www.provincetown-ma.gov
Harbors & Beaches
Harbor & Pier Corporation Regulations Tide chart for Provincetown Harbor

Beach Information

Beach Water Quality test results. Read more about water quality at Provincetown Beaches from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Minimum standards for bathing beaches in Massachusetts. Read the regulations.

For more information contact the Health Agent at 487-7020 ext 529 or Health Inspector at 487-7020 ext 537.

Provincetown Harbor

2007 Harbor Guide

Municipal Harbor Plan. Article 32 of the April 7, 1997 Annual Town Meeting approved the Municipal Harbor Plan for the Town of Provincetown. The Plan establishes a reasoned approach to the future use and management of Provincetown Harbor and its edges. The Plan was prepared by the Town of Provincetown to address numerous existing problems and to establish consensus about the character and quality of the harbor into the Twenty-first Century. The Plan has been prepared in concert with the requirements for a Municipal Harbor Plan as recognized by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, to establish a consistent regulatory approach to those lands and waters subject to Commonwealth jurisdiction. Five key issue areas have been addressed in this plan, and are reflected in its recommendations: preserving the Harbor's Built and Natural Assets; promoting Commercial Fishing and Aquaculture; providing for Diverse Vessel Use and Needs; assuring Public Access to the Shoreline for Recreation; and planning for Future Harbor Uses.

Changes to Aquaculture Regulations: The Provincetown Board of Selectmen held a public hearing on Monday, May 12, 2008 at 6 P.M. in the Judge Welsh Hearing Room, Provincetown Town Hall, 260 Commercial Street, Provincetown, MA 02657 and then and there voted to revise the Aquaculture Regulations, effective immediately. See Public Notice.

Amendments to Harbor Regulations Mooring Fees: The Provincetown Board of Selectmen held a public hearing on Monday, February 12, 2007, at Provincetown, Town Hall, 260 Commercial Street, Provincetown, MA 02657 and then and there voted to amend the Harbor Regulations, Appendix B, Harbor Fee Schedules, effective January 1, 2007. See Public Notice.

Historic Mean High Water. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has provided the Town of Provincetown with a digitization of the Historic Mean High Water line. See that line on the Town's aerial photographs of Provincetown Harbor.

Shellfish Area Opens November 3, 2006: On Friday, November 3, 2006, the shellfish area east of the breakwater at the West end of Town will open to the public. Read Public Notice.

Mooring & Harbor Regulations Amended: The Provincetown Board of Selectmen held a public hearing on March 13, 2006 at Provincetown Town Hall and then and there adopted changes to the Mooring and Harbor Regulations.See Public Notice.

2005 Annual Town Meeting to Vote to Amend Harbor Plan. Th Town will vote to approve amendments to the Municipal Harbor Plan as proposed by the Harbor Committee. The Municipal Harbor Plan approved by the Secretary of Environmental Affairs on May 4, 1999 is set to expire on May 4, 2005. also see original 1998 Harbor Plan.

MacMillan Pier Floating Dock System Restoration: The Board of Selectmen held a public hearing on December 13, 2004 at 6 p.m. and approved the Pier Corporation and Building Committee's recommendation for restoration of the MacMillan Pier Floating Dock System in Phase I. Read more.

Public Hearing: Rental Mooring Field Relocation. The Provincetown Board of Selectmen will hold a public hearing on Monday, January 10, 2005 at 6 p.m. in the Judge Welsh Hearing Room, Provincetown Town Hall, 260 Commercial Street, on the application of Flyers Boat Club, Inc., P.O. Box 262, South Orleans, Massachusetts 02662 for a proposed relocation of a rental mooring field in Provincetown Harbor.

Amendments to Harbor Regulations: Harbor Fee Schedules
The Provincetown Board of Selectmen held a public hearing on Monday, March 22, 2004 in Provincetown Town Hall and then and there voted to amend the Harbor Regulations by amending Appendix B, Harbor Fee Schedules, by adding the following: "Provincetown residents aged 65 years and older shall only be required to pay 50% of the fee for an individual mooring permit."

Amendments to the Harbor Regulations: Mooring Fees
The Provincetown Board of Selectmen held a public hearing on Monday, December 29, 2003 at 6 p.m. in the Judge Welsh Hearing Room, Provincetown, Town Hall, 260 Commercial Street, Provincetown, MA 02657, and voted to approve the Harbor Committee's November 19, 2003 recommendation to revise the Harbor Regulations by amending the Harbor Regulations, Appendix B, Harbor Fee Schedules. Click here for complete details.

Amendments to the Harbor Regulations
The Provincetown Board of Selectmen held a public hearing on Monday, March 24, 2003,at Provincetown Town Hall and then and there adopted the following amendments to the Harbor Regulations, as recommended by the Harbor Committee. Click here for complete details.

Provincetown Harbor is a unique asset for the community, the region, and the Commonwealth. Tucked inside a curling spit of sand at the outermost reaches of Cape Cod, the harbor provides a deep natural anchorage and picturesque setting that has attracted settlers, fishermen, tourists and residents for hundreds of years. Like other harbors, it has mirrored a changing economy. Once a major fishing and commercial port, the harbor edge was historically lined with numerous piers and wharves. Commercial Street along the harbor's edge served a vital marine-oriented economy and its related culture. While it still serves a vital role as a marine harbor, the business of the harbor is now largely related to tourism, which is the predominant economic activity for Provincetown and Cape Cod.

Harbor & Beaches Related Links

PWC Marked Channel By-law Effective May 2, 2002. The Personal Water Craft Marked Channel By-law approved by the April 1, 2002 Special Town Meeting took effect May 2, 2002.The Channel was amended at the April _, 2004 Special Town Meeting.

 

Harbor Committee. Article 33 of the April 7, 1997 Annual Town Meeting established the Harbor Committee to implement the Municipal Harbor Plan, to provide for the coordination of all harbor elements and activities, to make recommendations concerning updates and revisions to the Harbor Plan, and changes in Harbor and Shellfish regulations.

MacMillan Pier Reconstruction Project. Click here to read about the status of the $18-million reconstruction of MacMillan Pier, to serve the needs of the next forty years.

 

For more information contact
Office of the Marine Superintendent, Town of Provincetown, 260 Commercial Street, Provincetown, MA  02657 (508) 487-7030.