USACE plans to repair three breakwaters in Gosport Harbor

The USACE New England District is proposing to perform maintenance and repair work of three breakwater structures located in the Isles of Shoals Harbor of Refuge Federal Navigation Project in Rye, New Hampshire and Kittery, Maine.

The purpose of the proposed work is to repair the three stone breakwaters which form the Isles of Shoals Harbor of Refuge (also known as Gosport Harbor) to their previous dimension to return full functionality of the structures.

According to USACE, the breakwaters sustained significant damage during the winter storms of 2015 and 2018.

The three breakwaters are (from south to north) Star Island to Cedar Island (800 feet long), Cedar Island to Smuttynose Island (900 feet long), and Smuttynose Island to Malaga Island (300 feet long).

“Repairs to the three breakwaters would involve a combination of recovery and resetting of existing stone and delivery and placement of new armor stone,” said USACE.

The work will begin in the spring of 2022 – set to take about seven months to complete. The window for construction will be April 1 through November 30, 2022.