Senator Collins Speaks at Camp Ellis Construction Kickoff

Project to combat generations of beach erosion begins with the help of more than $23 million secured by Senator Collins.

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SACO, ME - Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins delivered remarks at an event marking the official start of construction on the Camp Ellis Shore Damage Mitigation Project, a long-awaited effort to reduce shoreline erosion and storm damage in Saco. Other speakers included Saco Mayor Jodi MacPhail, Senator Angus King, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle, and Colonel Justin Pabis-Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District.

As Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins secured $23 million last year to support the construction of a 750-foot spur jetty and sand replenishment at Camp Ellis. She also secured $750,000 in 2024 to help fund the design of the project, after championing a provision in the 2022 Water Resources Development Act that authorized $45 million for a permanent solution to the severe, ongoing erosion at Camp Ellis.

"What a great day for Camp Ellis and the City of Saco. They say that good things come to those who wait. Well, that may be true, but I would say that the vital project we launch today proves that good things come to those who join together in a common cause and who persevere," said Senator Collins during her remarks. "Throughout this long ordeal, the people of Camp Ellis and nearby communities banded as informed and determined advocates. By decreasing the wave energy reaching Camp Ellis Beach and reducing the loss of sediment from the shoreline, this project will help protect property and restore the beachfront. To call this a long-awaited moment misses the mark. This is a long-championed victory, won by a resolute community that refused to give up."

The Camp Ellis jetty was built by the federal government more than 150 years ago at a time when the erosional impacts of shoreline structures were largely unknown. Although the jetty served navigational needs, it caused devastating erosion and property damage. Over the last century, 38 homes have washed into the sea, the shoreline has receded by approximately 400 feet, and roads have been lost. The project now underway is designed to reduce wave energy generated by the existing north jetty and lessen shoreline erosion.

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