On March 27, 2013, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District announced that it would erect a fence to block public access to the Black Rock Lock Lower West Pier. That action has been rescinded. “I want the public to know that the Corps heard what the people had to say,” said Buffalo District Commander Lt. Col. Owen J. Beaudoin. “I have asked my staff to take a step back, re-evaluate the situation and come up with a new plan that accommodates the public’s expressed desire for access.
The Black Rock Channel extends from Buffalo Harbor to the Black Rock Lock and is 3 ½ miles in length. The Black Rock Lock and the Black Rock Channel provide safe passage for vessels to travel between Buffalo Harbor and Tonawanda Harbor around the reefs, rapids and fast currents that exist in the upstream portion of the Niagara River. The only alternative for passage is the Niagara River itself.
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Release no. 13-001