• From Analog to Digital: A Systematic Workflow for Converting Published Landform Maps to Georeferenced Datasets

    Abstract: Reference datasets for geomorphological analysis often require the integration of multiple data sources, including legacy maps and published figures that exist only as scanned images or hard copies. This report documents a systematic five-step workflow for converting landform information from these analog sources into georeferenced point datasets suitable for digital analysis. The methodology encompasses acquiring and evaluating imagery, georeferencing using ground control points, manually digitizing landform polygons, converting to centroid points using a systematic grid-based approach, and assigning attributes with quality control measures. In a case study on East Asia, we demonstrate the workflow’s practical application by processing 15 published sources to generate over 2 million labeled landform points representing approximately 1,015 km² of land across China and Mongolia. The dataset encompasses seven landform classes commonly found in arid environments: active washes, alluvial fans, bedrock, pediments, playas, sand dunes, and sand sheets. Quality assessments using analyst confidence ratings revealed reliable classification performance for most landform types. This workflow provides researchers with an efficient approach to leveraging existing published landform data, thus expanding the spatial coverage and temporal depth of reference datasets that are available for geomorphological analysis and machine learning applications.
  • Expansion of a Landform Reference Dataset in the Chihuahuan Desert for Dust Source Characterization Applications

    Abstract: This report details the development of an extensive landform reference dataset for the Chihuahuan Desert region to support validation of a machine-learning-based landform classification model. Building upon previous work by Cook et al. (2022), we expanded both the quantity and spatial coverage of reference points to better represent the study domain’s geomorphic diversity. Analysts integrated information from published literature, government databases, and satellite imagery interpretation to create a dataset of 236,582 points across 12 landform classes, aligned to a 500 m resolution grid. The bedrock/pediment/plateau class was the dominant class (58%), followed by alluvial fans (21%), aeolian sands (11%), and aeolian dunes (5%). Approximately 85% of the reference points received high analyst confidence ratings, and ratings were especially high for classes with distinctive signatures, such as bedrock features, fine-grained lake deposits, urban/developed areas, water, and agricultural lands. Classification challenges consistently emerged in transitional zones between land-forms, areas with anthropogenic modifications, and complex landform assemblages where mapping resolution proved insufficient. The resulting dataset is a valuable resource for model validation and offers insights into arid region geomorphology. Additionally, it has the potential to support multiple applications, including dust hazard forecasting, terrain mobility assessment, soil property inference, and rangeland management.
  • Dana Peak Park Temporary Closure for Road Repairs

    Officials with the Fort Worth District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Stillhouse Hollow Lake will be closing Dana Peak Park beginning October 14th, 2025, while repairs are made to the road leading into the park. The Stillhouse Hollow Lake Office asks that you please remain outside of the construction zone until project completion.
  • Community invited to Gathright Dam update on water, safety and river health

    COVINGTON, VA.- Residents and stakeholders are invited to attend the annual public information meeting at Gathright Dam on Thursday, Oct. 2, from 3 to 5:30 p.m. at the Lake Moomaw Visitor Center, in Hot Springs, VA 24445.
  • Veterans Find Camaraderie and Gators on Fort Worth District’s Lake

    As the sun rose over the swampy brown waters of B.A. Steinhagen Lake on Sept. 13, four veterans and their support crews loaded boats in anticipation of a weekend filled with adrenaline, camaraderie and conservation. The 12th annual Veterans Alligator Hunt held Sept. 12–14, took place on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land in partnership with the Piney Woods Service Association and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
  • Hawe Creek, Modoc Campground Reservations open for 2026 Season

    SAVANNAH, Ga. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, has reopened reservations for Hawe Creek and Modoc Campgrounds at J. Strom Thurmond Dam and Lake for the 2026 season, which is March 27, 2026, through Sept. 13, 2026.
  • USACE sets the Pace with Completion of Everglades EAA 10A Project

    SOUTH BAY, Fla. (Sept. 25, 2025) —--The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Jacksonville District, celebrated a ribbon cutting ceremony for the completion of Contract 10A for the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir Project with its federal, state, and local partners in South Bay, Fla today.
  • ERDC inducts the late Dr. Michael Stephens into the WES Gallery of Distinguished Civilian Employees

    The late Dr. Michael Stephens’ legacy is cemented in the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) history, as he was posthumously inducted into the WES (Waterways Experiment Station) Gallery of Distinguished Civilian Employees.