Leahy Secures $1.3 Million To Repair Burlington Breakwater

September 29, 1999

(WED., Sept. 29) -- Congress has cleared and is sending to the President’s desk a bill that includes $1.3 million earmarked by Senator Patrick Leahy to finish reconstruction of the 4,157-foot Burlington breakwater on Lake Champlain.

Leahy sponsored the provision in the Fiscal Year 2000 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill, which both the Senate and the House passed this week, sending the bill to the President’s desk. Leahy, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which wrote the bill, said he expects the President to sign the bill.

“The waterfront is one of Burlington’s leading attractions, and the breakwater is part of our essential infrastructure,” said Leahy. “These funds will allow the Army Corps to complete repairs to the breakwater and ensure the vitality of Burlington Harbor and the waterfront, and that means we can attract more boats and commerce into Burlington.”

The breakwater was originally built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1890. Now significant repairs are needed to assure the safety and navigation in Burlington Harbor. An initial Army Corps survey of the breakwater done this spring found that the top and the western side of the breakwater need immediate repair. The Corps survey found that 40 percent of the south breakwater has collapsed on the harbor side wall, “a condition that warrants immediate repair. If there is a major storm or ice movement, this section of the wall could breach.” For years the timber frame of the breakwater has been eroding, causing granite blocks to fall off. Continued erosion of the structure would threaten many of the marinas, docks, recreation sites and the wastewater facility in the harbor. Leahy reports that the Corps expects to begin work on the project next June.

“The breakwater is a major historical monument to Burlington’s rich history as a major port,” said Burlington Mayor Peter Clavelle. “This funding will provide for the historically sensitive restoration of the Burlington Breakwater to its former configuration.”

Burlington Harbor is the busiest harbor on Lake Champlain. Harbormaster Ben Pacy estimates that between 70 to 100 guest boats use the harbor during the peak summer season, generating more than $2,000 a night in slip fees. Lake Champlain Transportation has the heaviest use of the harbor channel with its daily ferry crossings. “If the breakwater is not maintained, it would be very difficult for us to operate in this harbor during bad weather,” said Dave Schermerhorn of Lake Champlain Transportation.