On January 2, 1987, a powerful winter storm created a new inlet in North Beach, the barrier beach that protects the eastern shore of Chatham, Massachusetts, from the open Atlantic. Erosion eventually caused the loss of nine homes. In April 2007, another break occurred a mile and a half to the north. As that new inlet has widened, it has either destroyed or forced the demolish of seven North Beach camps.

“Breakthrough, The Story of Chatham's North Beach” by Timothy J. Wood tells the story of the first break and its environmental, social and economic effect on Chatham. This website is an extension of the book, carrying the story forward to the present day through news accounts, photos and observations by the author, scientific reports and regular updates on beach conditions.


North Beach is the local name for the section of the Nauset barrier beach that extends into the town of Chatham. An extension of Cape Cod's great Outer Beach, every 150 years or so, the sand spit undergoes a cycle of breaching, breaking up and growing south again.  The January 1987 breach, opposite the Chatham Lighthouse, initiated the most recent cycle.  Learn more about the Nauset barrier beach cycle.

In April 2007, a new inlet formed opposite Minister's Point. The two inlets are now fighting for domination of the Pleasant Bay-Chatham Harbor system.  Find out more about the new inlet.  Read news accounts of the evolution of the new inlet in our news archive.

Breakthrough"Breakthrough: The Story of Chatham's North Beach" details the geologic, social and political history of North Beach.  The book provides a journalistic overview of Chatham's relationship to the outer beach.  Read excerpts here.

In our photo archive, see scenes from the 1987 breakthrough and its aftermath as well as galleries of more recent photographs of the 2007 break.  There's also dramatic video of erosion in action, and links to photographers' websites and galleries.

Do you have a North Beach photo you'd like to contribute?  Send it to us and we'll add it to our readers' gallery. 

Last Camp Standing

Camp profiles as of Friday, July 3.


(Almost) Daily North Beach Photos
Southern tip of North Beach, taken from Scatteree Town Landing
July 3 at 4:08 p.m. by William McClellan.

Northern tip of North Beach Island, same time and place.

The inlet, as seen from Scatteree, same time and place.
The view from Strong Island town landing, June 13.
 
Recent Beach Aerials
Photos by Spencer Kennard for the town of Chatham, provided May 18.
Click here for more.
 


In 1978, Dr. Graham Giese produced a report for the Chatham Conservation Commission entitled "The Barrier Beaches of Chatham, Massachusetts."  It predicted a breakthrough in approximately the location of the 2007 break.  Download a PDF of the report here.

Local land surveyor Thadd Eldredge provides a regular erosion update showing how the tip of North Beach has changed since last July.  Download the latest here.

If you are studying or making regular observations of North Beach, contact us. We want to be the place for North Beach information.

Aerial Comparison
Paul Lagg, Chatham's GIS Coordinator, put together this composite of vertical aerial photos of the beach from June 2006 and 2007 and July 2008 (right to left).  Click here for a larger version.


This slide from Chatham Coastal Resources Director Ted Keon's recent presentation at the Pleasant Bay Alliance symposium shows the approximately width of the inlet, both inside and outside.  More of Keon's slides will be posted shortly.

North Beach Island is situated between the 1987 and 2007 breaks.  The island contains 11 beach camps, which were known as the second village when the beach was a continuous sand spit.  The island has become popular with boaters, beachgoers and piping plovers.

North Beach, the new island and South Beach are all popular nesting sites for shorebirds like piping plovers and terns.  Read more about the conflicts caused by nesting shorebirds below.


 Off-road vehicle access: For years North Beach has been popular with ORVs. Recently, the presence of nesting piping plovers, an endangered shorebird, has closed much of the beach to vehicle access during the height of the summer season.  The towns of Orleans and Chatham, which jointly oversee use of the beach, have struggled with how to preserve beach access while protecting endangered species.  Read more about this conflict, and find out the current status of beach access, and download ORV rules and regulations. 

"Drifting Memories, The Nauset Beach Camps On Cape Cod," by Frances Higgins tells the story of the beach's camps through recollections by those who have owned and used the camps for generations. Coming soon: excerpts from Fran's book.

Have a North Beach story or anecdote you'd like to share? Send it to us, or join our discussion forum.

 

North Beach News

Orleans issues new vehicle closure update.  Four active plover nests, 11, unfledged chicks currently in Pochet washover area.  Earliest possible opening July 15 to 20.  Read the update here.

