record 92% survivability has been sewn in Herring River, Allen Harbor, Oyster Creek, Wychmere Harbor, Pleasant Bay, and Round Cove.

Shellfishing areas were busy with shellfish permit sales increasing. Nearly all areas are restricted and must be closed for much of the year because of bacteria issues. Some improvement was seen in water quality but area openings remain protracted. This puts exceptional fishing impact on the few areas that can stay open as Pleasant Bay. To help patrol the flats, volunteer shellfish wardens Walton Macaughern, Jim Coyle, and Mike Cienava were very generous with their time and energy. These wardens also found time to enforce at the herring run in the spring. Their assistance certainly makes the Natural Resources Department a more efficient, more productive group.

YEAR 2000 SHELLFISH PERMIT SALES
Resident Family	336	3,360
Non-Resident Family	45	1,350
Commercial	10	400
Seniors	89	267
One-Day Non-Resident	18	270
TOTALS	498	$5,647

Data Collection and Examination
Ongoing scientific data collection continued including our involvement with the Massachusetts Phytoplankton Monitoring Program. The Town of Harwich collected 30 phytoplankton tows. This program was coordinated by the Division of Marine Fisheries. Data was collected from 18 stations along the coast of Massachusetts to determine the location and densities of potential toxin producing phytoplankton. Water quality monitoring for fecal bacteria continued with over 80 local samples collected and submitted to the Barnstable County health lab for analyses. Presently, the focus is on fecal coliform bacteria levels, nitrates, and phosphorus. Oceanographic data collection also continued at three long term sampling sites in Nantucket Sound using the Harbormaster vessel COMMANDER. This was the third year that such data as water temperature, water salinity, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity were recorded from the sampling locations. Obtaining this data is important for detecting any changes over a multiyear period. All data can be found on the website.

During late August the office investigated reports of the appearance of 'anti-freeze' in the waters of these harbors. It was determined that a harmless specie of blue green algae was in heavy bloom in the estuary giving the waters an iridescent color. The species Coscinodiscus marginalis represents rapidly expanding population, followed by a rapid die-off rate in the lab. The Natural Resources Department followed up on the extent of the algae, the cause for this bloom was fertilizer sources in the way of septic leachate, lawn over-fertilizing, road runoff.

Success in our freshwater projects has continued. Skinequit Pond was again treated with a combination of barley straw bales, an aeration pump with two diffuser pads, and two large bio-chord frames in order to combat the algal blooms that have taken place in the past. Many thanks go to the Skinequit Pond Owners Association for their cooperation. This project, as well as many others, was assisted by Cape Cod Community College interns Eric Stone and Bob Cooney. Their contributions, interest, dedication, and hard work were a valuable asset to our program.

Harbor Stuff
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredge ship CURRITUCK again adjusted the Andrews River Project. Several shoals had begun to plague traffic near the Nun '2'. About 7500 cubic yards of material were removed. Representative Delahunt's efforts in getting the Army here in short order were most appreciated.

A tiny salt marsh that covers only about 50 feet of shoreline at the entrance to Allen Harbor will likely determine what action state and local officials will take in the proposed Allen Harbor breakwater repair. The state needs to alter the design for the west jetty to satisfy several agencies concerned with disruption to the salt marsh along the edge of the channel. "The issue has clouded up quite a bit," according to Kevin Mooney, projects engineer with the Office of Waterways within the Department of Environmental Management. The Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act review has met with several objections and part of the basis of the protest centers around an inaccurate projection of salt marsh disturbance, according to Mooney.

The owner Alan McMullen replaced the passenger ferry that operates between Harwich Port and Nantucket. Freedom Cruise Line's new ship measures in 2" below port limits of 65', an issue that the owner had to wrestle with while in dry-dock cutting 10' stem pulpit off the former party boat. The work of retrofitting the entire vessel, inside and out, was accomplished in the three months. Interior seating for 80 passengers and the addition of a third engine insures dependable service.

