Machias, Maine
The locally-led, community engaged process seeks to plan a healthy, resilient and prosperous future for Upper Machias Bay.
The Town of Machias and Sunrise County Economic Council (SCEC) announced this week that they are kicking off a community-engaged process to envision and plan a healthy, resilient and prosperous future through the development of a master plan for Upper Machias Bay. The master planning process will address important and interconnected issues related to:
- The Machias Dike Bridge replacement
- Community economic and cultural uses of the causeway
- Downtown Machias flood and erosion resilience plans
- Transportation infrastructure along bay margins
- Down East Sunrise Trail
- Wastewater treatment and waste disposal
- Wetland restoration and fish passage
- Shoreline stability
“I am hopeful about the potential of this collaboration,” said Ben Edwards, vice chair of the Machias selectboard and a member of the project leadership committee. “Together, we have a unique opportunity to demonstrate how small communities can unite—partnering with government and private sector stakeholders—to turn deeply rooted infrastructure challenges into opportunities. What has long been a complicated web of persistent obstacles can become a foundation for growth and prosperity.”
The year-long project will be supported by a grant from the Maine Coastal Program of the Maine Department of Marine Resources.
“Planning for the current and future effects of coastal storms involves complex conversations and we are happy to support this locally-led effort in Machias”, said Kathleen Leyden, Director of Maine’s Coastal Program.
The effort will be guided by the Upper Machias Bay Master Plan Leadership Committee, composed of representatives of key interested parties, including representatives from all surrounding towns, business leaders, landowners surrounding the Middle River and conservation organizations. State Senator Marianne Moore will serve as the legislative representative on the committee. The Maine Department of Transportation is a primary partner in the project as they oversee important transportation infrastructure, including the Machias Dike Bridge, Route 1 and the Down East Sunrise Trail. Other state and federal agencies will also meet regularly with the leadership committee to advise them on their work. A list of Leadership Committee members, with some slots still to be filled, can be found here.
In a November 26th letter to Machias and Marshfield officials, Commissioner Bruce Van Note stated that Maine DOT “recognizes that there could be common interests and opportunities between the dike project and resulting recommendations” from the resiliency planning process. “Accordingly,” Van Note said, “MaineDOT will continue to participate in this local resiliency work as it progresses to a comprehensive plan with identified needs.”
The leadership committee will meet monthly starting in January 2025, and public meetings will be held beginning in the spring to engage the public in discussions and information exchange about Upper Machias Bay issues.
The aim of the project is to promote more complete public conversations about crucial issues. It will support discussions about alternatives for the Dike Bridge Replacement project and flood protection for the downtown commercial district, as well as potential measures to improve and maintain water quality in the bay while keeping businesses open and traffic moving. In addition to building collaborative relationships among communities and interested parties, the project will produce recommendations and identify next steps to implement future projects.
The Machias Estuary system is situated at the confluence of the Machias, Middle and East Machias Rivers. Home to an important transportation and economic hub, Machias Bay also supports a thriving clam fishery. The infrastructure and businesses at the head of Machias Bay, in Washington County’s shiretown, serve important economic and cultural purposes for the region. Increasingly strong and frequent storms and rising sea levels, combined with deferred maintenance, are now threatening both infrastructure and natural systems at the head of Machias Bay. On March 10, 2024, Upper Machias Bay experienced the ninth “100 year flood” or higher in 6.5 years, and the flood on January 10th topped the FEMA base flood elevation by 1.2 feet. The highest astronomical (non-storm) tide this year was six inches higher than the highest tide in 2018.
Dr. Tora Johnson, Director of the SCEC Sustainable Prosperity Initiative, will be responsible for overall project management for the master planning project, in close consultation with a core project team. Other SCEC staff will provide logistics and technical support.
“Given the scale of these challenges, we will need to find a solution that has widespread community support to have a chance to bring in the state and federal resources we will need to fix them,” said Charles Rudelitch, SCEC Executive Director. “This process is our chance to come to that sort of solution.”
Viewshed, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in planning, landscape architecture and civil engineering will support the project to assist with scenario building and visualization, preliminary design and scoping of key project outcomes. The Musson Group has been providing technical support for resilience planning in the region over the past few years and will also partner on the project.
The Town of Machias is a unique and historic community located in Downeast Maine at the head of Machias Bay. As Machias has always been dependent upon the natural resources of the area for the growth of the community, the waterways and Bad Little Falls played a starring role in the lumber trade, fisheries, and shipping of goods. Today, Machias serves the region as a center of commerce and a “shiretown”, hosting county government and crucial public services.
The Sunrise County Economic Council (SCEC) initiates and facilitates the creation of jobs and prosperity in Washington County, Maine, by working with a consortium of community-minded businesses, not-for-profit organizations, municipalities and citizens.
Questions and requests for more information can be sent to Tora Johnson, Director, Sustainable Prosperity Initiative by email or phone: 207-271-2175