• Living Shoreline in USACE Projects: A Review

    Abstract: The term living shoreline (LS) refers to the practice of shoreline stabilization using natural elements (e.g., vegetation, oysters, logs, etc.) in a way that maintains continuity and connectivity between terrestrial and aquatic habitats. This report provides a review of LS practices to assess the applicability of these engineering techniques for US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) projects. Specifically, this review examines the current state of knowledge regarding LS efforts through evaluation of peer-reviewed literature, agency reports, web tools, applications, and relevant guidance. It is important to gain a deeper understanding of the potential ecological, engineering, environmental, and socioeconomic benefits in comparison with traditional gray infrastructure shoreline stabilization techniques. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) encourages the use of LS as a shoreline stabilization technique along sheltered coasts (i.e., coasts not exposed to open ocean wave energy) to preserve and improve habitats and maintain their ecosystem services at the land–water interface. Research has examined aspects of LSs, but there are relevant knowledge gaps yet to be explored. Overall, there is a lot of information from different sources on LSs with limited application to USACE projects. Therefore, a consolidated planning and design consideration report specific to USACE is recommended.
  • Field Evaluations of Diquat for Controlling Submersed Flowering Rush in Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho

    Abstract: The invasive plant flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus L.) was first observed in Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho, within the Columbia River basin in 2008, and it covered several hundred hectares by 2016. Dense infestations of this perennial weed destroy native plant communities and seriously degrade fish and wildlife habitat. Sometimes growing as an emergent on saturated soils or in shallow water, the plant also forms persistent submersed stands in deeper water, which is the typical growth form in Lake Pend Oreille. In 2016, field trials evaluated the herbicide diquat dibromide, formulated as the product Reward, for controlling submersed flowering rush. A 4 ha plot in Oden Bay was treated with diquat at a rate of 18.7 L/ha in late summer 2016 and again in 2017 using a subsurface injection method by boat. Water exchange processes were measured in treated plots in 2017 with rhodamine WT dye mixed with the herbicide. Flowering rush shoots were reduced by 87% in 2016 and 29% in 2017. No adverse effects were measured on water quality (temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and conductivity). Diquat should be added to the project’s operational management strategy for controlling flowering rush in Lake Pend Oreille.
  • Carlyle Lake Increasing Downstream Releases and Pool Elevation Update

    In response to current weather conditions and rising water levels, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Carlyle Lake will begin increasing water releases from the main dam on Friday, April 4, 2025. Releases will be limited to 5,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) to reduce downstream flooding along the Kaskaskia River and other nearby tributaries.
  • Prescribed burns at Oahe Dam scheduled for April 7

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in conjunction with the U.S. Forest Service and local volunteer fire departments, have scheduled prescribed burns on the Oahe Dam for April 7, 2025, that will cause traffic restrictions to Highway 1806 and Crest Road (Highway 204).
  • Detroit Dam deep drawdown delayed until 2026 so Army Corps of Engineers can get public input

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District (USACE) will not perform a deep drawdown at Detroit Reservoir in the fall of 2025.
  • MKARNS Nav Notice No. SWL 25-23 Caution Advisory - HWY 64 Bridge NM 300.4 Update

    The hydrodemolition project over the navigation channel of the HWY 64 Bridge, as noted in Navigation Notice SWL 25-22, has been postponed due to weather. The project is now scheduled to occur from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on April 5, 2025.
  • Ohio Creek Urban Coastal Storm Risk Management Project: An Application of Engineering With Nature® Principles in Practice

    Purpose: The Engineering With Nature® (EWN®) program within the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) funds research projects occurring in a myriad of environments, including in marine coasts, freshwater coasts, and fluvial (riverine) systems. Yet there have been fewer projects documented where EWN principles have been applied in urban landscapes, particularly to manage flood risk, a main civil works mission of the USACE. Natural hazards including increased flashiness associated with intense rainfall events have prompted the need for more sustainable infrastructure solutions that reduce flood risks in urban areas, especially when such solutions desired by stakeholders are nature-based solutions. This technical note documents a flood risk management project in Norfolk, Virginia, that incorporates EWN principles in a tidal estuary environment that not only reduces flood risk, but also provides numerous other environmental, social, and economic benefits.
  • Corps of Engineers managing water runoff in Cumberland River Basin

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District reports that its dam projects in the Cumberland River Basin are operating as designed in the wake of heavy rains that fell overnight and this morning.
  • Corps of Engineers hosts Lower Pool 10 restoration project groundbreaking

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is celebrating the start of the Lower Pool 10 habitat rehabilitation and enhancement project with a groundbreaking ceremony April 22, at 1 p.m. at the North Gazebo in Guttenberg, Iowa.
  • Washington Aqueduct deploys water supply protection measures following fuel spill in Fairfax County

    Washington Aqueduct crews have deployed absorbent boom at Potomac River water intakes to protect