Posted on September 17, 2026
The Harbor and Waterfront Advisory Committee voted to recommend that the Select Board pursue dredging of the harbor off of Fishermen’s Beach in the near future.
Funding for the project is yet to be determined, but committee members said the harbor needs to be dredged before next boating season.
Dredging is the removal of large amounts of sand from underwater to help form channels and ease marine travel. Dredging work has to be done carefully to avoid the beds of eel grass that dozens of native species call home.
Harbor and Waterfront Advisory Committee Vice Chair Steven Speranza said the current state of the harbor presents a challenge to commercial and recreational users.
“Lobstermen’s boats are sitting on the seabed at low tide,” said Speranza. “It limits when they can fish and the harbor is definitely filling in. You can’t bring a sailboat in an hour before or after low tide – two hours in some cases depending on the boat. We’re losing it as a harbor.”
Because Swampscott is home to a large eelgrass meadow in the shallows, work such as dredging and deck repairs can only take place during certain months of the year, once the growing season is over.
While dredging affects sand beneath the surface of the water, some sand above ground along the seawall of the Fishermen’s Beach parking lot will be removed in October.
Removing sand along the seawall allows more of the wall to be exposed and addressed to mitigate erosion and flooding risks during the colder months.
Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Gino Cresta has submitted a work order for the sand removal, which is part of the town’s beach management plan. The plan states that Cresta and the DPW do not have to go through the Conservation Commission to conduct sand removal work along the seawall.
Committee members agreed that above-ground sand removal work should be done twice per calendar year. Swampscott Director of Community and Economic Development Marzie Galazka said she would find out whether the beach management plan limits how frequently the work can take place.
Kayaks and other equipment may need to be removed from the beach when the work takes place. When similar work was done last year, signage was put up to let residents know they should remove their kayaks and gear by a certain date.
