The Alliance is exploring the widening of a culvert under Route 28 between Muddy Creek and Pleasant Bay as an option for improving water quality and restoring the health of wetlands and shellfish resources in Muddy Creek.
In 2008 the Alliance petitioned the Massachusetts Wetlands Restoration Program to name the Muddy Creek culvert study a priority wetlands restoration project. Subsequently, the Alliance worked with the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration (MassDER) to conduct preliminary tests needed to assess the culvert concept.
In 2009, MassDER commissioned hydrodynamic modeling to identify the optimal size for a culvert opening. The modeling demonstrated that a single 24-foot wide opening is optimal in terms of increasing tidal exchange while maintaining a current velocity strong enough to prevent the opening from filling in.
The Alliance applied to the Cape Cod Water Resource Restoration Project to fund an assessment of resource impacts and engineering alternatives associated with a 24-foot opening between Muddy Creek and Pleasant Bay. This project is currently underway and is being managed by the Cape Cod Conservation District.