• Contract awarded for levee work for the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain project

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, recently awarded a contract for constructing the sixth levee reach on the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain (WSLP) Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction project. This contract will construct approximately 1.3 miles of the 17.5-mile-long levee system that will provide 100-year level risk reduction to the area primarily in St. John the Baptist, St. James and St. Charles Parish.
  • Surge Analysis in Mobile Harbor, Alabama: Ship-Simulation Report

    Abstract: A navigation channel improvement study for Mobile Harbor was conducted by the US Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District (CESAM), and the Alabama State Port Authority. The US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) assisted CESAM in assessing channel modifications using ERDC’s Ship/Tow Simulator through a Feasibility Level Screening Simulation study in 2017 and through a more comprehensive ship-simulation study in 2020. During the 2020 study, a safety concern was identified related to vessel interactions between a transiting vessel passing docked vessels at the McDuffie Coal Terminal located along the main federal channel. In the previous ship-simulation studies, the docked vessels were represented as targets, which means the ships are visually represented but no hydrodynamic interaction is captured. To fully assess this interaction, a surge-analysis study was completed in 2022 that used hydrodynamic models to represent docked vessels with representative mooring conditions. This study assessed several proposed navigation channel expansions across from the McDuffie Coal Terminal over the course of six testing days with four pilots. Assessment of the proposed modifications was accomplished through analysis of ship simulations completed by experienced local pilots, track plots, run sheets, and final pilot questionnaires.
  • Strategic Engagements Strengthen U.S. Army and Navy Collaboration in Bahrain

    In a series of key leader engagements, U.S. Army Col. William C. Hannan, Jr., U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Division (USACE TAD) commander, visited Bahrain on Sept. 11, to fortify the already strong inter-service partnerships with the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) and Naval Support Activity Bahrain (NSA Bahrain).
  • USACE awards contract for flood risk mitigation Advance Measures in Mora County

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Albuquerque District, awarded a $7.4 million contract August 25, 2023, to implement Advance Measures engineering solutions to protect critical infrastructure and mitigate flood risk Mora County, New Mexico.
  • Corps to host Shallow Land Disposal Area public information session

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh and Buffalo districts will host a public information session regarding the Shallow Land Disposal Area site.
  • Sensitivity of Sediment Transport Analyses in Dam Removal Applications

    Abstract: Dam removal has become a widespread river management practice in the US for a variety of goals including ecosystem restoration, removing aging infrastructure, flood risk management, and recreation. The ability to forecast the sediment impacts of dam removal is critical to evaluating different management alternatives that can minimize adverse consequences for ecosystems and human communities. Tullos et al. (2016) identified seven Common Management Concerns (CMCs) associated with dam removal. Four of these CMCs; degree and rate of reservoir sediment erosion, excessive channel incision upstream of reservoirs, downstream sediment aggradation, and elevated downstream turbidity are associated with stored sediment release and changing fluvial hydraulics. There are a range of existing qualitative and quantitative tools developed to infer or quantify geomorphic implications of disturbances like these in river environments (McKay et al. 2019). This study investigated how a one-dimensional (1D) sediment transport model can inform these four CMCs, develop an approach for assessing sediment transport model sensitivity in the context of the Simkins Dam removal, and use sensitivity analyses to identify key uncertainties, which can inform data collection and model building for other dam removal projects. For the selected case study, model outputs including the mean effective invert change (MEIC) and eroded sediment volume from reservoir were highly sensitive to the variation of the reservoir sediment gradation and sorting method selection. These model outputs also showed some sensitivity to the selected transport functions. Erosion method sensitivity using the channel evolution method will vary depending on side slope and channel parameter selection.
  • Cold Impacts on Vehicle Electrical Systems: Developing a Baseline for Cold Testing Military Vehicles

    Abstract: Low temperatures can significantly affect vehicle operation. While many of the effects, like increased fluid viscosity and decreased battery capacity, are well documented, the impacts on the electrical system as a whole are not. The objective of this study was to investigate the impacts of temperature on the electrical systems of select military vehicles and to develop a baseline for future testing. A High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), a Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT), and a four-person diesel Polaris MRZR D4 were subjected to 15°C, 0°C, and −15°C temperatures while the loads on the battery and alternator were monitored. The HMMWV and MRZR were able to start on the first try for all tests. They both showed a slight increase in vehicle load current draw from the alternator as temperatures decreased. Future testing with more iterations and at lower temperatures will help identify clearer trends and improve testing procedures. As the Army becomes more reliant on electronic systems, it is becoming increasingly important that we understand how various climates will impact them.
  • Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint Reservoir Water Levels Continue Decline

    MOBILE, Ala. – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, water management officials announced today that the reservoir levels at Buford, West Point, and Walter F. George reservoirs on the Chattahoochee River are expected to continue declining over the next 2 weeks.
  • Employee Spotlight Featuring Brian Struntz

    Brian Struntz, the chief of special programs, planning and requirements with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Middle East District (TAM), takes great pride in his many years working for the Army in various capacities. 
  • Renourishment contract award: Wrightsville Beach

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Wilmington District awarded a $13.6 million contract to Marinex Construction, Inc. for the renourishment of Wrightsville Beach.