USACE Buffalo District Tours Braddock Bay Project

Members from the USACE, Buffalo District, conducted an inspection of the construction activities associated with the Braddock Bay Ecosystem Restoration Project on January 29, 2016.

Along with representatives from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and State University of New York Brockport, the Buffalo District team met with the contractor, Wesson Group LLC of Johnstown, New York, to assess construction activities and to provide guidance and feedback.

The scheme is located at the Braddock Bay Wildlife Management Area, Greece, New York. Through the use of Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) funds, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), requested USACE to develop a study that would evaluate the feasibility of various measures to implement aquatic ecosystem restoration at Braddock Bay.

That feasibility study was the first step in the $7.9 million restoration project working to restore Braddock Bay, a 340-acre coastal wetland consisting of 180-acres of emergent marsh and 160-acres of submerged aquatic vegetation.

The plan will restore the emergent marsh through 9.65 acres of channeling and potholing, which will benefit the environmentally sensitive black tern, 5.3 acres of invasive species treatment and will restore the historic barrier beach through a combination of hard and soft components.

Wesson Group is currently undertaking the channeling, potholing and sidecasting portion of the restoration plan.

This activity began on January 15, 2016, and is about 65 percent complete. This portion of the project is expected to be finished by March 15, 2016.

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