Saco Council to discuss agreement with Corps for erosion mitigation project

Saco Council to discuss agreement with Corps for erosion mitigation project
The Saco Jetty has long been blamed for erosion in coastal Saco. LIZ GOTTHELF/Saco Bay News

SACO — Erosion along the coast has been an issue for decades, and it’s long been blamed by the Saco Jetty.

The stone jetty juts 6,600 feet into the Atlantic Ocean off the mouth of the Saco River. It was built in the late 1800s by the Army Corps of Engineers to protect a shipping channel in the Saco River The jetty is believed to disrupt the flow of sand, causing erosion on the adjacent coastline.

In 2006, the federal government appropriated $26.9 million for a solution to mitigate the environmental impacts of the jetty. To date, a project has not been completed.

In 2018, the Army Corps proposed a project that would construct 750 foot spur off the side of the Saco Jetty, make reinforcements to sections of the main jetty and deliver 225,000 cubic yards of sand to the beach.

The city declined to support the project, as it had concerns that the proposed agreement would require the city to be responsible for future maintenance and inspections of the jetty.

 

In January, the Army Corps tabled any further study of the jetty issue, as the city continued to support an alternate plan.

In May, Kevin Roche, president of local citizen group SOS Saco Bay  reached out to R.D. James, Assistant Secretary of the Army Civil Works.

James wrote back to Roche in June, stating that in a March meeting of Saco and federal officials, Saco officials indicated that the city might reconsider its decision to not support the recommended project.

“If the city does decide to change its position on sponsoring the recommended plan, the USACE is willing to work with the city to find a plan forward,” wrote James.

Roche said in a recent written statement that James’ letter was a good faith effort by the Army Corps to include those most affected by erosion along the Saco Bay shoreline, the people who live in the bay’s beach neighborhoods.

“That was a positive move. During Congressional testimony in 2018, Mr. James promised Senator King that he would work with the senator to get this process moving forward. He’s been true to his word,” said Roche.

On Monday night, the City Council will vote whether to send a letter to the Army Corps stating that it would like to work with the Corps in the completion of the project and is willing to indicate its support by signing a Project Partnership Agreement. A Project Partnership Agreement is a legally binding document between the federal government and a non-federal sponsor -in this case, the city of Saco- for construction of a project.

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