The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Buffalo District, in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has achieved a significant milestone by beginning construction of a habitat restoration project in the Niagara River Area of Concern (AOC) intended to restore coastal wetlands through the use of clean sediment dredged in Buffalo, NY. USACE is conducting this $14 million+ restoration project in partnership with the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation, with partial funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and support from a diverse group of regional stakeholders. The project was identified as an important management action by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and other AOC partners to address the Fish and Wildlife Habitat Beneficial Use Impairment for the Niagara River AOC.
The restoration project will use the clean sediment that was dredged as part of USACE Buffalo District’s mission to sustain safe commercial navigation on the Great Lakes. USACE Buffalo District began the Outer Harbor Slip #3’s aquatic habitat features by partially enclosing a former shipping slip with stones.
Now, the USACE Buffalo District has begun placing the clean sediment that was dredged into the slip to restore 6.7 acres of coastal wetland habitat. The new habitat will provide improved conditions for submerged and emergent vegetation types that are important to native fish and birds. Clean sediment that was dredged will be placed into the slip over three biannual cycles, concluding in 2028. After the final placement cycle, USACE will shape the sediment and provide additional final habitat features, including rock piles, tree root wads, and gravel beds.
The Outer Harbor Slip #3 restoration project is significant on multiple levels because it is a testament to the effectiveness of historic work to remediate legacy contamination in the Buffalo River through the Great Lakes Legacy Act and the success of Buffalo District’s Strategic Navigation mission. For example, the sediment used to restore this vital coastal wetland habitat was thoroughly tested and determined to be clean and suitable for placement in the outer harbor – a direct result of previous sediment remediation efforts in the AOC. Additionally, the project represents innovation in how the Army Corps manages dredged sediment as a valuable resource which can be used to benefit the public. Finally, the project is an important step in efforts to de-list the Niagara River as an AOC by creating coastal wetlands that are critical nursery habitat for native fish species and have been severely depleted in the Niagara River.