• USACE hosts Laupāhoehoe Harbor Breakwater Maintenance Repair Information Session

    LAUPĀHOEHOE - The public is invited to attend an information session hosted by the U.S. Army Corps
  • Ives Run Beach temporarily closed due to elevated bacteria levels; Hammond Lake remains open

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District, has closed Ives Run Beach on Hammond Lake after a routine water sample from the swimming area revealed elevated levels of E. coli bacteria.
  • Evaluation of Elevated Band Height for Basal Bark Triclopyr Applications to Schinus terebinthifolia

    Abstract: Basal bark application involves applying an oil-soluble herbicide in an oil carrier to the lower 0 to 45 cm of woody stems. For triclopyr, basal bark application typically requires the butoxyethyl ester formulation; however, this cannot be applied when standing water is present, which is common in seasonally flooded wetlands. Recently, the intermediate oil and water-soluble triclopyr acid formulation was registered for use in aquatic sites, allowing for basal bark applications in wetlands where standing water is present. Recent studies indicated that flooding after basal bark treatment can result in triclopyr release to surface waters and subsequent non-target injury. Elevated band application height (i.e., treating a higher band on each stem) may reduce non-target injury potential; however, this modified application technique has not been well tested on woody invasive species. To evaluate this approach, a field study on Brazilian peppertree (Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi) was conducted near Melbourne and Wimauma, FL, on well-established and juvenile rootstocks. Treatments included triclopyr acid at 17, 34, and 69 g L−1 applied in an oil carrier and treatment band heights of 0 to 45 cm and 61 to 107 cm from the groundline. At Melbourne, both band heights treated with 34 or 69 g L−1 resulted in 75% to 100% mortality of mature rootstocks. However, triclopyr applied at 17 g L−1 to the low and elevated band heights resulted in 70% and 11% mortality, respectively. All treatments resulted in 90% to 100% mortality at Wimauma, where the rootstocks were juvenile and much smaller. These findings indicate elevated band heights may be a useful approach for woody plant control and may support an effective management strategy in inundated wetlands that provides better prevention of non-target injury.
  • Examination of Analytical Shear Stress Predictions for Coastal Dune Evolution

    Abstract: Existing process-based models for simulating coastal foredune evolution largely use the same analytical approach for estimating wind-induced surface shear stress distributions over spatially variable topography. Originally developed for smooth, low-sloping hills, these analytical models face significant limitations when the topography of interest exhibits large height-to-length ratios and/or steep, localized features. In this work, we utilize computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to examine the error trends of a commonly used analytical shear stress model for a series of idealized two-dimensional dune profiles. It is observed that the prediction error of the analytical model increases compared to the CFD simulations for increasing height-to-length ratio and localized slope values. Furthermore, we explore two data-driven methodologies for generating alternative shear stress prediction models, namely, symbolic regression and linear, projection-based, non-intrusive reduced-order modeling. These alternative modeling strategies demonstrate reduced overall error but still suffer in their generalizability to broader sets of dune profiles outside of the training data. Finally, the impact of these improvements on aeolian sediment transport fluxes is examined to demonstrate that even modest improvements to the shear stress prediction can have significant impacts on dune evolution simulations over engineering-relevant timescales.
  • Demonstration of a Remotely Operated Vehicle for Inspecting Holt Lock and Dam

    Purpose: This report describes the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center–Environmental Laboratory (ERDC-EL), Robotic Characterization of Battlefield and Operational Environments (RCBOE) Team’s application of a small inspection-class remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to inspect underwater structures at the Holt Lock and Dam located near Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
  • Water Quality and Sediment Dispersal from Placement of Dredged Material over Former Shell Mining Beds in Mobile Bay, Alabama

    Abstract: The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) continues to advance regional sediment management practices including Beneficial Use of Dredged Material (BUDM) to reduce dredging costs while improving outcomes for coastal communities and ecosystems. This report describes two field studies conducted to better understand sediment retention and water quality implications associated with in-bay strategic placement of dredged material within former oyster-shell mining areas within Mobile Bay, Alabama. Deployed instrumentation and periodic campaigns of bed and water quality sampling provided data prior to dredged-sediment placement through more than a year after placement. Bed sampling and acoustic sub-bottom profiling indicated that the dredged material deposit was spatially variable in thickness and composition. Placed sediment accumulated quickly, within hours of placement, followed by a 2–4 month period with relatively small adjustments. Beyond 6 months, bed elevation changes became stable at near-background levels. Water quality data indicated that impacts to dissolved oxygen and turbidity associated with the dredged material placement are minor and short-lived. Notably, all water quality parameters remained within the normal range of variability observed within the dynamic Mobile Bay ecosystem. Collectively, these sediment bed and water quality studies support future data driven BUDM decision-making within the Mobile Bay region.
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District Welcomes New Commander

    Lt. Col. Aaron Anderson, a Muskegon, Michigan native and a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, assumed command of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District on June 26. Anderson will lead the district's more than 300 team members, responsible for projects in 35 commercial and recreational Great Lakes harbors, environmental remediation of sites contaminated by the Manhattan Project, operation of the Mount Morris Dam and Recreation Area and the historic Black Rock Lock, as well as many other roles across more than 38,000 square miles.
  • Rayner named chief of Safety and Occupational Health for USACE Little Rock District

    William Rayner was recently named chief of Safety and Occupational Health for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Little Rock District.
  • USACE Completes Feasibility Study for Former Titan 1-A Missile Site

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Sacramento District, has completed the Feasibility Study for groundwater contamination at the Former Titan 1-A Missile Site near Lincoln, California.
  • USACE closes swim beach at Quarry Park until further notice

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is closing the swim beach at Quarry Park on Norfork Lake until further notice because of higher than acceptable E. coli levels that were found during routine testing.