Building on Essex County tidelands, beaches, or below the high-water mark requires a Chapter 91 waterways license. From Gloucester to Salisbury, structures, fill, piers, and seawalls in tidewaters need state authorization, and coastal wetland work also triggers the Wetlands Protection Act.
MGL Chapter 91 governs the commonwealth's tidelands and waterways. The department licenses construction, extension, filling, or excavation below the high-water mark; unlicensed work is a public nuisance. Essex coastal communities including Gloucester, Rockport, Newburyport, and Ipswich apply Chapter 91 alongside Chapter 131 Section 40, which separately protects coastal wetlands, beaches, dunes, and land subject to tidal action and coastal storm flowage.
Unlicensed tideland structures or fill are public nuisances subject to removal orders, MassDEP enforcement, and daily penalties; the commonwealth may compel restoration at the owner's expense.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Essex County, MA
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Essex County, MA
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Essex County, MA
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Essex County, MA
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Essex County, MA
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Essex County, MA
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See how Essex County's coastal development rules stack up against other locations.
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