	Berths Public	Moorings Public	Moorings Commercial	Parking Spaces	Waiting for Moorings	Waiting for Berths
Saquatucket Harbor	190	--	--	191	--	433
Wychmere Harbor	10	55	86	29	104	--
Outer Harbor	--	33	8	--	44	--
Allen Harbor	13	31	35	34	40	--
Herring River	--	60	--	30	42	--
Round Cove	--	99	--	20	64	--
Pleasant Bay	--	79	--	--	50	--
Red River	--	11	--	10	--	--
Commercial	30	--	--	--	--	37
Charter	13	--	--	--	--	20
TOTALS	213	368	129	314	344	490

The Coast Guard reclassified its local stations upgrading Station Provincetown to full status (from 18 to 24 full-time personnel). This was good news for Harwich. Coast Guard Station Chatham will no longer be relied upon to offset needs of P-Town as a satellite station, drawing down manpower, and be more attentive to the water emergency needs at the Cape's elbow. Responding to local concerns over boat resources, the U.S. Coast Guard announced plans to deploy a number of new vessels here, including a prototype surfboat. The Guard will be retiring all the 44' motor lifeboats once the workhorse of local stations.

Selectmen approved a private swim area designated by strings of swim marker buoys for a Long Pond property. The Bray Family complained that boaters using the public boat ramp were using the area in front of their home, as if it were part of the landing. They said it was more than impinging upon their property rights, making it unsafe for the family members to swim in front of the home. Long Pond is a Great Pond. The Harbormaster issued a Chapter 91, section 10A Permit for the safety buoy system. The department also denied approval of a 10A permit request for a water-ski course on the Pond citing lack of adequate safety controls.

No records were broken as local sailors managed to rescue a 'ship without a port'. Harwich police Chief Bill Mason fired the shotgun starting the tenth annual around Cape Cod sailboat race on a Friday morning in October. To the credit of all sailors of eight boats entered, they would be up against the tough fight against heavy winds, seas, current and falling air temperatures in a clockwise Sails Around Cape Cod. All completed the course by Sunday evening. The race, relinquished by Mass Academy in 1999, is now safely in its home-port at Saquatucket Harbor.

A request for a freshwater spigot for Round Cove Town Landing was turned down. A capital outlay project voted FY'01, the Installation of water line to bulkhead at Round Cove Town Landing end of Cove Road, has been permanently scrubbed by the Water Commissioners. Their opinion was that boaters and others would abuse the water tap. The Harbormaster had intended the use of freshwater to help in cleanliness of the NDA pumpout facility.

Capt. Mark Smith's fishing vessel JOHANNA sank at its berth in Saquatucket Harbor in the early morning (Jan 31). Dockhand Larry Chandler arrived at the vessel only to watch it slip under the icy waters stern first. Smith and crew had returned from fishing the night before and had to crunch through 5" thick ice to reach the berth. A Newburyport dive team raised the boat with air bags. The vessel was hauled and repair in the Saquatucket lot took nearly five months. This along with another dozen vessels which underwent repair this Spring forced the issue of commercial boat repairs on Town Land by attorney Bernard Sykes representing an anonymous neighborhood client. The result was that the Waterways Commission has suggested time limits on this practice with fines for delays.

Herring Run Enforcement
The Board of Selectmen voted to streamline the Herring Regulations limiting the taking of alewives to 12 per individual per day during daylight hours from sunrise until sunset. A chain gate is now locked at sunset at the entrance of the run, off of Depot Street. The wardens agree that this measure is most important in controlling nighttime poaching, sustaining the run. Most runs on the Cape are now closed or fallow putting extra pressure on Harwich. The herring run was buzzing with activity this spring, adult herring observed in the fish ladder from March 16th to June 4th. For the first time, a volunteer herring warden was specifically designated to address the issues and regulations surrounding the herring run on a daily basis. Although it may not have been the perfect solution, it did reaffirm our need to have constant supervision during the time the herring are running. The Natural Resources Department would like to thank volunteer Jack Schultz for his dedicated enforcement help. If you would like to assist this program, additional volunteer wardens are always welcome. We also want to thank our police department for their backup and support.

