The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District awarded a $5.3 million contract to Michigan-based Ryba Marine Construction Co. on July 27 to construct a stone breakwater in the abandoned Shipping Slip 3 in Buffalo’s Outer Harbor.
Construction of the breakwater marks the first major physical step in creating another new wetland ecosystem on Buffalo’s waterfront using material dredged from the Buffalo River. In partnership with the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation, the overall $14.8 million project aims to reverse coastal wetland degradation in the Niagara River system and across the Great Lakes. Decades of industrial development and hardening of shorelines has diminished fish nursery and spawning habitats in these areas. The project is being conducted in three phases – construction of the breakwater, placement of dredged material, and formation of aquatic and sub-aquatic habitat. Construction of the breakwater’s base is scheduled to begin this fall and be completed by November. Construction of the upper layers is scheduled for spring 2024.
The feasibility study for this project was fully funded by the GLRI. The design and implementation phase of this project will also be supported by the GLRI.
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