U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District Commander Lt. Col. Aaron Anderson and other members of the command team visited Barcelona Harbor, Dunkirk Harbor, and U.S. Coast Guard Sector Eastern Great Lakes during an area of responsibility (AOR) tour on Aug. 6, 2026
A $7.3 million contract has been awarded for a Barcelona Harbor project to remove sediment and install a wave-absorbing structure on the westside breakwater.
The funding from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District will go to Michigan-based Great Lakes Dock and Materials for the project.
It 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.
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.
Immediately following removal of the sediment, a stone overlay will be installed along the lakeward side of the breakwater for wave absorption. The structure is designed to reduce wave energy and decrease overtopping by 90%, minimizing the amount of sediment that is transported over the breakwater and into the federal navigation channel.
Barcelona Harbor has an annual economic impact of more than $1.6M from recreational boating and is a Great Lakes harbor of refuge
In 2025, the Corps of Engineers conducted advanced maintenance dredging, in Barcelona Harbor’s federal navigation channel, removing an estimated 21,000 cubic yards of sediment. The dredging resulted in roughly one foot of added depth and 10 feet of added width beyond authorized channel limits, and provided the space needed to complete the removal of sediment build-up on the west side of the breakwater and construct the stone overlay in 2027.
Dredging of Barcelona Harbor is conducted infrequently, based on need and the availability of funding.
Barcelona Harbor is a shallow draft, recreational harbor. Boating facilitated by the harbor supports $1.2 million in business revenue, seven jobs, and $439,000 in labor income to the transportation sector.
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