Temperature loggers were deployed for the second year in several harbors and the herring ladder so that hourly water readings could be taken and stored. It is our goal to collect several years of data to better understand the biological and physiological factors relating to the migration of the herring. A team of Americorps workers gave us a boost by tackling several special projects including cleaning extraordinary brush from our herring runs and planting beach grass to hold dredge spoil at Earle Road and Bay Road beaches.

Rainfall and Groundwater
In January and February the rain gauge on top of the Cape Cod Commission building on Route 6A collected 7.04 inches of precipitation, 2 inches less than in the same period last year. Since October, monthly precipitation amounts have all been below average for Cape Cod. Water experts declared the year a as a drought even with some heavy rain over July. Some water departments on the Cape declared early water emergency and imposed voluntary use restrictions from May through September this year. Due to a dry year with 13 inches less rain than normal and the high water use last summer, the water table began the summer at a deficient levels. Pond levels had dropped due to the lack of rain. But there's something else: new sprinkler systems installed in upscale neighborhoods are sucking up more of the ground water than ever. The East Harwich neighborhood was protesting plans by the Town of Brewster to more than double a groundwater withdrawal permit for its two public golf courses. The main concern was over the reduction in pond and groundwater levels. Increased pumping by the one well in operation has already drawn down levels to a point where the ponds have become "a muddy mess of weeds" no longer able to sustain fish, frogs, turtles or attract waterfowl according to neighbors. Like its lakes, ponds and coastal embayments, the Cape's public water supplies draw on a single source of water, the sole source aquifer that lies under the peninsula. People on the Cape use around 18 million gallons of water each day in the winter, and about 73 million gallons during the peak summer season, at a time when there is no recharge, and the water table is at its lowest. It is predicted water needs will grow to 100 million gallons by 2020.

The future of the ailing Long Pond could be determined by a consulting firm commissioned to make a $60,000 study of the pond ENSR provided sound explanation to low dissolved oxygen in the Great Pond. Fish are still found alive in the upper pond levels, but the lower reaches of the pond were a wasteland due to the lack of oxygen. When the phosphorus is released due to disturbance and outflow, it floats to the surface and binds with the iron. It then falls to the bottom, causing no harm. During the summer, when oxygen is in great demand, organisms that can't get DO any other way will tear needed oxygen off sulfates, producing hydrogen sulfide. The sulfide competes with phosphorus for iron, thus increasing the chances of algae blooms from the free phosphorus. The experts says we need to cut the phosphorous load in half.

Round Cove was one of seven sites in the Commonwealth, and the only one on the Cape, to receive assistance under the Shellfish Clean Waters Initiative to help clean up its shellfish beds. The goal of the program, which was under the jurisdiction of MCZM, was to improve shellfishing prospects and at the same time provide cleaner water. The $15,000 grant reimburses Harwich for road catch basins that must be installed on Cove Landing. The Initiative also covered four test wells set in place with owner approval along the shoreline and it was hoped that sample taken from these can be diagnosed to understand ground water influence on the Cove waters.

Use of Harbor Dumpsters
Harbor Landing trash receptacles continue to be a target for illegally deposited home trash. Harbor Assistant Larry Chandler reports routinely finding the dumpsters stuffed to the gills with home generated trash including microwaves, TV sets, kitchen trash, and coal stove ashes. Despite signs warning that the containers are only for Boat Landing generated trash and a $100 fine for misuse, the practice continues. The Harbormaster now budgets nearly $10,000 to operate trash services at various town landings. Misuse has become so bad that the Harbormaster removed the dumpster at Round Cove in East Harwich years ago and the Allen Harbor landing dumpster was removed in October until June.

Other Resources
Pleasant Bay's natural resources remain healthy and productive despite decades of development and change. And while most of the historic uses of the Bay have been preserved, there is increasing competition for use of the Bay's resources among a variety of recreational and commercial activities. The Pleasant Bay ACEC (Area of Critical Environmental Concern) now has an official website where you can log-on to read measures that this group is taking. A decision to make the National Seashore off limits to personal watercraft has prompt ACEC trustees to lobby for the banning of the wave riding vehicles form all towns within the project. The use of PWCs was a new use that was inconsistent with the fundamental values and traditional uses of the park. It is likely that the effects of that decision will lap into the surrounding towns that share waters, such as Pleasant Bay, with the federal park.

