Last winter a temporary bridge was installed over a portion of the Machias dike harboring a failing baffle system that for more than 100 years has regulated the flow of water between Middle River, Machias River and Machias Bay. The Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) deemed the dike untenable years ago and has been back and forth between two plans for its remediation -- a bridge to span the waterway or an in kind replacement. A new collaboration has since emerged that might assist with determining the end result.
      The collaboration is being formed between federal and state agencies, a number of towns, groups, organizations and businesses as well as impacted landowners to bring a sense of ownership by all to see the dike project finally completed. According to Machias Select Board member Ben Edwards, the collaboration is being led by Sunrise County Economic Council (SCEC) and complements Machias' own long term project: the Upper Machias Bay Project (UMBP).
      "The UMBP is an enormous undertaking for Machias and the surrounding towns, and the Machias dike plays an integral part for many reasons," says Edwards. "The big news is that MDOT has partnered with a locally led initiative to have a more inclusive and complete conversation about the dike project."
      The UMBP is an infrastructure project that is long overdue, according to Edwards. Its focus is on a number of projects: Middle River marsh, Machias wastewater and stormwater systems, the dike, the old town landfill and Machias downtown flooding problems.

Planning group being formed
      According to Edwards, the Machias Dike Master Planning Initiative (MDMPI) will consist of a broad-reaching group of stakeholders. With the town of Machias being the primary partner, the group will include representatives from the towns of Marshfield, East Machias, Machiasport, Roque Bluffs and Cutler, as well as representatives from three local land trusts: Downeast Coastal Conservancy, Maine Coast Heritage Trust and Downeast Salmon Federation, as well as representatives from MDOT, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), local business owners, and crucially the Marshfield landowners will elect a representative. State Senator Marianne Moore, representing the legislative delegation, will also be joining the group.
      Participating for Machias will be Machias Select Board Chair Jake Patryn, Sarah Dedmon, interim operations manager, Andrew Mulholland of the Machias Planning Board and Edwards.
      "This is a huge and critical shift in how this project has been championed," says Edwards. "While this group includes representatives from state and federal agencies, it is organized and lead entirely by local people and organizations. This is a significant responsibility, but I am very hopeful it will lead to robust conversations, eventually trust and ultimately to the best solution for Machias and the larger Downeast community."

Historical snapshot
     The Machias dike began as a private toll bridge over the Middle River in 1835. It then became a public bridge owned by Machias. In 1866 the state legislature authorized the town to build a dike across Middle River. Since its completion in 1868 it has been enlarged, repaired numerous times and continuously poked, prodded and coaxed to continue to provide safe passage over the confluence of the Middle River and the Machias River into Machias Bay.
      Since its first public meeting in 2009 to garner ideas to replace the dike and its aged baffle/clapper system, MDOT has conducted feasibility studies and surveying work and ensured that town sewer lines were improved. In 2018 MDOT announced that they identified in kind replacement as their preferred method. This decision received pushback two years later from federal agencies, including NOAA. After more studies and public meetings on alternatives, MDOT landed on a bridge as its preferred method to replace the dike.
      During a contentious public discussion in June 2022, representatives from MDOT heard opposing opinions as to what the final solution should be with regards to replacing the dike. The bridge proposal received support from conservation and fisheries as it would open up more passage ways for fish and allow the saltmarsh to return to a more natural status. But equally, the bridge method received significant pushback from business and landowners, specifically in Marshfield where 50 families would lose significant portions of their land due to no regulated control of water levels.
      In November 2023, MDOT issued a statement changing its preferred method to an in-kind replacement, due to concerns of flooding of private property and that of a former landfill.
      MDOT further noted that a draft environmental assessment would be completed for in kind replacement and that in early 2024 a public meeting would be held to review that assessment. That meeting did not occur.

Next steps
     While SCEC and MDOT are finalizing the official collaborative agreement, tentative plans are in the works to hold an initial kickoff meeting in December and then to meet at least monthly for probably 10 sessions. "We will also be holding public hearings, but time, date and location are yet to be determined," says Edwards.
      "Our objective is to coordinate a full and complete public discussion about not only the dike project but also a number of issues related to the long term economic, cultural and environmental viability of the upper Machias Bay region," says SCEC Sustainable Prosperity Initiative Director Tora Johnson.
      MDOT Community Planning and Scoping Unit Manager Ian Gorecki, now in charge of overseeing the dike project, states, "Right now, there are active and ongoing discussions between MDOT and the Federal Highway Administration regarding the next steps for this project. We are hoping to have a full update available very soon."