A powerful spring storm that inundated the entire East Coast
pounded the Vineyard south shore with heavy seas this week, marrying
with extreme tides to carve a substantial breach through Norton Point
Beach at Katama at the extreme southeastern end of Edgartown.
The event leaves Chappaquiddick a true island for the first time
in more than a quarter-century.
To protect a large group of coastal birds nesting on Norton Point Beach, The Trustees of Reservations have closed the stretch of barrier beach between Chappaquiddick and Katama to off-road vehicles. The closure came Friday when a number of birds hatched, and will remain in place until further notice.
Fishermen, sunbathers and swimmers, however, will find that much of the two-and-a half-mile beach remains open to passive recreation. Access by foot is available from the Left Fork in Katama and from the beach on the Chappaquiddick side.
Bringing Back Norton Point
Trustees of Reservations Assume Management of Barrier Beach;
Shorebird Protection Increases but Fishing Access Preserved
By IAN FEIN
Stretching from Metcalf's Hole to Mattakesett Creek, bordered
by the calm surface of Katama Bay and the rough waves of the Atlantic
Ocean, Norton Point Beach is a spectacular place - offering
popular spots for shellfishermen and surfcasters, prime habitat for rare
shorebirds, and a vital access route for people going to and from
Chappaquiddick.
Norton Point Closed to Vehicles to Protect Piping Plover Chicks
By JAMES KINSELLA
Over the past four days, public and private officials have closed
sections of Norton Point and East Beach to four-wheel-drive vehicles to
protect newly hatched piping plover chicks and nests with eggs yet to
hatch.
In Massachusetts, the piping plover is a threatened species. After
hatching, the chicks take about 30 days before they fly, making them
vulnerable to the tires of four-wheel-drive vehicles driving along a
beach.
