31 May 2023

USACE Memphis christens replacement, $25.5M bank grading unit "Grader 1"

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Memphis District officially launched its new, $25.5 million Bank Grading Unit (BGU), “Grader 1”, with a christening ceremony held on the afternoon of May 2 at a boat ramp located in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. Event attendees included Mississippi Valley Division Commander Maj. Gen. Diana Holland, Memphis District Commander Col. Brian Sawser, Grader 1's project delivery team and project partners, and several members from the Memphis District Employee and Retiree Communities. Vessel christenings are widely considered an important part of nautical culture with many associated customs practiced for centuries now. While variations do exist, the overall purpose is to request protection for the vessel and crew while navigating the waterways of the world.

10 May 2023

Memphis District revetment units breaks record, longest season in 20 years

Another record-breaking season is in the books after the Memphis District’s Revetment Units returned home mid-March of 2023, making it one of the longest seasons had in 20 years.

28 Apr 2023

USACE Memphis to christen $25.5M bank grading unit May 2nd

The Memphis District is holding a Christening Ceremony, May 2 at 1:30 PM CT, to celebrate and welcome its new Bank Grading Unit, Grader 1, a $25.5 million Seatrax model constructed to replace the districts legacy model, a 1949 vintage Bucyrus-Erie barge-mounted dragline. Grader 1 is also the first and newest addition to the Regional Channel Improvement Fleet.

13 Apr 2023

Memphis District retires a legacy, replaces with faster, better, brighter model

The Memphis District officially welcomed a new, $25.5 million Bank Grading Unit (BGU), April 11, 2023, when it docked at its new home port at Ensley Engineer Yard in Memphis, Tennessee. Constructed in three years, the new BGU is replacing the district’s legacy bank grader, and with nearly 75 years of operations in the books, it’s safe to say the 1949 barge-mounted Bucyrus-Erie dragline model is ready for retirement.

8 Dec 2022

A day with the Memphis District Revetment team

On Dec. 7, 2022, Memphis District Commander Col. Brian Sawser made the trip down to St. Francisville, Louisiana, to visit the Memphis District Revetment Team at their current project site. The commander spent the day getting a firsthand look at what this talented crew does on a daily basis, getting a better understanding of exactly just how important this team is to executing the Memphis District mission.

17 Mar 2021

Revetment Team returns after historic season

The Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Assistant Secretary of Army (Civil Works) Vance Stewart and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency Operations Maj. Gen. William (Butch) Graham visited the Memphis District last week. While visiting, they had the opportunity to welcome home and congratulate the Revetment Team after completing one of the district's longest seasons in history.

16 Jul 2020

Bank Grading Unit paves way for commerce, safety

Memphis District Commander Col. Zachary Miller recently visited Island 68, a project site in Arkansas, where he met with the district’s hardworking Bank Grading Unit and reviewed progress made at the site thus far. According to Project Manager and River/Civil Engineer Cole Stonebrook, we have done work here before as this area is particularly erosive and scours easily in moving water. “The soils in the area are very unstable and highly erosive,” he said. “We are addressing a large bank failure by grading irregularities in the bank alignment to a smooth straight alignment. The Grading Unit is grading the banks to a one on four slope,  which requires moving 220,000 cubic yards of material.”

15 Jun 2020

Memphis Revetment Season in full swing

The Memphis District Revetment season officially began this year on June 11, with District Commander Col. Zachary Miller hosting a kickoff meeting at the Ensley Engineer Yard to get things started. “Protecting the Mississippi River banks keeps the channel in place, which maintains the necessary depth and alignment that allows the thousands of tows to travel up and down the river year round,” the commander said. “Without this work, the river would shift resulting in new, shallow cutoffs that could not be safely traveled.”