DUNKIRK COASTAL ASSESMENT
DUNKIRK, NYWATERFRONT | HABITAT ENHANCEMENT
Status: In-Progress
Dunkirk Harbor, nestled behind the protective Point Gratiot Peninsula, is a vital hub for the community, supporting various activities such as boating, fishing, and recreation. The city's Comprehensive Plan highlights wave action as a significant concern, underscoring the need to repair and modernize existing breakwaters. Even moderate northeast winds during summer can disrupt the municipal marina, posing a threat to its economic viability. Turbulence from northeastern and eastern wave events further compounds these challenges, risking the marina's stability.
Past studies have explored ways to mitigate wave disturbances within the marina, but none have considered solutions that also benefit neighboring Dunkirk Beach and the Lake Front Boulevard. The proposed solution involves constructing a series of submerged rubble ridges to extend the wave attenuation benefits of the current breakwater, thereby reducing turbulence within the marina. Rubble ridges, successfully tested in the Great Lakes region, work with natural processes to attenuate waves and provide habitat without disrupting sediment transport.
Design development for this initiative incorporates existing data and climate change forecasts to ensure adaptability. Additionally, these ridges will promote aquatic habitats near the shore, benefiting fish species like lake trout. Implementing ecosystem-based strategies promises long-term advantages for the Dunkirk community, fostering growth in the charter fishing industry and attracting fishing derbies as desired.
Furthermore, the project aims to extend the beach along Lake Front Boulevard, enhancing access for Dunkirk's underserved residents. Material from the Dunkirk marina will be beneficially utilized, placed adjacent to the rubble ridges to augment an existing sandbar. Finer particles will gradually accumulate towards the shoreline, strengthening Lake Front Boulevard's adjacent shoreline and eventually extending towards Dunkirk Beach. Coarser material will remain in place, providing essential protection to the exposed boulevard.
Client: Chautauqua County Soil + Water
Collaborators: AnchorQEA
return to WORKS