GREECE, N.Y. -- At the lodge at Braddock Bay, the restoration project team hosted an open house to celebrate the completion of phase one of this project.
The nearly nine-and-a-half million dollar undertaking is one of the largest ecosystem restoration endeavors anywhere along the Great Lakes. Work on the first phase wrapped up last month and included excavation of channels and potholes within the existing marsh.
"Since the 1900s, about 100 acres of wetlands have degraded over time including the barrier protections that has also eroded away," said LTC Karl Jansen, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. "It didn't happen overnight but many people recognized over time that there was an important reason to act here and preserve this natural resource."
Braddock Bay had been overtaken by the growth of a cattail monoculture that resulted in the loss of a diverse habitat that once existed there. By opening up channels, boaters will once again have easier access in and out of Braddock Bay.
"The fishery will be improved so people who do recreational fishing will notice an improvement," said Paul D'Amato, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. "On the economic side, fishing and hunting are huge economic boots for the state and for this area. We hope it will be noticed a lot more than just the physical structutes that you can see."
Phase two, which will begin late this summer, will include a nine-foot-deep, 150-foot-wide navigational channel. A barrier beach will also be constructed to help protect the wetlands.
"By narrowing the channel, we'll keep that open," Bill Reilich, Greece Town Supervisor said. "And the barrier beach will also protect further erosion of the wetlands further south of Braddock Bay. We're very optimistic, very positive, It's a nearly $10 million project, we're very happy that the federal government and the state government and the county and towns have come together for really a win-win project."
The entire restoration project is expected to be complete by November.