SACO — Maine’s U.S. Congressional delegation supports addressing erosion at a Saco beach community. The state’s two senator’s and it’s First District U.S. representative sent a letter to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers urging it to work with the city to do so.

U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representative Chellie Pingree voiced their support for the City of Saco formally expressing interest in entering into a Project Partnership Agreement with the USACE to address the ongoing beach erosion at Camp Ellis in Saco.

On Sept. 14, the Saco City Council unanimously voted to send a letter to the Army Corps outlining the city’s desire to enter into a Project Partnership Agreement with the Army Corps to solve the erosion issue, which a necessary step before the Army Corps could move forward with a project to modify the jetty and renourish the beach.

In the Dec. 2 letter to Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Rickey James the Congressional delegation states, “we write today regarding the letter of support the City of Saco recently sent to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on their desire to enter into a Project Partnership Agreement to address the ongoing beach erosion at Camp Ellis, located in the City of Saco, Maine. We write to share our support for the ongoing work and look forwarding to hearing about next steps for this project.”

The letter notes that Section 111 of the 1968 River and Harbor Act “provides authority for the Corps of Engineers to develop and construct projects for prevention or mitigation of damages caused by Federal navigation work.”

Thirty eight homes have been lost in Camp Ellis due to erosion, according to the delegation, along with sand dunes, a railroad, and four streets.

“This continuing loss of property prompted the City of Saco to request Federal assistance to mitigate further shoreline impacts,” the letter states.

Addressing erosion at Camp Ellis has been a hot topic for decades. According to the Portland Press Herald, the beach is disappearing at a rate of several feet per year.

In 2007, the U.S. Congress set a cost limit of $26.9 million to remedy the situation.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposed construction of a 750-foot spur to an existing jetty at the Camp Ellis beach, which was built in 1867 and expanded in 1890. However, the city had balked at a part of the plan that would have it assume maintenance for the jetty following the fix, but in April 2019 said it would work with the USACE.

According to Assistant Secretary of the Army James, who wrote to the advocacy group SOS Saco Bay in June, the city ultimately declined to support the Army Corp’s recommendation for a solution.

“After further discussions, a final report was prepared in April 2019,” James wrote. “The city again declined to accept the recommendation. Accordingly, the USACE informed the city it had terminated further study efforts in January 2020.”

With a new city administration elected in November 2019, a spring session with congressional leaders and the New England District of the Army Corps staff led to the potential for future engagement.

“This simply allows the parties to continue the conversation,” said then-Councilor Lynn Copeland who made the motion on September l to send a letter to the Army Corps supporting for a Project Partnership Agreement.

The proposal to send the letter had the support of about 150 members of SOS Saco Bay, and also by residents of nearby Kinney Shores, another Saco coastal community which has experienced beach erosion.

SOS Saco Bay President Kevin Roche wrote that the Project Partnership plan has been “on hold” for 13 years.

“The time is now and (we’re) counting on the city to make this happen,” Roche wrote.

Not all  on the council expressed faith that a favorable plan will be reached.

“Do we really believe the Army Corps will be open to negotiation, as they haven’t previously?” Councilor Nathan Johnston asked in September.

“All this does is to authorize the city administrator to get the conversation restarted,”  Councilor Alan Minthorn said. “Let’s get the letter down there … and let them come forward with a new discussion. If we don’t do this, nothing starts.”

In their recent letter, King, Collins and Pingree said they look forward to hearing about next steps.

Staff Writer Tammy Wells contributed to this report.

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