Headquarters U.S. Army Corps of Engineers News Releases

Corps Awards Contract for Sediment Removal and Concrete Repair in Punxsutawney, PA

Press Operations — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 19:55:00 GMT

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District has awarded a more than $1.4 million contract to remove sediment and repair a concrete structure within Mahoning Creek in Punxsutawney, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania.

Army Corps announces Albeni Cove Recreation Area closure

Press Operations — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 15:09:00 GMT

Albeni Cove Recreation Area will be closed for the 2021 season while the campground and day-use area are used to stage materials for Strong’s Island bank stabilization work.

MKARNS Nav Notice SWL 20-65 Lock 8 Sailing Instruction Lifted

Press Operations — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 13:59:00 GMT

MKARNS - The sailing instruction for the downstream approach to Toad Suck Ferry Lock (No. 8) NM 155.9, as noted in Navigation Notice SWL 20-61 has been lifted.

Corps of Engineers announces Offutt AFB Industry Day

Press Operations — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 13:10:00 GMT

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District has scheduled an industry day for the Offutt Air Force Flood Recovery program.

East Branch Dam Safety Modification Project Returning to normal operations, weather permitting

Press Operations — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 17:39:00 GMT

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District announces its intent to return East Branch Dam, located in Wilcox, Pennsylvania, to pre-2008 normal operations.

Operation Blue Roof sign-up for hurricane damage remains open

Press Operations — Sat, 17 Oct 2020 01:55:00 GMT

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Blue Roof program deadline is open through Oct. 24, 2020 for the Allen, Beauregard, Vernon, Jefferson Davis, Calcasieu and Cameron parishes for residences sustaining hurricane damage.

Corps will host virtual public meeting for Lowell Creek study

Press Operations — Fri, 16 Oct 2020 23:12:00 GMT

Representatives for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District will host a virtual public

Holland appointed to Mississippi River Commission

Press Operations — Fri, 16 Oct 2020 19:44:00 GMT

President Donald J. Trump recently appointed Major General Diana M. Holland as a member and as the 41st President of the Mississippi River Commission (MRC).

USACE releases Draft Supplement No. 2 to the 1982 Yazoo Area Pump Project Final Environmental Impact Statement

Press Operations — Fri, 16 Oct 2020 16:27:00 GMT

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) released its Draft Supplement No. 2 to the 1982 Yazoo Area Pump Project Final Environmental Impact Statement, today, Oct. 16, 2020.

Corps to close Big Dam Bridge for inspection

Press Operations — Thu, 15 Oct 2020 19:46:00 GMT

The Big Dam Bridge, across Murray Lock and Dam will be closed to all traffic from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Oct. 19 - 23 for a routine bridge inspection. Officials at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regret any inconvenience this may cause and ask for the public’s cooperation until the work is complete.

Protecting fragile coasts and improving community resilience

Press Operations — Thu, 15 Oct 2020 01:12:00 GMT

In this episode of the new Engineering With Nature® Podcast, guest Monica Chasten, a project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Philadelphia District’s Operations Division, discusses Engineering With Nature (EWN) and her work and collaboration with other scientists and engineers to advance coastal dredging practices and the beneficial use of dredged material.

Dam Safety construction impacts recreation and roads at Lewisville Lake

Press Operations — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 18:25:00 GMT

Officials with the Fort Worth District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced today dam safety construction at the Lewisville Lake Dam is progressing and beginning Monday, October 19 access east of the Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area pavilion will be shut down to allow construction crews to begin work in and around the Outlet Works structure.

Corps invites public to participate in “Discover the Illinois Waterway” online virtual forum

Press Operations — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 17:13:00 GMT

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District is inviting public participation in an online virtual discussion forum titled “Discover the Illinois Waterway” Oct. 29 from 9 a.m.-noon.

20-055 Corps issues revised Project Master Plans for Little Goose and Lower Monumental

Press Operations — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 15:58:00 GMT

SNAKE RIVER, Wash. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Walla Walla District has issued revised Master Plans for the Lower Monumental and Little Goose Projects. Each Master Plan includes a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and an Environmental Assessment (EA). The Master Plans were updated because the original Master Plans were more than 50 years old and there have been changes in policy and management strategies over that time.

