Wood Island Dredging Proposal on the Table

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District is proposing to perform maintenance dredging of the Wood Island and Pool at Biddeford Federal Navigation Project (FNP) in Biddeford, Maine.

The proposed work involves maintenance dredging of portions of the 10-foot-deep Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) Federal navigation channel and 6-foot-deep basin at Biddeford Pool, plus 1 foot authorized overdepth, in the FNP.

Maintenance dredging of approximately 39,000 cubic yards of fine-grained sand and 6,000 cubic yards of silt from approximately 8.4 acres of the authorized project area will restore the inner harbor portion of the FNP to authorized dimensions,” said Project Manager Craig Martin, of the Corps’ New England District, Programs/Project Management Division in Concord, Massachusetts.

The proposed nearshore placement site for the fine sand removed from the FNP is a rectangular 10-acre site situated offshore of Camp Ellis Beach.

The proposed placement site for the silt removed from the FNP is the Saco Bay Disposal Site (SBDS), which is located approximately 4 nautical miles northeast of the FNP and 2.7 nautical miles east of Ferry Beach.

Construction is expected to take between 3 to 4 months between Nov. 1 and March 31 of the year or years in which funds become available.

The deadline for sending public comments on this proposed dredging is June 14, 2020.