July 2: Thayer camp dismantled Tuesday. Kelley camp expected to come down today, per Bill Hammatt's post in the Forum. Too foggy, rainy for photos.

July 1: Hammatt's Will Be Last Remaining Camp In Beach Village, Cape Cod Chronicle. Read the story here.

June 30: Fuller camp temporarily stored at Ryder's Cove town landing. Kelley camp demolished. See details at left.

June 29: Shea camp demolished. Kelley and Thayer to follow. Bill Hammatt propped up the corner of his deck and repaired his camp over the weekend.  He says he may move it back, since high tide now laps at the deck.

North Beach Camps Edge Away From The Brink, Again. Cape Cod Chronicle, June 18.

New aerials.  Click here for a PDF showing North Beach aerials taken June 13.  For a slideshow showing the barrier beaches from Monomoy to Nauset, click here (takes a while to load).  Thanks to Karl Swenson.

June 12 and 13: Thayer camp moved today.  See photos to the left.

New plover escort rules posted by Orleans Park Dept.  More nests hatching out...click here to read.

Owners Scramble To Save North Beach Camps.  Story from June 5 Chronicle, click here.

New photos of the North Village camps taken June 9 by Ted Keon.  Click here.

North/Nauset Beach closed to vehicles.  Orleans Parks and Beach Dept. announced that the beach would be closed as of 12:01 a.m. May 30. Read the notice here.  Chatham resident stickers will not be issued during the closure, reports Chatham Police Captain John Cauble.  When the beach reopens, stickers will be issued by appointment only.

New aerials posted May 18. Click here to view.

New: Photos of the outer beach.  See the contributor page.

May 4 Trail condition update.  Click here.

New: Aerial photos from Bill Sargent.  Click here.

New: Current ORV Trail Conditions from the Orleans Park Dept., April 21.  Click here.  Park Dept. plans to update these regularly and post on the Orleans and Chatham town websites.  We will post them as they are received.

New aerial photos from the town taken April 10. Click here to see all seven photos.

Chatham resident and taxpayer beach stickers available by mail, or at police station beginning May 2. Click here for info and to download forms.

Mail-in beach stickers for current Orleans and nonresident permit holders are available through May 15.  Details here. [Thanks to C.W. Rice for notification.]

April 6: New erosion update from Thadd Eldredge. Click here or  See below.

March 22: New image of the beach on the Contributor page.

Story on changes to the new inlet as shown in the recent aerials posted below.  Click here.

Feb. 18: New aerials taken Feb. 15. Click here for all six photos.

Jim Patterson remembered.

Jan. 28: Posted new photos on the contributor page.

New aerial photos from Bill Sargent.  See contributors page. (Two more added 1/12.)

Jan. 3: Bill Sargent photos posted on contributor page.

Dec. 26: New photo posted on contributor page.

New aerials taken Dec. 18.  See left, or click here for more.

WBZ report on beach erosion, featuring North Beach.  Click here to watch video.

Link to USGS maps of Chatham showing shoreline in 1893, 1917 and 1943 from University of New Hampshire Dimond Library.  Thanks to C.W. Rice for finding this great link. (thumbnail of 1917 map below.)

Chatham, Orleans selectmen reach consensus on beach agreement.  Read the story here.

Photos showing recent erosion of the outer beach. See contributor page here.  Posted 9/23.

Vertical aerial photos comparing North Beach over three-year period.  See left below, or click here for a larger view.

Contributors' Photo page.  Click here.

Aerial video of the inlet by Christopher Seufert.  See it here.

Symposium: Computer modeling shows with increased flushing due to net inlet, bay could support 1,400  acres in additional eelgrass beds.  Read the story here.

North Beach Stories. Post your stories and memories of North Beach here.

 News Archive

Erosion Update
Click here for a PDF image of the latest (April 5) erosion information from local surveyor Thadd Eldredge.

Erosion since July 1, 2007:
1,870 linear feet.
Since Aug. 15: gain of 4.5 ft./day
Current erosion rate since Jul 2007: 4 ft./day
(This estimate is out of date...hope to have a new one soon.)

Daily beach observations from Bill Sargent

Panoramic "before and after" photo of North Beach's southern tip [PDF].

Beach Access Update
Current Beach Driving Conditions
Latest info: Town of Orleans beach update page
Chatham Airport weather
July tides for Chatham Harbor

 

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Photographs copyright individual photographers. All rights reserved.
Updated July 3, 2009