Protecting a ‘gem’ on Lake Ontario through Partnership
Along the southern shore of Lake Ontario, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District, and the Village of Sodus Point are working together to maintain safe navigation, protect critical infrastructure and preserve a waterfront community for generations to come.
That partnership is visible along the Great Sodus Harbor East Breakwater, where the Buffalo District completed a $7.3 million repair project to strengthen approximately 1,625 feet of the structure.
For Village of Sodus Point Mayor Pat Nolan, the work represents more than an investment in infrastructure. It helps protect a community and harbor he believes are worth preserving.
“This area is beautiful, and we want to protect it,” Nolan said. “We want it to be something that’s around for our grandchildren and their grandchildren.”
The Great Sodus Breakwater Repair project included construction of a stone revetment along the East Breakwater, tying into repairs completed in 2020 and 2021. The work helps maintain the structure that protects Great Sodus Harbor and supports safe navigation between Sodus Bay and Lake Ontario.
“The Army Corps of Engineers has been a phenomenal organization,” Nolan said. “This east wall project, they did it efficiently. Aesthetically, if you go out on the lake and take a look at how they tied it into Charles Point, it was well done.”
Maintaining Great Sodus Harbor extends beyond its breakwaters.
In 2025, the Buffalo District dredged 35,939 cubic yards of sediment from the harbor, helping maintain the federal navigation channel and reliable access to and from Lake Ontario.
“They dredged last year, which helps navigation in and out of our channel,” Nolan said.
While breakwater repairs and dredging provide visible examples of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers navigation mission, Nolan said communication between the Corps of Engineers and its local partners is an equally important part of maintaining the harbor.
“The partnership has been wonderful,” Nolan said. “They’re very good at communicating. If we have any problems, we share it, and if they don’t have the answers, they go get the answers.”
Representatives from the Buffalo District and local stakeholders meet regularly to discuss projects, conditions and concerns at Great Sodus Harbor. Those conversations help keep local leaders informed about federal work while providing the Corps with insight from the communities that rely on the harbor.
That collaboration is particularly important in Sodus Point, where the community’s identity and economy are closely connected to the water.
“We have the bay and a Great Lake,” Nolan said. “Having the ability to participate and interact with both has its challenges, but it’s a lot of fun.”
For Nolan, that connection is personal. He has been coming to Sodus Point for more than fourty years and has lived in the community full time for six years.
“I love the community,” Nolan said. “The people who make up the community, they’re here because they also love it. Not that we don’t have challenges, but we believe we have a gem here in eastern Wayne County.”
Through continued investment in federal navigation infrastructure and coordination with local partners, the Buffalo District works to ensure Great Sodus Harbor remains safe, reliable and resilient for the people who depend on it.
For Nolan, the importance of that work ultimately comes down to what will remain for those who come next.
“If we can do things like this, we’re going to have this around a very long time,” Nolan said. “And that makes me happy.”
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 atwww.lrd.usace.army.mil/buffalo.
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