Posted on February 20, 2026
Dredging of the Saco River will take place next month, and the sand will be used to fortify Camp Ellis beach.
The dredging will begin the week of March 2, and will run for two weeks, said Public Works Director Travis Moore at a community meeting last week at the Camp Ellis Fire Station.
Sand taken from the Saco River will be transported through a pipeline and distributed on Camp Ellis Beach. The pipeline will run through the pier parking lot, down Eastern Avenue, and will extend on to Camp Ellis Beach just before Eastern Avenue turns left.
Eastern Avenue will be closed during the duration of the dredging process, and only local traffic will be allowed to enter and exit during this time, said Moore. Huot’s Seafood Restaurant is making their parking lot available for resident parking during this time if needed.
Michels Construction of Wisconsin will conduct the dredging through a contract with the county and will use an Ellicott dredging machine owned by York County. The dredge machine was purchased in 2022 with $1.54 million in federal ARPA funds by the county. It is moored at Wells Harbor when not in use.
The dredge project will provide 1200 cubic yards of beach replenishment to the Camp Ellis Beach. FEMA will cover 75 percent of the $600,000 project, said Saco Communications Director Andrew Dickinson. York County Emergency Management Agency will cover 15 percent of the cost and the City of Saco will cover 10 percent. The city is also paying $300,000 to fund an additional 6,000 cubic yards of beach nourishment.
The dredge machine is currently being used for the first time to dredge Wells Harbor. The Saco River dredge will be its second job. Dredging projects are typically scheduled between early November to mid-April to minimize impacts on marine life and nesting habitats.
