DACF Home → Bureaus & Programs → Maine Geological Survey → Explore Maine Geology → Coastal Marine Geology → Saco Bay Beach Morphology → Historical Background → Table 1
Table 1. History of Saco River stabilization.
| 1827 | Constructed two wooden piers, placed navigation buoys, removed obstructions. |
| 1866 | Northern jetty authorized by Congress. |
| 1869 | Northern jetty construction initiated. |
| 1872 | Northern jetty completed (4,200ft long, 20ft at base, 10ft wide at crest, to +10ft MLW). |
| 1873 | Jetty raised and strengthened at exposed places. |
| 1883 | Suggestion to raise jetty to +15ft MLW, extend to Sharp's Ledge, and construct a southern jetty to mitigate shoaling. |
| 1888 | Construction on north jetty in progress. |
| 1890 | South jetty construction authorized and initiated; north jetty raised to +15ft MLW for 2,100ft from seaward end. |
| 1896 | Completed repair and raising of north jetty to +15ft MLW to 3,840ft from seaward end. South jetty completed in 1897. Remaining 700ft of north jetty raised by 1898. |
| 1900 | Additional survey restates suggestion to extend northern jetty to Sharp's Ledge. |
| 1912 | Repair of jetties and extension of southern jetty completed. Construction of spur jetty, 400ft parallel to shore, 150ft seaward of shoreline. |
| 1927 | Construction to extend northern jetty additional 1,600ft seaward commenced; south jetty repaired. |
| 1930 | Repair on south jetty continued, including re-topping; northern jetty only extended 880ft seaward. |
| 1935 | Additional 860ft extension commenced; inner end of north jetty repaired. |
| 1937 | Northern jetty extended 830ft. |
| 1940 | Repairs recommended on spur dike and portions of northern and southern jetties. |
| 1958 | Maintenance and repair to increase height of inner end of northern jetty. Jetty extended shoreward to maintain connection to land. |
| 1969 | Raising (to +17ft MLW) and tightening of northern jetty completed. |
| 1973 | Maintenance of south jetty completed. |
Last updated on January 9, 2006.