The Natural resources Department supports the Planning Boards protective measures for the Six Pond District of Critical Planning Concern. While development is proceeding at six times the rate of population growth in Massachusetts sprawl fragments open space and scenery and generally homogenizes the landscape. From a natural resources standpoint, sprawl is serious and pervasive. The best thing a community can do to address sprawl is to develop its own vision of what it wants to look like and how it can preserve open space.

A band of beach care givers scurried over the Harwich Port Beaches to make the 12th annual Coast Sweep a success for Harwich, as part of the annual statewide beach cleanup. The volunteers joined forces with Coastal Zone Management to care for Massachusetts' marine environment by clearing trash and other marine debris from beaches across the state. Thanks to the efforts of thousands of volunteers, COASTSWEEP continues to grow with huge success.

Reports of coyote sightings including several dead carcasses were recorded. Some of these were delivered to naturalist Peter Trull, now with the Center for Coastal Studies for examination as part of an ongoing survey on the existence of these animals on Cape Cod. Most people do not understand that coyotes are extremely shy animals, as such they are easily frightened and will flee.

Harwich cranberry growers faced plummeting prices due to an over expanded industry. The price of cranberries for this crop was expected to rise slightly from the $10.75 per barrel Ocean Spray paid for last years crop. But it was far below the $38 average it costs to grow one barrel of the fruit. As recently as 1996, Ocean Spray paid its growers $60 per barrel, but the price has fallen steadily since then.Uncertainty about the industry's future, coupled with a federal marketing order which limits the amount and volume of cranberries farmers can sell, was making many growers wonder why harvest at all.

A four day junior boating safety course, the 'Harwich Boating Safety Academy' graduated 14 students in its third year. Sponsored by the Harbormasters Office with special instructors from the Coast Guard Auxilliary and the Massachusetts Environmental Police and is held annually at Stone Horse Yacht Club beginning the first week of July. The course is open to the public at large. Every child under the age of 16 must pass an examination to be certified to operate a motorboat in Massachusetts.

Sailors, boaters and fishermen passed the hat again this season and raised a record $1035 for Harwich Little League Baseball and the harbor's own little league team the Saquatucket Mariners. The team thanks you all for your kind donations.

The Harwich Sailing Team finished 8th out of 26 schools in the State fleet racing championship at MIT. The team took first day line-honors at the Maine Down-East High School Regatta at Maine Maritime Academy and wound up third in a 27 school fleet race. The sailors were a close second behind Nantucket High in the 2nd annual Cape & Islands Team Racing Invitational Regatta. The Team's final record was 11-3 and was ranked #10 in New England in the ISSA.

Staffing and Needs
This year will mark our fourth request that the position of principle clerk be made full-time. Our highly skilled part-time clerk Jenna Bossung, has clearly demonstrated how her skills make this revenue generating department efficient as receipts have now climbed to more than one-half million dollars annually. A clerk is definitely critical to keeping this busy multifaceted department on track. This is the only revenue generating office of the Town without at least one full time clerk.

In February, Heinz Proft completed the Massachusetts Shellfish Constable Certification program administered by the Sea Grant program and Massachusetts Maritime Academy. He was also nominated for Massachusetts Shellfish Constable of the Year for all his hard work and enthusiasm.

Welcome to our new Chief of Police William Mason who accepts the position as the town's eighth chief and brings a masters degree and skill as a graduate of the FBI National Academy. Also, the warmest thanks go to retiring Administrative Assistant Juell Buckwold who has held the greatest safety net at Town Hall for Tom Leach over the past three decades. For years without any secretarial help the Harbormaster relied on Juell's consistent reminders and support to keep up with so much.

The Natural Resources Department is grateful for all of the assistance we received from our many volunteers throughout the year. We are pleased to be able to interact and educate the general public who are becoming ever more environmentally conscious and aware. We look forward to their continued support.

Tom Leach
Harbormaster/Wharfinger
Natural Resources Director

Heinz Proft
Assistant