$45 Million Authorization to Fix Camp Ellis Erosion to be Signed into Law
Senator Collins secured the provision in the NDAA, which will fully fund construction of a 750-foot spur jetty to resolve the severe erosion impacting the community
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced today that Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with a provision she championed authorizing $45 million for a permanent solution to the severe, ongoing erosion at Camp Ellis. The NDAA is the annual defense spending authorization bill that sets our military’s priorities and policies. It passed the Senate by a vote of 83-11 and the House by a vote of 350 to 80, and it now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
The $45 million authorized by the NDAA will ensure that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has the full funding necessary to construct a 750-foot spur jetty off the existing jetty and replenish 365,000 cubic yards of beachfront.
“This funding is a major victory for Camp Ellis and will finally provide a solution for residents who have lost dozens of homes over generations,” said Senator Collins. “As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, I worked to secure this investment that would finally resolve this problem, protect property, and permanently restore the beachfront.”
“On behalf of the City of Saco, we are extremely elated with the language included in the NDAA regarding Camp Ellis,” said Saco Mayor Bill Doyle. “Our community continues to be challenged with ongoing costs associated with storms affecting Camp Ellis. We are thankful for the efforts of Senator Collins for her advocacy and outreach on behalf of our community. Senator Collins, as well as her staffers, have been extremely diligent and helpful in all aspects of this unique situation affecting the City of Saco.”
More than 150 years ago, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built a jetty extending out from the Saco River, adjacent to Camp Ellis Beach, and expanded it in the 1950s. This jetty altered the pattern of currents and sand deposition and is the primary cause of the severe erosion of Camp Ellis, washing away 38 homes. The 1998 shoreline was 400 feet from where the shoreline stood in 1908.
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