• The One That Got Away

    The line went taut as it was pulled into the boat, there was no telling what laid below the murky water, but they knew a fight was ahead. Suddenly the water erupted, and the beast burst forth, it’s mouth wide open looking for something to bite. After a short fight and several rolls the estimated 11-foot alligator snapped the line.
  • NR 23-39: Cordell Hull Dam Right Bank Tailwater Recreation Area closing

    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Oct. 11, 2023) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District announces the area below Cordell Hull Dam known as the Right Bank Tailwater Recreation Area is closing today for 90 days while construction work is underway to stabilize the rock bluff below the dam.
  • USACE is hiring, Jacksonville District hosts job fair in South Florida

    (CLEWISTON, Fla.) -  The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District is hiring and will host a job fair as the organization seeks to fill multiple positions in south Florida. The event will take place Wednesday, Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Florida Operations Office at 525 Ridgelawn Road, Building SF-2, Classroom 525, Clewiston, Fla.
  • Deep reservoir drawdown at Green Peter Dam causes ‘barotrauma,’ death for thousands of kokanee salmon

    The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife determined that the fish died from barotrauma, a condition caused by a rapid pressure reduction as fish pass from deep below the surface on one side of the dam to the other side near the surface level. Among divers, this decompression effect is known as “the bends.”
  • Communities celebrate Cordell Hull Dam’s 50th Anniversary

    ELMWOOD, Tenn. (Oct. 10, 2023) – Local communities, residents and officials celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Cordell Hull Dam Oct. 7 by paying tribute to residents that were displaced, featuring historical aspects of the dam’s construction, and noting the benefits that were realized for future generations when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers impounded the lake.
  • Pilot-Scale Optimization: Research on Algae Flotation Techniques (RAFT)

    Abstract: The impacts of harmful algal blooms (HABs) on US national waterways continue to cause significant economic and environmental damage. Researchers at the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) successfully demonstrated the Research on Algae Flotation Techniques (RAFT) project at pilot scale. This study was designed to show that the surface concentrations of algal biomass can be effectively increased with near linear scalability utilizing the natural methods by which some algae entrap air within excreted mucilage for flotation. The surface concentration of cyanobacteria measured as phycocyanin pigment increased by six-fold after RAFT flocculation treatment. Further optimization of chemical delivery systems, mixing, and dissolved air exposure will be required before full scale readiness.
  • Proceedings from the Soft Substrate Island Design Workshop

    Abstract: This report summarizes the activities of the Soft Substrate Design Workshop held virtually on 08 September 2021. The 28 participants from federal, state, local, and academic organizations discussed designing and constructing islands with soft sediments in inland waterways. They were introduced to the US Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Engineering With Nature® (EWN®) initiative and the vision for Tri-County Planning Commission (Peoria, Illinois). An overview of collaborative projects using landscape architecture and EWN principles was provided. The focus of discussion was on two primary waterways, the Upper Mississippi River System, and Illinois River. Participants discussed their experience associated with designing and constructing islands with and on soft sediments prior to breakout sessions to discuss specific design and contracting elements. The groups were brought together to discuss design techniques that could be implemented in the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois River systems.
  • A Review of Algal Phytoremediation Potential to Sequester Nutrients from Eutrophic Surface Water

    Abstract: Harmful algal blooms (HABs) and coastal hypoxic zones are evidence of cultural nutrient enrichment affecting public health and water supplies, aquatic ecosystem health, and economic well-being in the United States. Recognition of the far-reaching impacts of Midwest agriculture has led to establishing nutrient reduction objectives for surface waters feeding the Gulf of Mexico, Lake Erie, and many smaller water bodies. Municipal nutrient enrichment impacts have been addressed by increasing levels of sewage treatment and waste management through the Clean Water Act era, but HABs rebounded in the 1990s because of non-point source nutrient enrichment. HAB control and treatment includes watershed and waterbody treatments to reduce loading and address outbreaks. Systems to remove nutrients from impaired waters are expensive to build and operate. This review of algal production systems summarizes emerging algal water treatment technologies and considers their potential to effectively sequester nutrients and atmospheric carbon from hundreds of eutrophic reservoirs and DoD wastewater treatment facilities while producing useful biomass feedstock using solar energy. Algal water treatment systems including open ponds, photobioreactors, and algal turf scrubbers® can be used to grow biomass for biofuel, wastewater treatment, and commercial products. This review recommends continuing research on surface water nutrient reduction potential with algal turf scrubber productivity pilot studies, preliminary site design, and biomass utilization investigations.
  • Spatial Screening for Environmental Pool Management Opportunities

    Abstract: US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) reservoir projects significantly alter river ecosystem structure and function. Each project adheres to a defined set of operating rules to achieve primary objectives, which typically include flood risk management, hydropower, or navigation along with ancillary objectives for drinking water/irrigation, recreation, and natural resources management. Environmental flows (E-Flows) planning under the Sustainable Rivers Program has demonstrated new opportunities for environmental pool management (EPM; Theiling et al. 2021a, 2021b) that have no negative impact on other reservoir functions. In some locations, water level drivers can be managed to improve ecological outcomes, like wetlands, waterbirds, reptiles, and water quality, by altering the magnitude, timing, frequency, and duration of pool level changes that affect riparian and shoreline plant communities. Reservoirs with large delta areas may provide particularly important wetland or riparian habitat management along avian migratory pathways or in wildlife conservation regions (Johnson 2002). These large deltas can be identified and characterized using available satellite imagery, which along with water level habitat drivers available in hydrology databases, can be used to identify USACE reservoirs with good potential for EPM. A spatial analysis of USACE reservoirs capable to support EPM can be developed utilizing estimates of water occurrence, transition, and seasonality as well as surface elevation data derived from satellite imagery to assess geomorphology drivers. USACE water management records can be used to assess wetland drivers. Nationwide screening will be broken down into ecoregions to establish the anticipated geographic range of variation for wetland and riparian habitat drivers. Southwestern US reservoirs, for example, will have much different hydrology and fauna than Midwest and Eastern US reservoirs.
  • Englebright Lake camping reservations change to online-only Jan 1

    Beginning Jan. 1, 2024, camping at Englebright Lake will only be available with a reservation made