Army Corps Launches First Cape Cod Canal Master Plan Revision in 51 Years

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is updating the Cape Cod Canal Master Plan for the first time in more than five decades. It will revise the 1975 plan to reflect substantial environmental, cultural, social, and recreational changes.

According to a Cape Cod Times report, the revision will not address the current Bourne and Sagamore Bridges replacement, as that project lies outside the canal master plan's scope.

The Army Corps explained that the master plan will serve as the “strategic land use management document that guides the comprehensive management and development of all recreational, natural, and cultural resources throughout the life of the water resource development project.” This plan will also define how the Army Corps will manage public-use resources and conserve them.

Jonathan Dumais, park manager for the USACE on the Cape Cod Canal, told NPR for the Cape, Coast & Islands that the revision of the master plan is unlikely to affect recreational areas on Army Corps-owned land. 

“We do lease out a few portions of the property, including the Bourne Scenic Park campground, the Gallo ice rink, the Sandwich Marina, and the Scusset Beach State Reservation,” he said. “We would largely imagine those would remain unchanged because of the benefit to the public.”

According to a Cape Cod Times report, a virtual open house presentation will be conducted to present the draft version of the resource management master plan, anticipated for March 2027. A public comment period will be included. The final document release date for the revised plan is anticipated for September 2027.

Members of the public can preview the plan online. The website contains a brief presentation outlining the master plan revision process, a copy of the current master plan, maps of the current land classifications, and instructions for submitting comments to USACE.