1. Southern Maine Dredge Purchase Feasibility Study
Maine Dredge Team Meeting
Augusta, Maine
March 11, 2019
Adam Finkle
Coastal Scientist
Direct:
Lee Wieshar
Senior Scientist
Direct:
Abbie Sherwin
Coastal & Land Use Planner, SMPDC
Direct:

2. Project Goals and Objectives
Presentation Outline
Project Partners
Project Tasks
Regional Case Studies
Findings / Next Steps
Questions
Project Goals and Objectives
Assess the feasibility of purchasing and operating a dredge and associated equipment within shallow-draft boat harbors in southern Maine.
Driven by importance of maintaining safe and navigable entrance and internal navigation channels
The communities in southern Maine recognize the importance of maintaining a working relationship with the United States Army Corps of Engineers so they can utilize funding when it becomes available. However, the same towns and communities want to be prepared to maintain their own waterways and assist in maintaining navigable depths in federal and non-Federal areas such as marinas, private channels, and mooring areas.
Supplement to ACOE mission

3. Barnstable County Dredge Program
Pre-program cost split
75% State
25% Town
$1 million capital grant
Needs assessment
Cost-benefit analysis
Regional management structure
Advisory committee with representatives from each town
Dredging at rates ~60% below commercial market rate

4. Project Partners Maine Coastal Program
Coastal Communities – Municipal Stakeholders
Biddeford
Kittery
Kennebunk
Kennebunkport
Ogunquit
Old Orchard Beach
Saco
Scarborough
York
Wells
Woods Hole Group

5. Project Outline Task 1. Meetings and Stakeholder Engagement
Meeting 1 – Kick off meeting to review Tasks and deliverables and clarify site-specific goals and objectives.
Meeting 2 – Conducted on Cape Cod. Meetings with local municipal leaders and Barnstable County Dredge personnel.
Meeting 3 – Wrap-up conference call with regional stakeholders

6. Project Outline Task 2. Regional Sediment Characterization
Requested data from regional stakeholders regarding:
historic quantities dredged,
historic dredging location(s),
historic dredged sediment types,
historic disposal locations,
recreational and commercial usage, etc.
Researched historic databases to amend data received from regional stakeholders.
USACOE data requests (forecasts), Cape Arundel Disposal Site Database, NOAA (coring), USGS (coring), historic Dredged Material Mgmt. Studies
Data used to identify and characterize grain size, type of material, and potential volumes in and adjacent to established Federal Navigation Projects in southern Maine.

7. Project Outline Task 3. Operational and Financial Data for BCD Program
Task 4. Operational Cost Forecast for Regional Dredge Purchase
Researched and identified the most suitable dredging equipment for maintaining navigation channels within the specified region and beneficially reusing and/or disposing of dredged material.
Hydraulic Cutter Suction Pump Dredge – based on Barnstable County model
Ellicott 670 Dragon
Initial costs identified for the purchase of recommended equipment:
Dredge superstructure (hydraulic dredge, hopper, etc.)
Ancillary equipment & personnel costs: support boats, pipe, booster pump, labor costs, fuel costs, pumping rates, maintenance costs, etc.
Costs for purchasing used dredging equipment also considered.

8. Project Outline Task 5. Feasibility Assessment Task 6. Final Report
Developed regional sediment budget
Determined operational cost forecast for owning and operating regional dredging equipment
Generated a cost per cubic yard of material dredged to determine capital outlay, identify time to recoup initial investment, and establish a reserve fund
Task 6. Final Report
Summary of Tasks 1-5
Outline of assumptions made in generating data
Recommendations and next steps for future work

9. Findings
Approximately $3.25 million dollars to purchase similar hydraulic dredging and ancillary equipment
Approximately $700k annually to staff, fuel, insure, and maintain dredging operations
If regional dredging equipment were purchased using a capital grant, the lowest-cost scenario identified in this study, a minimum dredge rate of $10 - $12 per c.y.
Increasing minimum dredge rate by $2 - $4 per c.y. would allow for the establishment of a reserve fund to:
Pay down any loans or debts incurred during the procurement period;
Prepare for the repair and/or replacement of aging equipment.

10. Woods Hole Group Annual Sediment Budget
ACOE 1994, 2017 estimates resulted in significantly lower estimated annual volumes, 38,882 c.y. and 25,655 c.y., respectively. (Tables 17 & 18, explanation on p.49)

11. Cost summary – hydraulic dredge & ancillary equipment

13. Information Gaps & Other Considerations
Historical dredging data (public & private)
Sediment composition isn’t uniform among or within waterbodies
Different sediment types = different dredge vessel
Dredging vs. disposal
Beach nourishment & beneficial reuse
Permitting requirements & cost
Timing considerations
Private vs public dredging/nourishment
Recent ACOE schedule

14. Next Steps & Opportunities for Regional Coordination
Investigate federal/state funding to support regionally-administered dredging
Regional management structure
Interstate coordination: ME/NH/MA
Fair & equitable program considerations
Sediment amount, need, frequency, etc.
Cost-share
Investigate cooperative purchasing for regionally-coordinated contract dredging
Compare cost of regional dredge purchase vs. exclusive contract
Private contractor costs (site-specific): $150k - $350k for mobilization, $18 - $35 per c.y.
Fill data gaps
Sediment quality and geochemical testing
Maine Coast Mapping Initiative
Research permitting requirements
Identify suitable dewatering sites and/or upland storage locations

15. Questions? / Discussion of Next Steps
This project was funded the Maine Coastal Program through its annual Cooperative Agreement with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Award #NA17NOS