“Our association with the EWN program affords an excellent opportunity to exercise our regional leadership while demonstrating our commitment to USACE Environmental Operating Principles. Stakeholder partnering and collaboration builds trust with the public we serve and balancing human development with natural systems will preserve the Great Lakes Navigation System’s infrastructure and environment for future generations.” LTC Karl Jansen, Buffalo District Commander 2015
USACE Buffalo District: A proving ground for Engineering with Nature News Story
Cleveland Harbor Green Breakwater
The Cleveland Harbor Breakwater demonstration project involved modifying the design of the standard concrete toe blocks used for breakwater maintenance. The goal was to provide features that could create habitat opportunities for Great Lakes fish and invertebrates that would not otherwise be present. Successful implementation of the project has already led to additional projects on Great Lakes breakwaters. These have considerable potential to be replicated at other federal and non-federal breakwaters.
Braddock Bay Restoration
At Braddock Bay, an augmented stone breakwater adds features for the restoration of a barrier beach. The goal of this project is to reduce erosion behind the breakwater where additional restoration measures will increase habitat diversity, the extent of emergent wetlands, and ultimately increase the system’s suitability for wildlife. The restored barrier beach will help return Braddock Bay to a low energy system; as a result, reduction in the erosion of wetlands will be accompanied by a natural expansion of submerged aquatic vegetation.
Braddock Bay Project Description
Niagara Falls Storage Site
The Niagara Falls Storage Site (NFSS) is located in Lewiston, NY on a 191-acre, federally owned remnant of the larger Lake Ontario Ordnance Works (LOOW) site, which produced trinitrotoluene (TNT) during World War II. The site was used later by the wartime Manhattan Engineer District (MED) to manage and store radiologic residues derived from the early atomic weapons programs. Radiologic source areas and impacted infrastructure have contaminated soils and groundwater in various areas throughout the site. The demonstration project will document how well phytoremediative components minimize contaminant transport and lessen maintenance costs.
