1. Southern Maine Dredge Feasibility Study:
Findings and Opportunities for Regional Coordination
NH Dredge Management Task Force Meeting
February 6, 2019
Paul Schumacher, Executive Director
Abbie Sherwin, Coastal & Land Use Planner
Southern Maine Planning & Development Commission

2. This presentation was prepared with funding assistance from the Maine Coastal Program through its annual Cooperative Agreement with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Award #NA17NOS

3. Presentation Outline Project summary Methods & assumptions
Key findings
Considerations not addressed in study
Information gaps
Potential next steps & opportunities for regional coordination
Discussion

4. Project Summary
Is a regionally owned, operated, and managed hydraulic dredge a cost effective and efficient means of meeting dredging needs in southern Maine?
Meetings & Project Coordination
Operational Costs Forecast for southern ME
Dredging & Disposal Data Collection
Feasibility Assessment
Operational & Financial Data from Barnstable County
Final Report

5. Regional Municipalities and Waterways

6. 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

7. Barnstable County Dredge Program
Ancillary Equipment and Cost Breakdown
Annual Dredge Quantities
Cape Cod vs. Southern ME
Differences in systems
Cape = sand dominant
Maine = sand, mud, cobble
Pump dredged material onto adjacent, sandy beaches
Comprehensive permits for dredging and disposal

8. Methods Methods Limitations
Historical and projected dredge data (ACOE, NOAA)
Investigated sediment composition in regional waterways
Estimated percent sand composition in regional waterways to develop regional “sediment budget”
Calculated dredge operating costs
Evaluated return on investment
Lack of current, regional sediment characterization data
Variable sediment composition among regional waterways
Limited data to inform sediment budgets

9. Key Findings Forecasted and Estimated Dredge Quantities Dredging costs
Operation
Ancillary
Equipment
Fuel
Personnel
Financing options
Comparison of private contractor costs

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

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

17. Next Steps & Opportunities for Regional Coordination
Availability of federal/state funding to support regionally-administered dredging
Regional management structure
Fair & equitable program considerations
Sediment amount, need, frequency, etc.
Cost-share
Cooperative purchasing for regionally-coordinated contract dredging
Fill data gaps
Maine Coast Mapping Initiative

18. Thank you Paul Schumacher Abbie Sherwin Executive Director, SMPDC
Coastal & Land Use Planner, SMPDC