Posted on December 3, 2025
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 of the impacts on the fishing industry of a proposed dredging operation. The Royal River Boat Yard (RRBY) is proposing to conduct a maintenance dredge of their marina to improve navigation in the boat basin.
Dredging is expected to occur using a barge-mounted mechanical dredge with a closed environmental clamshell bucket. All material (silt and fine-grained sand) will be placed in a dump scow for transport. The total dredged area will be 62,685 square feet with a total volume of 13,961 cubic yards. The area will be dredged to a depth of minus eight feet below MLLW with a one-foot overdredge allowance. The dredged material has been determined to be suitable for unconfined ocean disposal by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is approved for disposal at the Saco Bay Disposal Site, which is located in Saco Bay 3 miles south of Prouts Neck and approximately 28 nautical miles from RRBY. The haul route will be from the Royal River navigable channel, passing Green Island Ledge to Broad Sound, south of East Cod Ledge to the Saco Bay Disposal Site.
Construction will be performed between February 1 – March 15, and is expected to begin in 2026.
DMR will accept verbal and written comments about the potential impacts on fishing in the area to be dredged and impacts to the fishing industry of the proposed route to transport the dredge spoils. If 5 or more persons request a public hearing prior to January 2, 2026, DMR will hold a hearing. Comments should be sent to DMR at the email or mailing address listed below by 5:00 pm, January 2, 2026.
Department of Marine Resources, Attn: Environmental Permit Review, 21 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333 or email: EnvironmentalReview.DMR@maine.gov.
