• Autumn Activities Await Visitors of Carlyle Lake

    This October, Carlyle Lake will come alive with vibrant fall colors and a variety of family-friendly events hosted by various local organizations in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Mark your calendars for these fantastic seasonal happenings.
  • Dutch Rijkswaterstaat officials visit U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District for knowledge exchange

    NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Officials from the Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management,
  • ERDC engineer awarded SMART Innovation Award

    Research Civil Engineer Joelle Westcott with the Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) was awarded the Department of Defense (DoD) Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Program Creative Research & Engineering Advancing Technical Excellence in STEM (CREATES) Innovation Award for Fiscal Year 2025.
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Awards Contract at Watervliet Arsenal

    New York – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), New York District, announces the awarding of a contract for the repair of a Multi-Use Building at Watervliet Arsenal, New York. The contract, valued at $65,099,763.00, has been awarded to Consigli Construction Co., Inc.
  • USACE cautions lake users on low water conditions at Greers Ferry Lake

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is cautioning boaters about low water conditions at Greers Ferry Lake. With inflows being low, the lake level is currently around an elevation of 456 feet. Although low, this is within the normal operation of the reservoir.
  • Emergency Permitting Procedures in Effect for Tropical Storm Ernesto in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands

    Effective September 27, 2024, the Jacksonville District is approved to implement emergency permitting procedures to address emergency situations directly resulting from Tropical Storm Ernesto, which impacted Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands on August 11, 2024, through August 18, 2024. These alternate procedures are authorized until March 26, 2025.
  • Advancements in Riverine Fish Movement Modeling: Bridging Environmental Complexity and Fish Behavior

    Abstract: Understanding fish movement and response in relation to their environment near infrastructure and migratory barriers is crucial for developing sustainable fisheries management solutions. Intermediate-scale movement models are a contemporary approach for understanding and predicting movement patterns of riverine fish considering their changing environment, which is predominately water flow. These models can be complex and require interdisciplinary knowledge. For more than 60 years, different approaches have been developed for investigating, reproducing, and predicting the movement outcomes of fish decision making. Due to the breadth of model frameworks available, a systematic review is helpful to summarize the available knowledge including a description of general model properties, environment modeling, agent characteristics, and methods of data use, output, and validation. The analysis of 38 studies found a wide range of model frameworks and architectures. Despite the lack of consistency, each model imposed some combination of the following behaviors: response to flow direction (i.e., rheotaxis), response to flow velocity magnitude, response to turbulence, response to depth, and memory/experience of the individual. There is a clear need for more consistent modeling approaches, increased consideration of memory/experience, inclusion of a wider range of species, incorporation of more detailed environmental covariates, and use of time-dependent solutions in fish movement models.
  • Habitat and Landcover Classification and Maritime Forest Restoration Recommendations for Deer Island, Mississippi

    Abstract: This report addresses two objectives: (1) an island-wide survey and mapping initiative to document habitat and landcover types present on Deer Island, Mississippi, and (2) an evaluation of forested resources on Deer Island along with recommendations to improve and expand the extent of maritime forests on the island. Diverse habitats were documented, including more than 30 distinct habitat and landcover types ranging from wetland marshes to maritime forests and sand ridges. The habitat and landcover survey (and accompanying maps) support ongoing and future ecosystem restoration activities, provides baseline data to conduct change analysis over time, and informs decision-making related to the management of the island’s natural resources. Additionally, the characterization of Deer Island’s forests documented a range of forest health conditions dictated by elevation gradients, soils, invasive species presence, and other factors. Collectively, the data presented inform ongoing planning efforts related to restoration activities on the island as well as future management opportunities to ensure Deer Island continues to provide ecological functions that benefit the community of Biloxi, Mississippi. The results and recommendations herein are broadly applicable to other barrier islands across the northern Gulf region and promotes additional research into the ecology of these unique coastal features.
  • Potential Engineering With Nature Features to be Incorporated at Woodtick Peninsula

    Purpose: Woodtick Peninsula is a barrier peninsula in western Lake Erie where restoration activities are being planned to combat erosion of the peninsula wetlands through placement of dredged material. As part of the restoration effort, design of an artificial reef is currently underway to function as a breakwater, preventing erosion of the fine-grained material being hydraulically placed along the west side of the peninsula. To the extent possible, it is desirable to design the reef such that it would not only provide erosion protection, but also incorporate features that would provide habitat, and thereby support the goals of Engineering With Nature® (EWN®). EWN is a concept focused on aligning natural and engineering processes to deliver economic, environmental, and social benefits efficiently and sustainably through collaboration. A range of breakwater and shoreline armoring alternatives have been utilized in coastal environments to enhance habitat. While a number of alternatives have been successfully demonstrated in marine waters, fewer structures have been adapted to freshwater systems of the Great Lakes. However, there have been several demonstrations within the Great Lakes in which breakwater structures have been enhanced to incorporate habitat features. In this report, potential designs for breakwaters and shoreline edging in freshwater systems that can incorporate EWN benefits are summarized.
  • Beneficial Use of Dredged Sediment in South St. Paul, Minnesota: 100 Years of Economic, Social, and Environmental Innovation

    Purpose: This technical note provides a review of beneficial use (BU) of dredged sediment in a 5-mile river reach of the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) that demonstrates the triple-win solutions championed by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Engineering With Nature® Program. Several case studies exemplifying the BU of dredged sediment are presented along with a more in-depth review of the Pigs Eye Lake Islands ecosystem restoration project.