CONCORD, Mass. – Maintenance dredging of a portion of the Saco River Federal navigation project (FNP) in Biddeford and Saco, Maine, will be completed under the terms of a $3,930,700.00 contract issued recently by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District. Work will be accomplished by H&L Contracting, Inc. LLC, of Bay Shores, New York. Work is scheduled to start in mid-December 2018 and take about 3 months to complete. The contract was awarded on Sept. 28, 2018.
“The project consists of hydraulically dredging a portion of the Federal navigation channel at the mouth of the Saco River which includes an 8-foot deep entrance channel and three 6-foot deep anchorages,” said Project Manager Craig Martin, of the Corps’ New England District, Programs/Project Management Division in Concord, Massachusetts. Approximately 41,000 cubic yards of required dredging, with another 36,000 cubic yards of 1-foot allowable over depth dredging would bring these areas back to their authorized dimensions. Sandy shoal material dredged from the mouth of the river will be pumped approximately 8,000 feet north to Camp Ellis Beach.
Additionally, a contract option to mechanically dredge a portion of the FNP’s 8-foot deep channel and 6-foot deep maneuvering basin at the city center in Saco is included. Approximately 22,000 cubic yards of required, and another 13,000 cubic yards of 1-foot allowable over depth dredging of predominantly fine grain sand and silty shoal material will be completed by mechanical dredge and hauled 1.25 miles south to a previously used in-river placement site for disposal. Dredging and disposal operations will be performed between Nov. 15, 2018 and March 15, 2019 to meet environmental time of year restrictions.
The Saco River originates in New Hampshire’s White Mountains and flows southeasterly through Maine for about 105 miles, emptying into Saco Bay at a point about 16 miles south of Portland Harbor. The river’s last six miles, which flow between the coastal cities of Biddeford and Saco, represent the area where the Corps has made several navigational improvements. Most of the fishing fleet in the area is based at Camp Ellis Harbor in Saco, about one mile upstream of the river entrance, and most of the recreational fleet is based upstream in Biddeford and Saco.
The project will be managed by the Corps under the supervision of a Corps’ Quality Assurance Representative to assure compliance with contract requirements. For details on Saco River FNP visit: http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Navigation/Maine/Saco-River/. A map is available at:
http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation/Maine-Projects/. Select Saco River. For general information visit: http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/.