SCHUMER SECURES $20 MILLION TO FINALLY REPAIR GREAT SODUS BAY HARBOR EAST BREAKWALL – TO PROTECT LAKE ONTARIO COMMUNITIES DEVASTATED BY 2017-19 FLOODS; SENATOR SAYS GAMECHANGING FED $$ WILL HELP FINALLY DELIVER THE FLOOD PROTECTIONS LAKE HOME OWNERS & BUSINESSES HAVE DESPERATELY NEEDED TO KEEP COMMUNITY SAFE
Lake Ontario Floods Cost Millions In Damage To Homes, Businesses, & Beaches, With Floods Severely Exacerbated By Deteriorating Condition Of The East Breakwall In Sodus Bay; But Now Schumer Has Finally Delivered Long-Awaited Fed Funding To Kick Start Overdue Upgrades
Senator Say $20 Million Project Will Make Critical Repairs To The Great Sodus Bay East Breakwall – Protecting Homes, Businesses, And Tourism Industry And Preventing Future Devastating Floods
Schumer: After Years Of Fighting, Lake Ontario Communities Will Finally Move Forward With The Flood Protection Great Sodus Bay Harbor Has Desperately Needed
After years of advocacy, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer announced that he secured $20 million for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to finally make critical repairs to the Great Sodus Bay Harbor breakwall to protect the homes, businesses, and Lake Ontario communities that were devastated following the floods of 2017-19.
“I visited Lake Ontario in the wake of far too many floods that devastated the homes, businesses, and families of the community, and promised I would not stop fighting until Great Sodus Bay received the funding it desperately needed to restore its aging breakwalls and barriers. This $20 million is the down payment Lake Ontario communities have desperately needed to make critical repairs to the deteriorating east breakwall to stop devastating floods like those that have been plaguing the community for years,” said Senator Schumer. “Now Lake Ontario communities can finally move forward with the flood mitigation efforts and a meaningful way. I will continue to fight tooth and nail to see this project through to completion to ensure Lake Ontario tourism industry and homes are protected and that residents have peace of mind they deserve.”
Franklin Barker, President of the Charles Point Homeowner’s Association said, “On behalf of the Charles Point Homeowner’s Association and the Sodus Bay community as well as all of those that benefit from the bay, I want to thank Senator Schumer and his office for taking the time to visit our community and listen to our concerns. The funding for the break wall and dredging/remediation project will help solve a growing problem for the boaters navigating the bay.”
Dave McDowell, Mayor of the Village of Sodus Point said, “All property owners around Great Sodus Bay appreciate Senator Schumer’s attention and perseverance in getting money allocated to repair the east break water. These monies will assure the safety of many homes and businesses around the bay.”
Specifically thanks to this funding the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Buffalo District will now complete project design and scoping followed by repair of deteriorated sections of the east breakwall which will likely encompass repairs to over a thousand feet of breakwall. According to the USACE, repairs are needed on deteriorated sections of the east breakwater to ensure that the channel, Sodus Bay, and shorelines are adequately protected. Great Sodus Bay is a critical harbor of refuge and home to an auxiliary U.S. Coast Guard station. It is also an economic engine for the region that is home to approximately 50 charter boats, five boat launches, and generates $9.5M in total revenues to accommodations, restaurants, retail, boat repair, and other services and industries that support 103 jobs. The repairs are necessary to ensure the harbor continues to provide positive job-creating economic benefits, safe navigation, and shoreline protection.
Schumer has a long history of fighting to protect Lake Ontario communities in the wake of the 2017-19 floods. Following his push, he secured $4.5 million in 2020 for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to finally repair and rebuild the battered Charles Point barrier beach break wall in 2021 to protect Great Sodus Bay and to safeguard homes on Charles Point bluff at risk of falling into Lake Ontario. In 2017 and again in 2019 Schumer successfully called on the USACE to activate its Emergency Operations Center, allowing the USACE to assist New York State in response efforts and deploy technical assistance teams. Schumer also played a paramount role in securing aid for these communities in the wake of the flooding, including arranging for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to deploy two expert federal mitigation teams to Lake Ontario communities to help address the flooding issues and successfully pushing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to issue a major disaster declaration, which enabled federal recovery and repair funding to flow to Jefferson, Niagara, Orleans, Oswego, St. Lawrence, Wayne, Cayuga, and Monroe Counties.
###
