• Future Coastal Tundra Loss due to Compounding Environmental Changes in Alaska

    Abstract: Anthropogenic climate change is amplified in the Arctic, where less sea ice enables energetic wave climates while higher air and soil temperatures increase tundra erodibility. These changes are likely to exacerbate retreat of coastal tundra yet remain poorly constrained on timescales relevant to storm wave impacts. A stochastic weather generator is used to create 1,000 synthetic hourly time series of waves, water levels, offshore sea ice concentration, and air temperatures used as forcing for an efficient coastal tundra model. The ensemble set of morphological change simulations provides a probabilistic perspective on the range of tundra retreats and the relative effects of each environmental forcing. Ensembles show as the depth of the erodible layer increases, the style of tundra retreat shifts from a consistent recession to intermittent events with large magnitudes and a factor 2 range in outcomes. Model scenarios highlight shallower thaw depths narrows the range of retreats and reduces individual extreme events, but a dynamic feedback between beach slopes, wave runup, and thermally limited erosion volumes ultimately increases the number of storm events associated with retreat. The minimum tundra retreat is governed by background shoreline change and the specifics of the topographic profile dominate underlying changes in the future wave climate statistics and open water season. As the Arctic continues to warm, the change in retreat style will have significant ramifications for coastal resilience.
  • USACE Vicksburg District announces Project Partnership Agreement with City of Columbus

    VICKSBURG, Miss. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District has entered into a Project Partnership Agreement (PPA) with the City of Columbus, Mississippi, as part of the Mississippi Environmental Infrastructure Program (Section 592). For the city of Columbus, Mayor Keith Gaskin signed the PPA, and Col. Jeremiah Gipson, Vicksburg District Commander, signed for USACE. The signing ceremony was held at Columbus City Hall on May 22, 2025.
  • Quick actions by USACE staff help prevent tragedy

    A potentially tragic situation at Lucky Peak Dam was narrowly avoided thanks to the swift actions, situational awareness, and deep commitment of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Walla Walla District staff and Ada County law enforcement.
  • Miami Harbor Entrance Channel Improvements Study: Ship Simulation Report

    Abstract: The US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (ERDC-CHL), Ship/Tow Simulator (STS) was used to perform a navigation study assisting the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Jacksonville District. The study evaluates additional navigation channel modifications from the previous 2019 study to allow larger containerships to call at the Port of Miami. This study was conducted at the CHL real-time STS. Real-time refers to the fact that model time uses a 1:1 ratio to prototype time. In addition, real-world environmental forces were simulated and acted upon the modeled ships during the study. These forces included currents, wind, bathymetry, and bank effects. Simulations for the proposed modifications were conducted at CHL for 1 week in August 2023. Four Biscayne Bay pilots participated in the validation and testing exercises. The design vessels include the MSC Daniela (14,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit [TEU]) container ship and the Maersk Guayaquil (12,000 TEU) container ship. Simulation results are presented in the form of track plots and pilot questionnaires, which were reviewed to develop the conclusions and recommendations.
  • USACE Vicksburg District Announces upcoming publication of a Revised Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Pearl River Basin Mississippi Federal Flood Risk Management Project

    VICKSBURG, Miss. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District will publish a Revised Draft Environmental Impact Statement (RDEIS) for the Pearl River Basin Mississippi Federal Flood Risk Management Project to the Federal Register in late June 2025. The statement evaluates flood risk management alternatives in Rankin and Hinds County, Mississippi.
  • Public invited to Spencer Creek Watershed public info session

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District and the Wilson County Planning Commission will host a public information session on July 1, 2025, to share findings from the Spencer Creek Watershed Flood Preparedness PAS study. This study, initiated in April 2023, assesses flood risks caused by regional development and changing precipitation patterns, and aims to improve local emergency response and planning. While USACE’s Planning Assistance to States program offers technical analysis, it does not fund design or construction. The session will include a presentation, a review of flood-prone neighborhoods like those near Highway 109, and a Q&A with USACE and county representatives.
  • USACE, Corpus Christi celebrate completion of ship channel improvement project

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Galveston District (SWG) and the Port of Corpus Christi Authority celebrated the completion of their Corpus Christi Ship Channel Improvement Project (CCSCIP) with a ribbon cutting ceremony, June 2, 2025. The project, which began in 2019, improved approximately 36 miles of channel, deepening it from 47 to 54 feet and widening it from 400 to 530 feet.
  • Detroit District receives $1.2M to continue flood study in Midland region

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, will receive an additional $1.2 million in funding under the Fiscal Year 2025 Work Plan to continue its Tittabawassee Watershed Flood Risk Management Study.
  • Corps Seeks public comment on Draft Environmental Assessment for City of Mott Water and Sewer Improvement Project in Hettinger County, North Dakota.

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) draft environmental assessment (EA) for a water and sewer improvement project in the City of Mott, North Dakota is available for public review. The EA evaluates the social and environmental impacts of a water distribution system and sewer improvements in the City of Mott, North Dakota.  The project proposes to construct sanitary sewer, water main, and street improvements to address deteriorating infrastructure.
  • Army Corps Hosts U.S. Army Divers, Receive Feedback on Marine Infrastructure

    A team of professional divers from the U.S. Army’s 86th Engineer Dive Detachment from Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia recently spent two weeks at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District’s Caven Point Marine Terminal in Jersey City, New Jersey, inspecting under-water infrastructure at the facility ⎼ piers, bulkheads, a boat lift and the hulls of two Army Corps vessels.