Army Corps eyes North Jetty for repair

SALISBURY — The Army Corps of Engineers has taken the first step in repairing the Merrimack River's partly dilapidated North Jetty at Salisbury Beach, one of the jetties that is blamed by some for causing erosion on Plum Island.

The corps has filed a notice seeking public comment on the proposed project until Aug. 11.

"We're just making sure the public knows what we're doing," said Edward O'Donnell, chief of the Navigation Section of the corps' New England District.

O'Donnell said the corps was acting after receiving a request letter in January from selectmen Chairman Jerry Klima. O'Donnell also made it clear that the start of work is not imminent.

"It depends entirely on funding," he said. "It's probably a $6 million or $7 million project, and it's not a priority of the administration."

Klima said he knows obtaining federal funding for the project will take a long time, but he wanted to get started.

"The jetty is deteriorating," he said. "You can see the waves breaking over it and waves breaking through it. It's not level. I'm trying to get it lined up for when funds become available."

The Army Corps public notice is the first indication that the agency is concerned about the condition of the structure. Most of the attention since the beginning of this year has been focused on the deterioration of the South Jetty at the northern end of Plum Island and its role in aggravating the erosion of the beach at Plum Island Center. But some also blame the North Jetty with causing erosion on Plum Island, due to waves that roll over it and contribute to the roil of current along the northern end of the island.

The North Jetty was completed in 1914, according to the Army Corps notice. It was last repaired in 1970, with 14,974 tons of stone.

The Army Corps notice estimates that approximately 15,000 tons of new stone will be needed to restore the jetty to its authorized dimension.

The jetty is supposed to be at least 12 feet above the mean low-water mark and 15 feet wide at the top, with a gradual slope on the ocean side and a steeper slope on the river side. It extends more than 5,000 feet off the beach, with the last 1,000 feet roughly parallel to the South Jetty off Plum Island.

The corps has prepared an environmental assessment for the project and has concluded the repairs may have "a temporary adverse effect on essential fish habitat." The corps pledges to consult the National Marine Fisheries Service to minimize that adverse impact.

The notice also indicates the corps is coordinating with several federal, state and local agencies on the project, including the harbormasters of Salisbury and Newburyport.

Comments on the proposed project should be sent to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Programs/Project Management Division (attention Jack Karalius), 696 Virgina Road, Concord, MA 01742-2751.

Photos

A sailboat catches the southeast wind and incoming tide as it heads past the north jetty at Salisbury Beach State Reservation while heading into the Merrimack River. Staff photo