Senator Collins wanted to emphasize the importance of the Camp Ellis restoration project before a scheduled meeting on Monday to discuss the ongoing effort. The Army Corps of Engineers is expected to hold a public briefing to discuss the results of new wave modeling studies regarding the erosion problem. The meeting is scheduled for 7:00 pm, April 12th, at the Saco City Council Chambers.
The following is the text of Senator Collins' letter:
I am writing to request that the Committee specifically authorize $20 million for the Army Corps of Engineers beach restoration effort at Camp Ellis Beach in Saco, Maine, as part of the Water Resources Development Act of 2004.
The safety and well being of the people of Camp Ellis and Saco, Maine, depend on successful action by the Army Corps of Engineers. Unfortunately, it is also precisely because of the Army Corps of Engineers that the safety and well being of this particular community are at risk.
Over 100 years ago, the Army Corps built a jetty extending out from the Saco River, adjacent to Camp Ellis Beach. As has long been known by the residents of Camp Ellis and was recently confirmed by an Army Corps study, this jetty has altered the pattern of currents and sand deposition and is the primary cause of the devastating erosion of Camp Ellis.
The extent of the erosion is truly shocking. Some 36 houses have washed into the sea in the last 100 years. The 1998 shoreline is 400 feet from where the shoreline stood in 1908. The houses that are now in danger were once six or more houses back from the sea.
In recent years, the problem has taken on an even more dire aspect. The beach and dunes have retreated, and the sea advanced, to such an extent that a distinct possibility now exists that a large storm could entirely breach the peninsula and turn Camp Ellis into an island. Such an event would be devastating to the people of Camp Ellis.
Last February, as part of his nomination hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Honorable John Paul Woodley promised to tour Camp Ellis with me, and to do whatever he can to help address this problem. In November, Mr. Woodley, who had by then been confirmed as Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, came to Camp Ellis with me to look at the site of this devastating erosion. It is an extraordinary experience to look out over breaking waves and blue water, knowing that you=re looking at the former site of roads, houses, city blocks, and even a railroad track.
The Corps has recognized that the erosion of Camp Ellis is a direct result of the Army Corps Jetty and has undertaken steps to mediate the problem as a Section 111 project. The Senate provided $350,000 in fiscal year 2002, $1.2 million in FY2003, and a further $1.28 million in FY 2004 for the Corps to complete the design phase of this project.
On September 24, 2003, the House passed the Water Resources Development Act of 2003. This bill was received in the Senate on September 26 and is currently before the Environment and Public Works Committee. This bill places a limit of $10 million on the total funds that the Army Corps can spend to restore Camp Ellis. Unfortunately, in all likelihood this number will be totally inadequate to restore the beaches of Camp Ellis and protect its residents from further danger.
The results of recent wave -modeling studies undertaken at the direction of the Army Corps of Engineers indicate that at least two structures are likely to be needed to protect Camp Ellis from further erosion and destruction of property. Although the final results of the studies are not yet available, preliminary data indicate that it will be necessary to build, at a minimum, both an offshore breakwater and a spur coming off the jetty. The total cost of these projects is likely to approach $20 million. I therefore respectfully request that you specifically authorize a minimum of $20 million, in addition to the funds which have already been appropriated, in order to ensure that the Army Corps of Engineers will have the funds necessary to act upon the best available science and fully protect the residents of Camp Ellis.
I recognize the difficult fiscal situation in which this nation now finds itself, and I know that you will face severe fiscal restraints as you draft this bill. However, I ask that you take into account that this problem was caused by the federal government, through the construction of a jetty at a time in which the erosional impacts of shoreline structures were largely unknown. Although this jetty has served the navigational needs of the nation well over its 100-plus years of existence, it is now time for the federal government to make good on its obligation to help those people who have been negatively impacted by this structure. I therefore ask that you specifically direct the Corps to undertake this project, and note that the Congress finds that the overall benefits of the project exceed the costs
On February 27, 2003, I, along with Senator Snowe, introduced the Camp Ellis Beach Restoration Act. This bill would ensure that the Army Corps has the resources and direction necessary to fully protect Camp Ellis. I ask that you incorporate this bill into the Water Resources Development Act of 2004 in order to accomplish the above ends.
I thank you in advance for your assistance on this project. I know I can count on you to work with me to ensure that Camp Ellis once again sees the return of stable beaches. I am sure you will agree that Camp Ellis has waited far too long, and seen far too many homes lost, for this problem to continue unaddressed.