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  • Public meeting gives community a chance to learn about remediation at former training site

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hosted a public meeting Aug. 25 to share plans for removing old military munitions from the former Camp San Luis Obispo.

  • MKARNS Nav Notice 25-67 MPLD Nav Pass Closed

    Due to falling river elevations, the crest gate dam at Montgomery Point Lock and Dam (NM 0.5) is in operation and the navigation pass is closed. All vessels are required to pass through the lock until further notice.

  • ‘Like a detective looking for evidence in a crime scene’: How collecting high-water marks helps flood risk reduction efforts

    If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to see it, does it make a sound? Similarly, if a heavy rain event causes flooding overnight and no one is awake to see it, did it happen? Of course it did. But, how do you know how high the water got if no one was there to witness it? This was the scenario facing the City of Merriam, Kansas, after a significant rainfall event occurred overnight and into the early morning of July 17, 2025. Turkey Creek, which runs through the city, is prone to flash flooding during heavy rain events. On July 17, the creek flooded, impacting parts of the city, but it all occurred overnight when most people were asleep. The flood waters receded almost as quickly as they rose, posing the question: how high did the water get?

  • ERDC, USACE host workshop in Botswana to help mitigate lead contamination

    Subject-matter experts from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Europe District recently traveled to Gaborone, Botswana to conduct an Environmental Soil Screening Workshop with the Botswana Defense Force (BDF) at their shooting ranges.

  • Remembering 9/11: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Role in Service and Recovery

    On September 11, 2001, America faced one of its darkest days. Nearly 3,000 lives were lost when terrorists attacked the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, an event that shook not only New York City but the entire nation. In the midst of chaos and devastation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) mobilized with speed and determination, stepping into a role that would prove vital to the immediate response and long-term recovery.

  • USACE FED and MND-DIA continue building collaboration through two-day symposium in Seoul

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Far East District (USACE FED) and Ministry of National Defense – Defense Installations Agency (MND-DIA) hosted their second joint symposium from Sept. 4-5, 2025, at the MND-DIA headquarters in Seoul, South Korea.

  • Snow Depth Measurements from Arctic Tundra and Boreal Forest Collected During NASA SnowEx Alaska Campaign

    Abstract: Boreal forest and Arctic tundra environments collectively hold the largest percentage of global terrestrial seasonal snow cover. Тhe in-situ snow measurement network is sparse and costly in these remote northern regions. Here, we complement existing snow depth monitoring in Arctic tundra and boreal forest by presenting an extensive (64°N–70°N) snow depth dataset and description of ground-based snow depth measurements collected during the NASA SnowEx Alaska intensive field campaign, March 7–16, 2023. We also report the accuracy of snow depth measurements in shallow boreal forest and Arctic tundra snowpack and share considerations in developing the consistent and repeatable snow depth data collection procedures. Snow depth measurements and technical validation described in this paper can serve as a robust product for testing snow remote sensing techniques, and for providing a reference dataset for climatological and hydrological studies.

  • Mapping the Vulnerability of Boreal Permafrost in Central Alaska in Relation to Thaw Rate, Ground Ice, and Thermokarst Development

    Abstract: Permafrost roughly affects half the boreal region in Alaska and varies greatly in its thermophysical properties and genesis. In boreal ecosystems, permafrost formation and degradation respond to complex interactions among climate, topography, hydrology, soils, vegetation, and disturbance. We synthesized data on soil thermal conditions and permafrost characteristics to assess current permafrost conditions in central Alaska, and classified and mapped soil landscapes vulnerable to future thaw and thermokarst development. Permafrost soil properties at 160 sites ranged from rocky soils in hillslope colluvium and glacial till, to silty loess, to thick peats on abandoned floodplains and bogs, across 64 geomorphic units. To assess the vulnerability of permafrost to climate variability and disturbance, we differentiated permafrost responses in terms of rate of thaw, potential thaw settlement, and thermokarst development. Using a rule-based model that uses geomorphic units for spatial extrapolation at the landscape scale, we mapped 10 vulnerability classes across three areas ranging from high potential settlement/low thaw rate in extremely ice-rich loess to low potential settlement/high thaw rate in rocky hillslope colluvium. Vulnerability classes corresponded to thermokarst features developed in response to past climates. Differing patterns in permafrost vulnerability have large implications for ecosystem trajectories, land use, and infrastructure damage from thaw.

  • Detachment and Transport of Composition B Detonation Particles in Rills

    Abstract: The partial detonation of munitions used in military exercises leaves behind energetic particles on the surface of soil. Energetic particles deposited by incomplete detonations can then dissolve and be transported by overland flow and potentially contaminate ground and surface waters. The objective of this study was to evaluate the mechanisms of transport of Composition B, a formulation that includes TNT and RDX during overland flow. The transport of Composition B was examined using a rill flume with three flow rates and four energetic particle sizes. After each erosion simulation, energetic particles remaining on the soil surface were measured along with energetics dissolved in runoff, in suspended sediment, and in infiltration. Smaller particle sizes led to greater transport in both solution and sediment. The properties of the energetic compounds also influenced transport. More TNT was transported in runoff than RDX, likely due to TNT’s higher solubility and dissolution rates, however, overall, dissolved energetics in runoff and infiltration accounted for very little of the total transport. Most transport of Composition B was the result of the physical movement of energetic particles and flakes by erosion forces. This study’s results allow for improved prediction of Composition B transport during overland flow.

  • Geology, Geomorphology, and River Engineering in the Memphis-to-Rosedale Reach, Lower Mississippi River

    Abstract: This study examines the geology and geomorphology of the Mississippi River between Memphis, Tennessee, and Rosedale, Mississippi, with a focus on the Tertiary (65 to 2 million years) surface and how the present-day river has impacted this surface. Previous mapping efforts involving the Tertiary surface by the US Army Corps of Engineers are reviewed. Relevant maps are included as plates herein to facilitate wider dissemination. Today’s channel has deepened through time due to river engineering, which includes oxbow cutoffs and hardening of river banks with revetment and training dikes to prevent uncontrolled bank caving and channel migration. The course of the river was fixed in place by 1962. The thalweg of the river intersects the Tertiary surface at Helena, Arkansas, at the Hardin oxbow cutoff, and near the vicinity of Memphis, Tennessee. At these three locations, the Tertiary surface occurs at shallow elevations and in close proximity to where Tertiary sediments outcrop. A deeply buried alluvial valley is present in the Tertiary surface. Erosion of Jackson Group sediments in this valley exposes the underlying Claiborne Group sediments. Jackson and Sunflower oxbow cutoffs occur in the deepest parts of the alluvial fill.