Legislative committee unanimously approves bill to mitigate shoreline damage in Saco Bay

AUGUSTA — A bill by State Rep. Lynn Copeland, D-Saco, that gives support to a proposed Army Corps of Engineers project to mitigate beach erosion in Saco received unanimous approval from the legislature’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee.

About 15 years ago, the federal government allocated $26.9 million for an Army Corps project to help offset shore damage caused by the Saco Jetty. The Saco Jetty, which extends into the ocean from the mouth of the Saco River, was created in the 1860s by the Army Corps to create a smooth shipping channel in the river. The jetty is believed to have caused erosion on the seacoast by displacing wave action and the natural flow of sand.

A project with this money has yet to be finalized, and the Army Corps has proposed a plan that would require the city, as the non-federal partner in the agreement, to pay any expenses over the allocated $26.9 million as well as future repairs and maintenance.

Copeland’s bill, LD 946, as amended, would, if passed, direct the governor to take actions to support and assist the city of Saco in its role as the non-federal sponsor of the project. This would include directing relevant state agencies to assist the city of Saco in entering into a project partnership agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the mitigation project. It would also allow for relevant state agencies to assist and support the communities of Saco Bay in the construction of the project as well as the implementation of other beach and beach habitat remediation projects in and around Saco Bay.

“I am so grateful for the bipartisan support from my colleagues on this proposal,” said Copeland. “There has been much local and federal work over many decades to mitigate the ongoing erosion caused by the jetty in Camp Ellis. I especially want to thank community leaders and local residents who worked hard to get us to this point. This is what it looks like when people in all levels of government and members of the public come together to get the job done.”

LD 946 faces votes in the House and Senate.

Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at [email protected].