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You are visitor number
Updated: April 17, 2010
Write your Senators, State Reps, Mayor, Counselor
and President
Now is the time to write ask for
representation from your local, state and federal government
officials. I'd ask that you take the time to write
(not email) each of your representatives and ask that they
step up and help us save Camp Ellis.
The text of a letter is available
here. Please feel free to download it and adapt it
to your style. Again, a handwritten or typed and
mailed letter gets FAR MORE ATTENTION than email. I'd
like to thank Patty Van Ness for copying me with her
original letter and allowing me to revise and post it here.
Tim
*****
This update regarding
Camp Ellis erosion due to the storms in March is from Mike
Bolduc of the Saco DPW:
Camp Ellis Coastal Erosion Maintenance
The Camp Ellis area of Saco experiences significant erosion
of dunes and roadways, as well as the settling of armor
stone along a stretch of 2000 feet of coastline.
Approximately 10 to 15 times per year Saco Public Works will
perform some level of sand dune and roadway replacement.
Conditions needed for this erosion to occur require an east
to northeast wind, 5 to 8 foot seas, and a high tide greater
than 9 feet. So far this storm season Public Works has
placed over 1800 cy of sand and 500 cy of gravel along Surf
St between Sunrise Ave and Eagle Ave to cover the “Geotubes”
and provide gravel road property access. The Main Ave and
North Ave intersection has needed to have sand and debris
removed with a loader on several occasions. Lower Beach Ave
at Surf St has been rebuilt with gravel for access to
private property following storm events. The armor stone
between the jetty and Fairhaven Ave is restacked annually.
Public Works has dedicated over 750 man hours to erosion
control and repairs during the past twelve months in Camp
Ellis.
*****
Response from Senator Collins regarding status of
Jetty Project
Kellie Perrault Mueller wrote
Senator Collins in the fall asking for an update on the
status of the appropriations of funds for the Camp Ellis
Restoration Project. A copy of Senator Collin's reply
is available
here.
*****
The Photo Gallery is up and running!
If you have any photos you'd
like to share with others, please email them to me and I'll
be sure to add them to the site as soon as possible, with
the photog's name, of course. Include any information
you'd like to have as the caption!
*****
The Guestbook is online!
You may now sign in and leave comments
in the
Guestbook. These are
public comments and can be seen by others, so play nice!
*****
Camp Ellis Beach on Facebook!
I've created a Camp Ellis Beach
site on Facebook. Request as a friend and I'll reply
as soon as possible!
*****
The webcam is up and running!
I've changed the Live
Video link to open the video feed directly into a portion
of the web page, instead of within it's own application.
This should make it easier to view. You may still be asked
for a username and password. Just type "maine" into
the username and leave the password field blank. Click
the Live
Video menu item to the left and the video should come
up!
***** Army Corps Update
This is the latest information (September 2009) from the
ACoE website:
SACO RIVER AND CAMP ELLIS BEACH, SACO (1st CD)
– The New England District, in response to a
request from the city of Saco and state of Maine, is
undertaking a study under the authority of Section 111 of
the River and Harbor Act of 1968 to find a remedy to the
ongoing erosion of Camp Ellis Beach. The Corps meets
periodically with state and city officials and local
interests to discuss ongoing computer modeling efforts being
conducted by the Woods Hole Group (WHG) under contract to
the Corps. The models are examining effects of coastal
structures on wave climate, currents and erosion. Initial
modeling and evaluation of alternatives determined that a
spur jetty, an offshore breakwater, a combination of the
spur jetty and breakwater, or T-head groins offered the best
protection.
However, with identification of soft clay
under a large portion of the study area, the offshore
breakwater was not feasible and additional breakwater
alignments situated closer to shore were evaluated.
Additional subsurface investigations were completed in 2005,
and the results were used to develop and model additional
alternatives. The results of these efforts were provided to
the sponsor, state and public in January 2006. These efforts
indicated that a plan involving a 750- foot long spur jetty
and periodic beachfill was the optimal Federal plan. Local
interests prefer a plan for a 500-foot spur jetty and two or
more nearshore breakwaters that require less frequent
periodic beachfill. Modeling of this locally preferred plan
has been completed and has been reviewed by the city and the
state. As this project will exceed the $5 million statutory
cap under Section 111 authority, Congress provided specific
authority in the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 to
exceed this limitation.
This Act authorized a maximum Federal
expenditure of $26,900,000 for work under Section 111 at
Camp Ellis.
Ongoing FY09 and FY10 activities will
include completion of design efforts, and preparation of a
decision document and environmental assessment (EA). The
decision document will require review and approval by the
Corps’ North Atlantic Division before release for public
review. The Corps and City anticipate beginning the Federal
and state regulatory approval process for the project during
the fall of 2009. Once environmental approvals are secured
for the final proposal, and Congressional funding for the
project is received, then preparation of plans and
specifications would be completed. A construction contract
would then be sought in the subsequent two to three fiscal
years. The last effort under this project will include beach
nourishment of Camp Ellis Beach.
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