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Matafao Area

The existing Section 14 Matafao School Shore Protection Project is located on the south-central shoreline of the island of Tutuila, American Samoa within Pago Pago Harbor. The project was authorized under Section 103a of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1962 and Section 14 of the Flood Control Act of 1946. The American Samoa Government (ASG) owns and operates the project. The project is in the operations and maintenance phase.

The project was constructed in 1984 at a cost of $126,000 (Federal). The project consists of a 430-foot-long rock revetment with a crest elevation of +9.5 feet mean sea level with a slope of 1 vertical to 2 horizontal. The project has limited the effects of shoreline erosion on the sanitary fill area upon which Matafao School was built in 1966.  The purpose of the project is to protect the Matafao School from damage and erosion from storm waves.

Since the project’s completion in 1984, additional buildings have since been constructed on the school property at the eastern and western ends of the campus.  The buildings are vulnerable to erosion and wave damage since they are outside the protective limits of the existing Section 14 project. The Matafao School Storm Damage Reduction Project Reconnaissance Report, dated 14 January 2013, demonstrated that Federal interest existed and recommended further analysis under a Continuing Authorities Program Section 103 (River and Harbor Act of 1962) SPP that would extend protection beyond the original Section 14 shoreline project.  The Feasibility Cost Sharing Agreement was executed on 27 February 2015 between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the American Samoa Government; however, the study was terminated 7 December 2016 due to lack of interest from ASG. 

Annual inspections are conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with the American Samoa Government to ensure the project is performing as intended.