Stonington fish pier dredging project moving ahead

Working waterfront in Maine’s largest lobster landing port is ‘vital for not just our local economy, but for the entire state,’ says town official.

Stonington’s fish pier. Photo courtesy of Capshore Photography.

Feb. 10, 2026

By John Boit

Stonington’s fish pier will soon have deeper water around it, now that $2 million of congressional funds have been allocated for a dredging project, officials say.

The project’s funding was championed by Sen. Angus King, Sen. Susan Collins and Rep. Jared Golden, according to Linda Nelson, the town’s economic development director.

“As Maine’s largest lobster port, Stonington’s working waterfront is vital for not just our local economy, but for the entire state,” Nelson said in a press release from Golden’s office. “Our town has long identified the infrastructure upgrades that will be needed to keep our fisheries productive and this funding from Congressman Golden is key to making it happen. Stonington is grateful for this investment and excited to preserve our fishing heritage.”

The dredging operation is Phase 1 of a project outlined by GEI Engineering in 2020 to expand and elevate Stonington’s commercial fish pier “due to sea level rise and our flood vulnerability assessment—which was proven accurate during the storms of 2024 when the fish pier was overtopped in the January storms, knocking out all our electrics,” Nelson said.

Dredging will take place along the pier and adjacent floats, allowing for deeper water for boat access. Main berths around the pier will be restored to their original depth of about 10 feet. The berth on the east face of the pier will be extended 32 feet to the north. Dredging off the south face of the pier will allow for more turning area for vessels, and could in the future allow for an expansion of the pier itself, according to the GEI assessment. The adjacent skiff dock water depth will be restored to about five feet.

At the same time dredging begins, the town also plans to apply to the Maine Infrastructure Adaptation Fund for funding for additional phases, and to the Working Waterfront fund to expand access at its nearby waterfront property at the former Odd Fellows building, Nelson said.

There is no firm start date yet for the project, Nelson said.

In addition to the fish pier, lawmakers in Washington have also approved $12 million to raise the height of the Deer Isle causeway, Nelson said. That project, made more urgent by storms that have at times shut down the vital island link, has been in the planning stages for two years.