At A Glance: Sodus Bay Repairs
- Project Value: $6.7 million (100% Federally Funded).
- Infrastructure: 1,653 feet of breakwater being restored to original height.
- Economic Value: Supports $38M in revenue and $28M in recreational economic output.
- Timeline: Started in 2025; final phase begins this week for summer 2026 completion.
- Future Outlook: West Pier repairs are slated for 2027.
Final work is getting underway this week on critical repairs to the Great Sodus Bay East Breakwater.
The 100% federally funded project is part of a two-year, $6.7 million project, ensuring the harbor’s viability and its contributions to the local and national economy, as well as protection of some of the area’s best waterfront opportunities.
Repairs will focus on more than 1,600 feet of the pier with new stone and advanced fabric to prevent movement and settling.
The breakwater ensures safe access for vessels on Lake Ontario and supports more than $38 million in business revenue and labor income.
Great Sodus Bay is a popular recreational harbor with multiple marinas.
“The Buffalo District is excited to deliver this project for the residents of Sodus Bay and the many people who visit and enjoy it each year,” said Lt. Col. Robert Burnham, USACE Buffalo District commander. “Ensuring safe navigation while improving quality of life in harbors like Sodus Bay is a key component of the Corps of Engineers mission and an investment in the community’s future.”
Construction of the repair project began in 2025. This season’s work is targeted to begin this week with full completion this summer.
The project will repair the full 1,653-foot length of the breakwater under a $6.7 million contract awarded to Michigan-based Great Lakes Dock and Materials. Building on top of the original timber crib and concrete cap structure, construction will return the breakwater to its original height, seven feet above the lowest water level.
Work is being conducted by marine barge along the breakwater. Marine traffic will not be obstructed, but vessels should exercise caution when navigating near the breakwater.
USACE previously completed maintenance on the East Breakwater in the 1990s and completed the Charles Point sheet pile wall in 2021.
Repairs to Great Sodus Bay’s West Pier are slated for 2027. Dredging of nearly 36,000 cubic yards of sediment from the bay was completed in 2025.
The history of the Corps of Engineers in Great Sodus Bay dates to a survey in 1828 when breakwaters and piers were proposed. The original wooden structures were built from 1829 to 1834 and rebuilt with concrete between 1909 and 1930. In the more than 90 years since reconstruction, deterioration from wave action, ice, and storms on Lake Ontario has left the bay’s East Breakwater at risk of failure.
Great Sodus Bay’s breakwaters and piers provide safe navigation and protection from erosion along New York’s shoreline. With more than six marinas and 1,000 slips available for rent, recreational activities facilitated by the harbor support $28 million in economic output, 169 jobs, and $10.2 million in labor income.
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