Notice to Lobstermen: Proposed Wells Harbor Dredge

Solicitation of Public Comment Regarding the Wells Harbor Federal Navigation Project

 Pursuant to 38 M.R.S. §480-D, sub-§9, the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) is required to provide the Maine Department of Environmental Protection with an assessment on the impacts on the fishing industry of a proposed dredging operation.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District is proposing maintenance dredging of Wells Harbor and the Entrance Channel to remove approximately 170,000 cy of sandy material that will be placed at the nearshore placement site off Wells Beach.  The work consists of two parts: 1) full maintenance dredging of the Wells Harbor FNP features which include an 8-foot Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) entrance channel, adjoining settling basins, and a 6-foot MLLW inner channel and anchorage area; and 2) periodic maintenance dredging of portions of the FNP on an as-needed basis. Full maintenance dredging entails removing approximately 170,000 cubic yards (cy) of sandy material from the FNP, excluding the conservation easement. A cutterhead pipeline dredge will remove the material and pump it to areas on Wells and Drakes Island Beaches for beach nourishment. Full maintenance dredging work is proposed to be performed between September 15 and March 31 in the year(s) in which funds become available and will take approximately six months to complete. Periodic maintenance dredging of the FNP, primarily areas in the 8-foot entrance channel and settling basins (previously dredged to 12 feet deep) will occur every one to four years. A government-owned hopper dredge, such as the Currituck or Murden, will remove approximately 10,000 to 50,000 cy of material during each periodic dredging event. Placement will occur at the nearshore placement site off Wells Beach.

 Written comments or hearing requests about this dredging project need to be received by DMR at the email or mailing address listed below by 5:00 p.m. March 24, 2023.   

Please be advised that Prock Marine Company will be dredging the Dysarts Great Harbor Marina in Southwest Harbor. Work will be starting on February 21^th through March 31^th 2023.  Operations will be conducted daily from 0700 to 1700.

Great Lakes Dock and Dredge, Inc. will be conducting maintenance and improvement dredging in Portsmouth Harbor and Piscataqua River, Newington, New Hampshire and Eliot, Maine starting 1 November 2021 to 1 April 2023. 

Operations will be conducted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and transiting the dredged material south to Nantasket Beach as well as to the Isle of Shoals North disposal site.  The attached haul route shows the width of the approved route.  Fishermen should remove gear from the haul route immediately.  Maine DMR works with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to provide notice to fishermen of these routes, but did not receive final confirmation of this route until today.  According to the USACE, dredging will begin on or about Nov 16^th – the initial material SHOULD be going to MA nearshore sites BUT there is a possibility they may have some material would need to go to IOSN.  Blasting will begin in December, with all of that material going to IOSN.