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Pig Island Gut Navigation Project

Pig Island Gut

Pig Island Gut in Beals is the narrow passage between Pig Island and Great Wass Island, about one mile southeast of Jonesport and 30 miles east of Bar Harbor. It provides a shorter, less exposed route to the southeastern fishing grounds in Eastern Bay for commercial fishing boats based at Jonesport, Beals Harbor, Alley Bay, and in the gut itself. Used primarily by lobster boats, Pig Island Gut is also used by boats engaged in the harvesting of herring, soft shell clams, sandworms, periwinkles, mussels, and sea moss.

Pig Island Gut is a six foot deep channel, 80 feet wide, extending from Alley Bay to Eastern Bay. Also part of the project is a six-foot-deep anchorage, 5.5 acres in area, on the north side of the channel, south of Pig Island. Material dredged from the construction of the channel and anchorage was used to create tidal flats in Alley Bay, which now provide fishermen with an additional source of sandworms and other bait.

Completed in 1965, Pig Island Gut was constructed under Section 107 of the Continuing Authorities Program.