Groups tackle Machias dike, flooding issues

A deep love and respect for the Machias River and the Town of Machias were on display on the evening of July 22 when over 100 people gathered to roll up their sleeves and work for the benefit of the Upper Machias Bay Master Plan. The public meeting was hosted by the Town of Machias and Sunrise County Economic Council (SCEC).

Participants were there as concerned stakeholders of Machias and neighboring communities who could, and do, feel the impacts of the Machias dike's uncertain future, increased flooding in the downtown and the connected impacts on the town's wastewater treatment plant and stormwater systems and privately owned septic systems, drinking water quality and the Machias bay and river system's ecological and cultural health.

The meeting is one of a series being held during 2025 by the Upper Machias Bay Master Plan Leadership Committee, which is comprised of representatives from neighboring communities, business leaders, landowners surrounding the Middle River, including conservation organizations, along with State Senator Marianne Moore as the legislative representative and representatives from the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT).

The meetings are meant to create a set of recommendations based on local knowledge to give to MDOT as it considers the dike gateway replacement over the next three years or so. In December 2024 MDOT announced that it would replace the recently built temporary dike bridge with yet another temporary bridge, given the length of time needed to determine the final remedy for the issues surrounding permanent replacement. The new $2 million temporary structure will span the inoperable gated culvert section of the Route 1 dike and be paid for exclusively from state funds. Replacement options span everything from a replica of what currently exists to a bridge, with "thousands" of different iterations between the two, explained one meeting facilitator.

Threat of flooding primary driver

The threat of flooding is a primary driver for the master plan project. "On March 10, 2024, Upper Machias Bay experienced the ninth '100‑year flood' in 6.5 years, and the flood on January 10 topped the FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency] base flood elevation by 1.2 feet," Tora Johnson explained in December 2024. She is director of the SCEC Sustainability Prosperity Initiative and is responsible for overall project management of the master plan. The initiative is funded for one year by a $150,000 grant provided by the Maine Coastal Program.

At the busy meeting on July 22, community members broke out into groups and reviewed a set of four research areas: the dike itself, downtown flooding, natural resources and water quality. They were asked to answer a series of questions that came down to the query: What does the public need to know to move forward?

As discussions warmed up at each table, common themes echoed around the room. The greatest issue was the lack of information on different scenarios and associated costs. "I want to understand about the benefits and trade-offs," one participant said, with nods going around the table.

One business person noted that above all they wanted to have a safe bridge and road, clean drinking water and a wastewater treatment plant that functions properly. Another noted that Machias is an essential service center for neighboring towns. A lost or weakened service center would have detrimental effects on a wide swath of people. Another explained that, having lived on the river all their life, they had seen ecological changes occurring in the past few years that need to be assessed. There was concern from others about losing a way of life that has utilized resources in the salt marshes for generations.

The need for assessment and cost scenarios popped up frequently, whether it was concerning the closed landfill leachate affecting water quality and habitat, including the possibility of PFAS contamination; the condition of the stormwater runoff system in the downtown and whether fixing the system would help with flooding; the pros and cons of dredging and how much silt has accumulated over time; the possibilities of a levee or seawall and also a bridge in a different location; the fate of the Down East Sunrise Trail, which has also seen portions flooded over the last few years; the replacement of "too much pavement" in the downtown with a permeable surface to slow down water runoff; permanent alternative routes versus the impact of temporary detours; the issues of emergency management vehicles facing longer routes on detours and more.  One participant noted, "Safety is a major consideration." Another questioned whether the costs associated with not doing anything had been quantified as part of assessing options.

The impact of a new bridge or gateway system on flooding was a misconception that facilitators clarified. They said that a new dike system likely would have a minimal effect on ameliorating downtown flooding. Some attendees were startled to hear that some of the downtown was long ago built on fill. "We need more data," an attendee reiterated.

The committee is working on collecting data, with an extensive website resource updated as new information comes in. The public can view the information on the SCEC Upper Machias Bay Master Plan website page at <www.sunrisecounty.org>. The next public meetings are planned for September and October.