BUFFALO, N.Y. — In time for Labor Day weekend, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District, has completed dredging in Buffalo Harbor and placement of dredged sediment into its confined disposal facility and the former Shipping Slip 3 in the city’s Outer Harbor—a popular site for kayakers and paddleboarders next to Wilkeson Pointe.
Dredging ensures safe and navigable waterways for Great Lakes commercial vessels, cruise ships, recreational boaters and other harbor users on Lake Erie, and placement of dredged sediment in the slip contributes to the creation of a new Great Lakes wetland.
Approximately 190,000 cubic yards of sediment were dredged from the federal navigation channels in the Outer Harbor and river channel starting in mid-July. Approximately 110,000 cubic yards of the material were placed first in the Corps of Engineers’ confined disposal facility, followed by approximately 80,000 cubic yards in Slip 3 next to Wilkeson Pointe. The sediment is certified as clean bystateand federalstandards and approved for this beneficial use.
![]()With placement of dredged sediment and settling of the material complete, the turbidity curtain used to close Slip 3 and retain the material has been removed. The area is once again open to paddle craft such as kayaks, canoes and paddleboards.
Placement of dredged sediment in Slip 3 began in 2024, occurs every two years through 2034 and will lead to the creation of 6.7 acres of coastal wetland habitat.
In partnership with Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation, the $14.8 million Outer Harbor wetland project aims to reverse coastal wetland degradation in the Niagara River system and across the Great Lakes. Decades of industrial development and hardening of shorelines have diminished fish nursery and spawning habitats in these areas.
A follow-on phase to the final placement of sediment in the slip will include installation of native plant species that can compete with invasive species and provide high-quality habitat for aquatic species and migratory and resident birds. The new habitat will also include gravel beds, rock piles, root wads, logs and existing dock piles to provide maximum habitat complexity and structure.
![]()Plans for habitat creation at the Outer Harbor used lessons learned from previous partnership between the Corps of Engineers and the city of Buffalo in the first successful beneficial use project on the Great Lakes – restoring a wetland ecosystem at the north end of Unity Island. Slip 3 was identified by a multiagency committee as a habitat management opportunity in the Niagara River Area of Concern.
About Buffalo Harbor
Buffalo Harbor is a deep-draft commercial harbor which handled 1.2 million tons of cargo, including sand and gravel (26%), limestone (24%) and grain mill products (19%) in 2023. Waterborne transportation facilitated by the harbor supports $51.5 million in business revenue, 169 jobs and $14.6 million in labor income to the transportation sector.
The harbor was last dredged in 2024, when approximately 80,000 cubic yards of material were removed. Buffalo Harbor is dredged every two years depending on shoaling conditions, funding availability and federal navigation priorities.
Authorized depths within Buffalo Harbor range from 22 to 30 feet, with the shallowest depths in the Buffalo River channel and the deepest depths in the south entrance channel. The Corps of Engineers maintains these depths to support safe and efficient navigation for large vessels.
Photos and B-roll of dredging in the federal navigation channels and placement in Slip 3 available: Dredging photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/buffalousace/albums/72177720335128223/ Dredging B-roll: https://www.flickr.com/photos/buffalousace/55461981103/ Placement & Outer Harbor wetland project photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/buffalousace/albums/72177720310056773/ Placement & Outer Harbor wetland project B-roll: https://www.flickr.com/photos/buffalousace/55474717991/
The Buffalo District delivers world class engineering solutions to the Great Lakes Region, the Army and the Nation to ensure national security, environmental sustainability, water resource management, and emergency assistance during peace and war. Learn more at www.lrd.usace.army.mil/buffalo.