Galveston District will be knocking on doors in Orange County to secure rights-of-entry

Press Operations — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 15:37:00 GMT

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Galveston District, Real Estate Division will be going door-to-door in Orange County on Oct.15, 2020, to secure rights-of-entry from individual landowners in order to access property as part of the Sabine Pass to Galveston Bay, Texas Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) and Ecosystem Restoration Project. The rights-of-entry are necessary to conduct various investigative activities (surveys, cultural resource investigations, geotechnical investigations). These investigative activities support the transition from conceptual designs to implementable project features and are necessary to continue to move conceptual designs forward to construction and these rights of entry are valid for up to 12 months. Landowners can specify that they want to be called before we access their property. USACE Galveston District personnel, and District-hired contractors, comply with those requests.

West Shore Lake Pontchartrain virtual public meeting scheduled

Press Operations — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 14:52:00 GMT

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District has scheduled a virtual public meeting regarding the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain project. The meeting will be live-streamed on Wednesday, October 21, 2020 at 10 a.m. on the project’s Facebook page.

Virtual event will celebrate FishPass project kick off

Press Operations — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 14:32:00 GMT

FishPass project construction in Traverse City, Michigan, will kick off with a virtual groundbreaking ceremony October 24. This final phase of the Boardman River Ecosystem Restoration Project is primarily funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and led by the Great Lakes Commission in partnership with the City of Traverse City, Fisheries and Oceans of Canada, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa/Chippewa Indians, Great Lakes Fishery Commission, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Geological Survey. “The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has provided our agencies continued opportunities to implement sustainable projects throughout the Great Lakes Region,” said Carl Platz, Great Lakes Program Manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “The knowledge we gain from FishPass will not only be utilized throughout the Great Lakes, but it will likely be applied across the nation as well."

Estimating the Density of Secretive, At-risk Snake Species on DoD Installations Using an Innovative Approach: IDEASS

Press Operations — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 12:52:00 GMT

Abstract: The Department of Defense (DoD) expends considerable resources managing and conserving threatened, endangered, or at-risk snake species. Management for these species is often hampered by a lack of basic knowledge regarding their population size and trajectory. The low detectability of most snakes makes it difficult to determine their presence, or to employ traditional methods to estimate abundance. This work demonstrated a novel, simulation-based method, Innovative Density Estimation Approach for Secretive Snakes (IDEASS), for estimating snake density based on systematic road surveys, behavioral observations of snake movement, and spatial movement (radio telemetry) data. This method was used to generate meaningful density estimates for two rare and cryptic snakes of conservation concern, the Southern Hognose and Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, at Fort Stewart, Georgia. IDEASS was also applied to an existing dataset to retroactively estimate density of a more common species of management concern, the Western Ratsnake, at Fort Hood, Texas. In all three cases, traditional density estimation via visual surveys and capture-mark-recapture (CMR) failed completely due to lack of captures and re-captures, despite extensive field effort. We conclude that IDEASS represents a powerful tool, and in some cases the only viable method, for estimating density of secretive snakes.

Red River Structure Physical Model Study

Press Operations — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 12:47:00 GMT

Abstract: A proposed Red River Structure (RRS), intended to function as one of three gated structures comprising the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Area Flood Risk Management Project, was tested in a general physical model. A 1:40 Froude-scale was applied to model the structure, engineered channels, existing bathymetry/topography in the Red River and overbank areas, and the proposed Southern Embankment. The physical model was used to ensure that the RRS could pass at least 104,300 cfs during the Probable Maximum Flood while maintaining a maximum pool water surface elevation of 923.5 ft. The physical model was also utilized to optimize the approach structure, stilling basin, retaining walls, and erosion protection designs. The physical modeling effort resulted in an optimized stilling basin wall, retaining wall, and end sill geometry/configuration where erosive conditions were not observed outside and adjacent to the stilling basin. Properly designed riprap (St. Paul District’s R470 gradation) proved to be successful in protecting the proposed RRS from potential scour downstream. The modified approach wall design proved to be successful in creating safe approach flow conditions as well as acceptable flow separation patterns. It is recommended that Alternative 3 be the design used going forward.

Red River Structure Physical Model Study

Press Operations — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 12:47:00 GMT