Camp Ellis

10/06/2026

Rough seas have hindered Mohawk Northeast but the work on the new spur jetty is making progress. Both barges are now back at the jetty after taking refuge up river from storms that roiled ocean waters. There are two barges filled with rocks moored near Eagle Island.

From U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Project Manager Jen Thalhauser: "Our jetty construction continues to advance on schedule, with the project successfully hitting several key milestones. Approximately 500 feet of marine mattress have been successfully placed, and nearly 9,000 tons of stone have been delivered to the site. Construction is moving forward steadily, with nearly 100 feet of the total 750-foot spur jetty now completed. Additionally, representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) visited the site last Thursday to review the project's progress. Mohawk will maintain its active operations on-site until winter weather conditions present a sustained safety or construction concern."

Photo of work on the new spur is courtesy of the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

10/01/2026

The first storm of the season came early but we fared relatively well. Everything quickly returned to normal thanks to the fast response from S**o Public Works and we got some work on the spur jetty from Mohawk Northeast the last two days. The most noticeable effect was beach erosion, especially at Camp Ellis Beach which looked a bit like a war zone with debris and seaweed scattered about and many newly exposed rocks. Last spring's dredge was washed away but it went down as likely having helped us avoid a more destructive impact.

Our partners have been able to collect data that now provides an historical view of the shoreline. This work has been done in part by Maine Geological Survey, NOAA and NERACOOS, but the emergence of the work done by the University of New England's Environmental Science students over the last four years has taken us to a new level. Case in point, three weeks ago a wave radar was deployed by UNE on Ram Island to monitor waves at Camp Ellis. Last weekend's storm provided a pre-spur jetty baseline. We can then compare that to storms that occur after the 750-foot breakwater is complete.

Here is another example of how we can use data. UNE will fly drones over Camp Ellis in the next two weeks to measure the coastline. We will then be able to go back to the prior mapping and determine the actual sand loss. This information will be critical to help us maintain an engineered beach.

At the next City of S**o Shoreline Commission Meeting on Thursday, October 8, UNE Assistant Professor Will Kochtitzky and two of his students will be here to talk about all of this. They will let us know how they collect data, how to use it, and what conclusions can be drawn. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the Auditorium at S**o City Hall. It is in person only and open to the public. There will be a Q&A session too. I look forward to seeing many of you there.

-David Plavin

10/01/2026

A food truck is planned to be there too!

09/12/2026

September solitude.

09/11/2026

Never forget.....🙏

09/07/2026

Have a fun and safe Labor day!

08/20/2026

08/10/2026

Another fabulous fun filled HarborFest!

08/09/2026

Kick off fireworks for HarborFest