Program manager Lindsey Counsell said that eight pairs of piping plovers fledged about 17 chicks last summer, and the beach is home to about 400 terns. Last year, the organization dredged 25,000 cubic yards in West Bay and this time plans to dredge the Cotuit entrance channel. The dredge spoils used to nourish the beach have come from the silted channels of Cotuit Bay, which seems to be having a positive effect on the entire estuarine system. Although the evidence is anecdotal, members of Three Bays responding to a survey indicated that the tidal range seems to have improved. While high tides remain about the same, many reported lower tides since the series of dredge projects started.
Lower tides indicate better flushing, as more water is transferred on each tide cycle.
Counsell said the organization tried to establish whether the apparent fluctuation in tides was isolated to the three-bay area, or if it was something seen across the south side of Cape Cod. Unfortunately, such information is hard to come by, but with a laugh, Counsell said that Three Bays Preservation staked its claim as the cause. The results of a unique study on the causes of fecal coliform pollution in the three-bay area, commissioned by the organization last summer, are just about ready. While the level of fecal coliform has been tested for years, just where it comes from has never been established with any degree of reliability. To make such a determination, Three Bay Preservation collected water samples and had the coliform traces in them DNA tested.