Braddock Bay Barrier Beach and Wetland Restoration

The Details

The Wesson Group’s expertise in marine construction won the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ contract for a wetland restoration and breakwall on Lake Ontario, in the Braddock Bay area. This wetland restoration project aimed to restore natural wetlands within Braddock Bay that had been impacted by erosion over time, and install an armor stone breakwater to protect the Braddock Bay Barrier Beach and Wetland from future erosion issues. 

Scope of Work

• Excavation of wetland channels and ponds in the existing wetland/marsh area of Braddock Bay, to re-establish natural habitat for fish and wildlife that has been damaged by erosion over the years. The Wesson Group utilized GPS equipment to install all features per-plan in this remote and challenging location, and record their as-built condition. 

• Installation of a 2,200 LF barrier beach breakwater, which included over 10,000 tons of bedding stone, 43,000 tons of 3-ton armor stone, and 40,000 CY of sand - a combination of imported sand and an onsite dredging operation to restore the barrier beach. 

• Installation of plantings on the newly constructed barrier beach to promote wildlife habitat. 

• Installation of a new emergent wetland in Braddock Bay that included 4,300 tons of rip-rap installation, placement of  20,000 CY of sand from an onsite dredging operation., and installation of wetland plantings to restore a portion of existing wetlands. 

The Challenge

This project served to protect and enhance critical environmental habitat for the Braddock Bay ecosystem. Originally scheduled as a one-season project, all-time record-high Lake Ontario levels in 2017 and 2019 created conditions that stressed both the original design criteria and the project budget.

The Result

The Wesson Group worked closely with the Army Corp of Engineers to mitigate the impacts from the high water and to ultimately construct a project that is fully functional and thriving to this day.