CAMP ELLIS BEACH, SACO, MAINE SHORE DAMAGE MITIGATION PROJECT PUBLIC DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND CLEAN WATER ACT SECTION 404 ( B ) (1) ANALYSIS APRIL 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 PROJECT HISTORY AND BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................ 1 1.2 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE PROJECT ......................................................................................................... 6 1.3 PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THIS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ......................................................... 6 1.4 PUBLIC REVIEW AND COMMENT ........................................................................................................................ 6 1.5 AUTHORITY ................................................................................................................................................................... 7 1.5.1 Continuing Authorities Program, Section 111, Shoreline Damage Attributable to Federal Navigation Works ................................................................................................................................................................. 7 1.5.2 Water Resources Development Act 2007 ................................................................................................ 8 1.6 PERMITS, APPROVALS, AND REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS ................................................................ 8 2.0 ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................................................................................. 12 2.1 GENERAL ..................................................................................................................................................................... 12 2.2 NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE .................................................................................................................................. 15 2.3 FINAL ALTERNATIVES........................................................................................................................................... 15 2.3.1 Beach Nourishment Only Alternative .................................................................................................... 16 2.3.2. Alternative 6: 750-foot Spur Jetty ............................................................................................................ 18 2.3.3 Alternative 25a: 500-foot Spur Jetty and Two Nearshore Breakwaters ................................. 19 2.3.4 Buyout Alternative ......................................................................................................................................... 21 2.3.5 Transport of Beach Material ...................................................................................................................... 21 2.4 SCREENING OF FINAL ALTERNATIVES .......................................................................................................... 23 2.5 SELECTION OF RECOMMENDED PLAN .......................................................................................................... 25 3.0 THE FEDERALLY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE – ALTERNATIVE 6 ............................................... 26 4.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ....................................................................................................................... 29 4.1 GEOLOGY ..................................................................................................................................................................... 29 4.1.1 Physiography .................................................................................................................................................... 29 4.1.2 Marine Geology and Geophysics ............................................................................................................... 29 4.2 SOILS AND SEDIMENTS ......................................................................................................................................... 30 4.2.1 Onshore (Upland) Soils ................................................................................................................................ 30 4.2.2 Marine Sediments ........................................................................................................................................... 31 4.3 WATER RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................................... 32 4.3.1 General ................................................................................................................................................................ 32 Camp Ellis Beach, Saco, Maine Draft Environmental Assessment Continuing Authorities Program, Section 111 EA-i 4.3.2 Oceanography and Marine Water Quality ............................................................................................ 32 4.4 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES ..................................................................................................................................... 34 4.4.1 General ................................................................................................................................................................ 34 4.4.2 Eelgrass ............................................................................................................................................................... 34 4.4.3 Benthic Resources .......................................................................................................................................... 35 4.4.4 Shellfish .............................................................................................................................................................. 39 4.4.5 Fisheries Resources ....................................................................................................................................... 43 4.4.6 Essential Fish Habitat ................................................................................................................................... 45 4.4.7 Wildlife Resources.......................................................................................................................................... 46 4.5 ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES................................................................................................ 47 4.5.1 Federally Listed or Proposed Endangered or Threatened Species............................................ 47 4.5.2 Other Special Status Species ...................................................................................................................... 51 4.6 LAND USE, RECREATION, AND PUBLIC INTEREST AREAS .................................................................... 51 4.7 AIR QUALITY .............................................................................................................................................................. 52 4.8 CULTURAL RESOURCES ........................................................................................................................................ 52 4.8.1 Pre-Contact (Native American) Archaeology ...................................................................................... 52 4.8.2 History and Historical Archaeology ........................................................................................................ 53 4.9 SOCIOECONOMICS ................................................................................................................................................... 55 5.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ....................................................................................................... 57 5.1 GEOLOGY ..................................................................................................................................................................... 57 5.2 SOILS AND SEDIMENT ........................................................................................................................................... 57 5.3 WATER RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................................... 58 5.3.1 Water Circulation and Littoral Process ................................................................................................. 58 5.3.2 Water Quality ................................................................................................................................................... 59 5.3.3 Beach Nourishment Material Transport ............................................................................................... 60 5.3.4 Sea Level Rise ................................................................................................................................................... 60 5.4 PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL SEDIMENT CHARACTERISITICS ................................................................ 61 5.5 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES ..................................................................................................................................... 61 5.5.1 General ................................................................................................................................................................ 61 5.5.2 Benthic Resources