The USACE Buffalo District recently awarded a $7.3 million contract to Michigan-based Great Lakes Dock and Materials to remove built-up sediment and install a wave-absorbing stone structure along the West Breakwater in Barcelona Harbor.
According to USACE, the project will provide a long-term solution to significant shoaling and blockage of the federal navigation channel which has caused dangerous conditions for boaters on Lake Erie and posed a threat to the economic viability of the harbor.
“Our team has been hard at work identifying the best long-term solution for Barcelona Harbor,” said Lt. Col. Aaron Anderson, commander of the Buffalo District. “This project will do more than protect boaters on the Great Lakes – it will sustain people’s livelihoods, support their communities, and power the regional and national economy.”
For years, sediment has piled up along the lakeward side of the West Breakwater, creating a ramp for water and sediment to travel up and over the structure, especially during storms. This action has transported sediment into the harbor’s federal navigation channel, creating dangerous shoals that block access to boaters and can cause them to run aground.
Beginning in summer 2027, sediment built-up on the lakeward side of the breakwater will be removed and placed in a nearshore site on the eastern side of the harbor near Ottaway Park. Placement in this location will help nourish the shoreline down-drift of the harbor and provide a long-term benefit for coastal resiliency, USACE concluded.