• Corps of Engineers to temporarily close dam crest access road at Woodcock Creek Lake

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District will temporarily close the dam crest-access road at Woodcock Creek Lake for maintenance and improvement work.
  • USACE ‘Blue Roof’ installs begin in Sarasota at record pace

    SARASOTA, Fla. (Oct. 17, 2024) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Operation Blue Roof Program contractors install first blue roof at a record-setting pace, one-week post-storm and one day after the issuance of the notice to proceed, in the wake of the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.
  • Emergency Permitting Procedures in Effect for Hurricanes Helene and Milton in Florida

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Jacksonville District received approval to implement emergency permitting procedures for Hurricanes Helene and Milton which recently impacted the state of Florida.
  • Building Control Graphics Criteria Update: Standards and Criteria Project 23T12

    Abstract: This US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Standards and Criteria effort recommends updates to the building-graphics-related content in Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) 3-470-01 and Unified Facilities Guide Specifications (UFGS) 25 10 10. Building graphics serve as the primary facility interface and are required for any HVAC controls integration project to a base-wide system; however, the current lack of criteria significantly limits their effectiveness and regularly yields inconsistent, low-quality tools for end users. This project developed “Guiding Principles” of good HVAC graphics along with the criteria language to assist the DoD in procuring and implement-ing good graphics. This report includes extensive illustrations to demonstrate good versus poor implementations of the proposed criteria. The intent is not to establish DoD-level graphics standards with these images but give a litmus test to designers and quality assurance staff for what right (and wrong) looks like. Primary recommendations are for graphics drawings designer responsibilities and contractor shop drawing requirements where installation standards are unavailable. Both designer criteria and spec-level functionality are defined using the Guiding Principles developed in this report. Future re-search topics are also described for enhanced trending capabilities, development of standard HVAC system-level performance indicators, and cloud-based connections to ongoing commissioning (OCx) systems.
  • Literature Review of Microseira wollei Distribution, Environmental Drivers, and Risks: Lake St. Clair, Michigan, Case Study

    Abstract: Microseira wollei (formerly Lyngbya wollei) has grown to noxious densities within Lake St. Clair, located between Lake Erie and Lake Huron. De-spite the limited data on this cyanobacterium within Lake St. Clair, data exists for M. wollei within the Great Lakes region and in the southeastern United States, where water resource managers have been managing growths for decades. These data provide pertinent insights into the environmental distribution, environmental drivers, risks, and management of M. wollei, which is mainly distributed within eastern states and provinces in North America, from Canada to Florida. Environmental drivers may be site-specific and specific to the M. wollei population; therefore, the environmental drivers identified in this literature review are a starting point to inform further investigations. M. wollei within Lake St. Clair may pose risks to humans. Risks may originate from toxins, disinfection by-products, and, potentially, fecal indicator bacteria. M. wollei has the potential to produce a range of toxins; however, the most prevalent toxins are saxitoxins, a group of neurotoxins. This literature review will help the US Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District; Macomb County, Michigan; and other interested parties understand potential triggers for growth, communicate risks, and help develop an adaptive management framework.
  • Divers and remote technology assist with maintenance at Wilson Lock

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District is taking steps to address critical maintenance concerns at Wilson Lock on the Tennessee River, where divers and remotely-operated technology are working together to inspect the main chamber gates. On Oct. 9, 2024, a dive support team, assisted by specialists from the USACE Engineer Research and Development Center, conducted a detailed inspection following the discovery of cracks on both the land and river side gates, which prompted the closure of the main chamber.
  • Army Corps shares update for periodic nourishment of Lower Cape May Meadows-Cape May Point project

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Philadelphia District shared an update regarding periodic nourishment for the Lower Cape Meadows-Cape May Point project in New Jersey. In September 2024, USACE awarded a contract to Agate Construction Company, Inc. of Egg Harbor Township, NJ for $1.3 million. The contract calls for ‘backpassing’, which means sand will be excavated from areas along the beach instead of dredging the sand from offshore borrow areas or inlets. The base contract work will involve excavating approximately 88,000 cubic yards of sand from beach areas that have accumulated excess sand. This sand will then be placed at the Cove Beach area in the City of Cape May.
  • REstoration, COordination & VERification team announces open review period for 2024 System Status Report

    Jacksonville, Fla. -- REstoration, COordination & VERification (RECOVER) announces the opening of the public and agency review and comment period for the RECOVER 2024 System Status Report (SSR).
  • Canal closure for floodwall and levee crossing for the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain project

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, will permanently restrict travel down the full length of the canal at contract 106 to any marine traffic starting on October 21, 2024, as part of the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain project. The projects levee and floodwall alignment will prevent traffic from traversing the canal located between east and west bound lanes of I-10 near mile marker 203 in St. John the Baptist Parish.
  • Small projects in Vietnam yield huge impacts for citizens, diplomatic relations

    Recently, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District completed construction of two primary schools and a medical clinic in rural parts of Vietnam. Through a partnership between the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, USACE, Vietnam government and local contractors, the United States government aims to enhance the quality of life for Vietnamese residents through these projects while strengthening diplomatic relations between the two nations.