October 2020

In September of 2020, the City of Saco sent the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) a Letter of Support to deliver a Project Partnership Agreement (PPA). A PPA is a legally binding agreement between the Government and a non-Federal sponsor (state, municipal government, flood control district, port authority, etc.) for construction of a water resources project. It describes the project and the responsibilities of the Government and the non-Federal sponsor in the cost sharing and execution of work.

This is a first as the Corps has never delivered a PPA to Saco despite the fact $26.9 million was approved for a project in 2007 because a non-Federal co-sponsor could not be found. We are optimistic that will change and the City and Corps can reach an agreement. That optimism is aided by SOS Saco Bay, which has helped form a coalition of city, state and federal elected officials to work together. It is agreed by all of us that we need to pursue the Army Corps plan to build a 750-foot breakwater perpendicular to the shore from the jetty north to mitigate wave strength and beach reinforcement. The City hopes to have a proposal late this year or early the next.

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