• Norfolk Harbor Navigation Improvements Project: Modeling of Dredged Material Placement Schemes and Long-Term Sediment Transport at the Dam Neck Ocean Disposal Site

    Abstract: US Army Corps of Engineers–Norfolk District requested assistance with the development and evaluation of dredged-material-placement schemes that evenly distribute placed material and avoid or minimize unacceptable mounding in accordance with the site management and monitoring plan. A multiple placement fate and transport modeling study was conducted to determine the optimal placement plan for dredged material from Thimble Shoals Channel and Atlantic Ocean Channel at the Dam Neck Ocean Disposal Site (DNODS). Provided the large volume of dredged material to be placed at DNODS over a short duration during the construction period, a modeling study was performed using the Geophysical Scale Multi-Block (GSMB) modeling system to determine the transport and fate of placed dredged material at the DNODS that is resuspended by currents and waves over a 2-year period. Six scenarios were undertaken to determine the best path forward. Scenarios 1 and 4 were excluded due to high exceedance of the depth threshold. Scenarios 2, 3, 5, and 6 yielded an approximate 1%–2% dispersal of placed materials from the DNODS during ambient environmental conditions; Scenario 6 yielded the least. Most dispersion occurred during two simulated hurricanes. The model findings generally support the DNODS Environmental Impact Statement and site-designation documents.
  • Omaha District hosts dam safety and emergency response exercise with Denver area partners

    Two joint exercises simulating potentially catastrophic flood events affecting the Denver metropolitan area were held Feb. 26-27, 2025, at the Mile High Flood District headquarters in Denver, Colorado.
  • Water Resources Development Act of 2024 public comment period

    The Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works is issuing this notice to provide information on the public comment period and virtual public listening sessions on the implementation of the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024, which was signed into law Jan. 4, 2025.
  • FREE boating safety courses to be offered at Mississippi River Project Office

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, is offering free boating safety education classes at the Mississippi River Project Office near Locks and Dam 14 in Pleasant Valley, Iowa. These courses are designed to equip boaters of all experience levels with essential safety knowledge before heading out on the water. Classes will be offered April 5, 12, 19, and 26, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and are open to anyone 11 or older. While no on-the-water training is provided, the classroom-based instruction covers key boating safety principles. Boaters 12 and older who successfully complete the course and pass the final exam will receive an Illinois Department of Natural Resources Boat Safety Certification, which is recognized in both Illinois and Iowa.
  • Shenango’s workforce never stops to upgrade campsites, improve federal lands ahead of recreational season

    While the winter chill blankets the Shenango River Lake, park rangers and maintenance crews never stop working to improve visitors’ experiences ahead of the recreational season.
  • Hartwell Dam and Lake Visitor Center Temporarily Closed to Public

    SAVANNAH, Ga. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, Hartwell Dam and Lake Visitor Center will be temporarily closed to the public beginning March 10, 2025.
  • USACE Aviation Program Office: Enhancing Efficiency and Compliance in UAS Operations

    The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Aviation Program Office (APO) plays a pivotal role in advancing crewed and uncrewed aviation missions across the organization. Established to meet the growing demands of Civil Works, Emergency Response, and Combatant Command operations, the APO serves as the central aviation authority for USACE, ensuring the safe, legal, and efficient operation of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS).
  • Temporary Art Exhibit on Display at Illinois Waterway Visitor Center

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, is hosting a temporary art exhibit at the Illinois Waterway Visitor Center located at 950 N. 27th Road in Ottawa, Illinois, now through June 1. The exhibit is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is free to the public. Reversing Course: The Illinois River in 1900 and Today compares black-and-white photos from 1894 to 1928 with color photographs created by Watershed Cairns® artists Libby Reuter and Joshua Rowan from 2018 to 2022. Historic and contemporary maps pinpoint the locations of the photos at eleven sites along the Illinois River. Labels placed between the paired images help to highlight the economic and ecological changes along the river over the past 120 years.
  • Gavins Point releases increasing for navigation flow support; Upper basin runoff stays below average

    The updated 2025 calendar year runoff forecast for the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa, continues to be below average. February runoff in the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City was 1.0 million acre-feet, 91% of average. “Runoff into the reservoir system was slightly below average for the month of February and conditions across most of the basin remain dry,” said John Remus, chief of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Missouri River Basin Water Management Division.
  • USACE hosts prospective contractors for Chickamauga Lock home stretch

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District hosted a pre-proposal site visit on March 4, providing potential contractors with a detailed look at the Chickamauga Lock Replacement Project prior to bidding on the final contract to complete the new lock.