Coastal restoration project cleared to proceed, work to begin early 2026

Article from York County Government...

ALFRED, Maine – A project to restore beaches in Saco, Wells and Old Orchard Beach left raw and bare of protective barriers after devastating back-to-back storms in January 2024 has received the final green light and is poised to commence early in the new year.

York County officials and the three municipalities had initially planned for the work to begin in November – the start of Maine’s dredging season that ends in March, but until very recently, clarification on federal approvals for the projects had not been in hand. That was worrisome, county officials said, because absent the final word, the dredge season would likely have been missed, postponing the remedy until November 2026 – nearly three years after the storms – exposing the shoreline to potential further damage this winter and spring.

Now, the hurdle has been cleared.

“FEMA Region 1 has clarified that, as all other eligibility criteria have been met, we are able to proceed,” said York County Emergency Management Agency Director Art Cleaves on Dec. 17.
 
That is good news to York County Commissioners, who had penned a letter to the Congressional delegation in early December, seeking their support.
 
“This really was an all hands on deck moment,”  said Commissioner Justin Chenette, whose district includes Saco, one of the municipalities included in the projects. “I want to sing Art’s  praises one more time (for bringing) this project to fruition. Our communities are in desperate need of these projects.”
 
Chenette said some communities were “one storm away” from losing homes to the sea, and thanked everyone who participated. “In the last week and a half so many came forward and said ‘this needs to be a priority,’” he pointed out.
 
“A big thanks to the county commissioners, Art (Cleaves) and all levels of government getting to this point and over this hurdle,” said SOS Saco Bay president Kevin Roche. “Everyone made a difference. This is fantastic news.”
 
On Jan 13, 2024, a major coastal flood caused more than $110 million in damage to protective dunes and beaches across coastal York County. That storm, and the Jan. 10 storm that preceded it, left coastal waterfronts bare, with virtually no natural defenses against future events, Cleaves explained.
 
“The damage was so severe in Saco, Wells, and Old Orchard Beach that the federal government designated their restoration work as Category B "Emergency Protective Measures,” a classification reserved for actions that "eliminate or lessen immediate threats to lives, public health, or safety,” said Cleaves.

As well, he and others noted that the economic stakes are significant – York County's coastal tourism industry contributes more than $1.6 billion in annual spending and supports more than  27,000 jobs across the region. The January 2024 storms alone caused $40 million in reimbursable municipal damages and $15 million in damages to individual homes and businesses. Currently, Cleaves said, more than $660 million in property and infrastructure sits exposed to storm damage.

In Wells, 7,600 cubic yards of sand deposited by the storms will be dredged from inside Wells Harbor and used to stabilize Wells Beach as part of the emergency measures. That will be followed by the planting of 126,000 dune grass seedlings to provide further protection for dunes and shorebirds.

At Camp Ellis, Saco Public Works Director Travis Moore in an October interview said there will be two projects ongoing – the dredging project, with 1,200 cubic yards, and an additional beach nourishment project with 5,000 cubic yards.

The Old Orchard Beach project doesn’t include dredging, but sand will be trucked in to repair the dunes from a sand pit in the general region, as regulations mandate that replacement sand match what is currently there in size, grain and color, Cleaves explained.

The FEMA Emergency Protective Measures program provides five year flood protection. Ultimately, York County Emergency Management Agency is looking to bring coastal municipalities to 100-year flood protection and has requested $19 million through Congressionally Directed Spending to restore dunes and beaches across Old Orchard Beach, Saco, Biddeford, Kennebunkport, Wells, and Ogunquit to FEMA Category G standards. Cleaves said achieving that designation would provide 100-year flood protection and unlock future disaster recovery funding.

The 100-year initiative represents an innovative approach to regional resilience, with York County government centralizing procurement and management on behalf of six municipalities that lack the staffing and resources to manage such complex projects independently, Cleaves said.

First up however, are the emergency protective measures.

"Getting these emergency protective measures in place is critical, but it's just the first step," Cleaves said. "We're already working toward our long-term goal of achieving 100-year flood protection across our coastal communities. For now, though, we're focused on getting this emergency work done before coastal storms threaten these communities again."

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