SCHUMER REVEALS: $7.5 MILLION SECURED FOR LONG-AWAITED REPAIRS TO BARCELONA HARBOR BREAKWATER; NOW, AS FINAL BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS BEGIN, SENATOR LAUNCHES PUSH TO PROTECT $$$ IN FINAL BILL TO GET THESE REPAIRS UNDERWAY TO BOOST HARBOR VITAL TO CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY’S TOURISM ECONOMY

Senator Says Damaged Breakwater No Longer Keeping Out Sediment And Years of Sediment Build-Up Jeopardizing Chautauqua County’s Vibrant Summer Tourist Economy; Now, He Is Fighting To Deliver Funding He Secured In The Final Appropriations Bill Expected To Be Voted On Next Month

New Funding Builds On The Millions Schumer Delivered In 2022 For Dredging Across Chautauqua County, Including Barcelona, Cattaraugus Creek, & Dunkirk Harbors

Schumer: Chautauqua Tourism Economy Depend On Repairs To The Breakwater, And Now I Am Fighting To Deliver This Funding ASAP

Standing with Barcelona Harbor and Lake Erie at his back, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer today revealed he secured $7.5 million in the Senate’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations bills to make long overdue repairs to Barcelona Harbor. Now, with final budget negotiations underway, he is launching his push to protect this vital funding in the final spending bills to deliver these much-needed dollars to Chautauqua County. The senator said the funding he secured will allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to help restore the Harbor to full functionality by repairing the west breakwater, evaluating sediment management measures, and dredging the harbor, critical for the local tourism and jobs that rely on the harbor in Westfield.

“Barcelona Harbor is one of the true gems of Chautauqua County – and a hub of its vibrant tourist economy – but the failing west breakwater allowing sediment to wash in threatens residents’ harbor use and the local tourism economy. In 2022, I secured the funding needed to finally get dredging underway at Barcelona Harbor, and now I am here to say I have secured $7.5 million in additional funding to ensure the restoration of Barcelona Harbor can go full steam ahead,” said Senator Schumer.  “Now as we enter final budget negotiations, I will be fighting to protect this funding, navigate the choppy waters and deliver this funding in the final appropriations bills for Chautauqua County to finally repair the Barcelona Harbor breakwater.”

“The Barcelona Harbor is the lifeblood of our community, serving as a vital hub for economic activity and recreation along Lake Erie's coastline, though severe degradation threatens this way of life. I want to thank to Senator Schumer, County Executive Wendel, and other local officials for their invaluable collaboration to maintain and restore this crucial asset, including our work to ensure dredging was complete before least year’s summer season. I’m proud to advocate for an additional $6 million in federal resources to complete a needed breakwall to protect the harbor, which passed as part of the House’s Energy and Water Appropriations bill last October. Working together to preserve Barcelona Harbor means protecting the livelihoods of the people and businesses who rely on it in Western New York and the Southern Tier,” said Congressman Langworthy.

"I extend my deepest gratitude to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for his unyielding support in fortifying Westfield's Barcelona Harbor. His resolute commitment to bolstering Lake Erie's trade, commerce, and tourism in Chautauqua County underscores the crucial significance of our region's economic vitality. Furthermore, the Senator's dedication to enhancing marine and boater safety ensures that our harbor thrives as a safe and thriving hub, further solidifying its position in promoting both economic prosperity and the well-being of those who navigate our waters. Together, with bipartisan cooperation, we can ensure the sustained growth and prosperity of our region, fostering a legacy of economic strength and safety for generations to come. I am profoundly grateful for the combined efforts of Senator Schumer, and Congressman Nick Langworthy, in championing Barcelona Harbor's pivotal role in driving the economic and recreational engine of Chautauqua County," said Chautauqua County Executive Paul M. Wendel Jr.

“We are so happy to receive this exciting news. Senator Schumer and Congressman Langworthy have been unwavering in their effort to fix the problems at Barcelona Harbor,” said Town of Westfield Supervisor Martha Bills. “The Town of Westfield is very grateful for their support and that of County Executive Wendel and his team as we have worked together to keep the harbor functioning.”

Schumer explained through his direct advocacy, $7.5 million was secured in federal funding in the Senate’s FY 2024 Energy and Water Development appropriations bill for USACE to begin design and construction of the west breakwater. Specifically, the money will go towards dredging, designing, repairing and upgrading the west breakwater which has deteriorated and is showing signs of instability and voiding in the sheet steel pile cells, contributing to a continuous cycle of sediment and debris build up. The design will also analyze if future work is needed to modify the structure, building up or out, to better alleviate the excessive sedimentation in the channel. Schumer said the sediment build-up poses a threat to boater safety, as it offers the only Harbor of Refuge along 47 miles of Lake Erie shoreline, and impacts the community’s economy, which depends on the waterway. Schumer vowed to deliver these critical Army Corps of Engineers dollars at the behest of Chautauqua County so USACE can repair the breakwater for this federally-maintained waterway for the long-term and ensure the economic health of the community.

In addition to the funding for Barcelona Harbor, Schumer also secured $500,000 for the Chautauqua Lake Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration project through the USACE. This funding would begin the reconnaissance phase of a feasibility study for the Chautauqua Lake Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Project, which was authorized in the Water Resourced Development Act of 2018 that Schumer also delivered for the community. Chautauqua County is seeking to partner with the USACE to remediate water quality and other hydrological impairments of Chautauqua Lake, and seeks to collaborate on a feasibility study to assess potential aquatic ecosystem restoration, flood mitigation, sedimentation and shoreline remediation, watershed erosion, and water recreation projects for Chautauqua Lake.

Schumer has long advocated for Chautauqua County on the federal level, delivering funding and pushing for proper maintenance of Barcelona Harbor, which was dredged last summer. The Senator secured $1,150,000 for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to dredge and study-design breakwater improvements in Barcelona Harbor in the bipartisan omnibus spending package for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, as a part of over $10 million in funding for dredging and various projects across Chautauqua County waterways. In 2021, after a series of storms, Schumer personally called on the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to direct funding towards an emergency dredging of Barcelona Harbor. In December of 2016, a little over a year after Lake Erie’s waters severely damaged the harbor’s break wall, Schumer successfully secured $650,000 for the Army Corps of Engineers to repair the wall. In 2014, the senator urged the Army Corps of Engineers to finish fully dredging back to pre-storm conditions, six Upstate New York harbors, including Barcelona Harbor, that were eligible for supplemental appropriations tied to Hurricane Sandy. Senators Schumer and Gillibrand urged the Army Corps of Engineers to allocate $750,000 in funding in the FY 2021 work plan for Barcelona Harbor Maintenance Dredging.

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