Yarmouth and Harwich Fish Reefs
The Town of Yarmouth's Department of Natural Resources developed the reef in 1978 with help from the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF). The 125-acre site is located over 2 miles south of Bass River. The reef is made up of individual reef units. Each unit consists of 3 to 5 tires filled with concrete. Units are strapped together in bundles. Additional bundles of debris were placed in 1996. There are currently 2500 reef units in the area covering 125 acres. This design of this reef provides desirable habitat for finfish and lobsters in an otherwise featureless area.
In 2010, DMF conducted an extensive side-scan sonar and diver site survey of the Yarmouth reef. Results from the survey include:
- Little to no structural movement of materials outside the permitted area
- The northern most part of the site had the highest density of deployed materials
- High numbers of scup and black sea bass in the area
- More fish in areas with more reef materials
Working with the DMF, the Towns of Yarmouth and Harwich jointly received permits to reopen the Yarmouth reef site for extra reef materials in 2014 and establish the location of the Harwich reef. The initial source of deployment of the Harwich reef came from the destruction of the Harwich High School. New material deployment consisted of approved materials of similar vertical relief. These materials targeted areas on site where divers found low concentrations of materials.
In 2019, the Yarmouth reef was extended using granite from the demolition of the Railroad bridge connecting Dennis and Yarmouth. That material, along with concrete castings donated by Robert Our companies, was brought to New Bedford Fish Pier, loaded on barges, and subsequently brought to the reef.
In 2021, with the help of Mark Rousseau of the MA DMF, the reefs were further extended using material from the South Coast Rail Project. Four barges were loaded with material and brought to the Yarmouth reef for further extension. A fifth barge of material was brought to the 10-acre Harwich reef located off Saquetucket Harbor. The Yarmouth reef is continually being expanded. Presently the site is used by the Coast Guard to deposit retired 1,000 lb. and 4,000 lb. buoy anchors.
Today, you can find a wide variety of life on this reef including black sea bass, blue mussels, blue runner, butterfish, cunner, knobbed whelk, lesser amberjack, lobster, longfin squid, northern sea bass, scup, summer flounder, tautog and winter flounder.