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  • Winter recreational lock schedule begins Sept. 15 on Lower Columbia

    Motorized recreational boaters who need to pass through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (Corps’) three lower Columbia River dams must do so during daylight hours only, upon request, Sept. 15 through May 14, 2023.

  • waterquality for ArcGIS Pro Toolbox: User’s Guide

    Abstract: Monitoring water quality of small inland lakes and reservoirs is a critical component of the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) water quality management plans. However, limited resources for traditional field-based monitoring of numerous lakes and reservoirs covering vast geographic areas often leads to reactional responses to harmful algal bloom (HAB) outbreaks. Satellite remote sensing methodologies using HAB indicators is a good low-cost option to traditional methods and has been proven to maximize and complement current field-based approaches while providing a synoptic view of water quality (Beck et al. 2016; Beck et al. 2017; Beck et al. 2019; Johansen et al. 2019; Mishra et al. 2019; Stumpf and Tomlinson 2007; Wang et al. 2020; Xu et al. 2019; Reif 2011). To assist USACE water quality management, we developed an Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) ArcGIS Pro desktop software toolbox (waterquality for ArcGIS Pro) founded on the design and research established in the waterquality R software package (Johansen et al. 2019; Johansen 2020). The toolbox enables the detection, monitoring, and quantification of HAB indicators (chlorophyll-a, phycocyanin, and turbidity) using Sentinel-2 satellite imagery. Four tools are available: (1) automating the download of Sentinel-2 Level-2A imagery, (2) creating stacked image with options for cloud and non-water features masks, (3) applying water quality algorithms to generate relative estimations of one to three water quality parameters (chlorophyll-a, phycocyanin, and turbidity), and (4) creating linear regression graphs and statistics comparing in situ data (from field-based water sampling) to relative estimation data. This document serves as a user’s guide for the waterquality for ArcGIS Pro toolbox and includes instructions on toolbox installation and descriptions of each tool’s inputs, outputs, and troubleshooting guidance.

  • Port Arthur Project to host public open house

    The Port Arthur Project, a component of the Sabine Pass to Galveston Bay Program (S2G Program), will host a public open house on September 22, 2022, to provide the public with information about project progress.

  • Sediment Mobility, Closure Depth, and the Littoral System – Oregon and Washington Coast

    Abstract: Forty years ago, the depth of closure concept was introduced to provide a systematic, process-based approach to evaluate seasonal changes in cross-shore profiles and sediment mobility in the nearshore. This study aims to extend that theory by directly considering wave-asymmetry in the nearshore environment. This technical note introduces a methodology to calculate wave induced dispersal of dredged material placed in nearshore sites and summarizes analyses validating the approach using data from the South Jetty Site at the Mouth of the Columbia River. This investigation highlights the notion of a cross-shore gradient in nearshore placement effectiveness of dredged material that can assist project managers plan and execute sustainable sediment management practices at coastal inlets.

  • USACE Vicksburg District announces Project Partnership Agreement with cities of Quitman and Marion

    VICKSBURG, Miss. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District entered into Project Partnership Agreements (PPA) with the two cities, Marion and Quitman, Mississippi, September 12, 2022, as part of the Mississippi Environmental Infrastructure Program (Section 592).

  • Carlyle Lake Tri Event and Temporary Road Closures

    CARLYLE LAKE – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Carlyle Lake, in partnership with MSE Racing, will host the Carlyle Lake Tri on Sunday, 18 September 2022. The triathlon will begin in the Dam West Day Use Area at 6:30 a.m. and will consist of two groups, Sprint and Olympic Distance, competing in a timed swim, bike, and run course. The swim portion will take place on the south side of the Dam West Beach. The bike course will start at the Main Dam and will travel North on Clinton and Bond County roads. The route of the run course will take participants through the West Spillway, General Dean Recreation Area, East Spillway, across Saddle Dam II, and the Main Dam. While visiting Carlyle Lake during the triathlon, visitors are encouraged to take extra caution while driving in the areas of the triathlon course.

  • Corps announces county road reopenings for Interstate 29 grade raise project

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, along with the Metro Flood Diversion Authority and the North Dakota Department of Transportation, announce that construction in the Oxbow, Hickson, and Bakke area is nearing completion. County Roads 18 and 81 are now open for traffic in the north, south and east directions. The County Road 18 bridge over I-29 is nearing completion and another notice will notify the public when it is open to traffic in the coming weeks.

  • Stability Analysis of Old River Low Sill Structure

    Abstract: An updated stability analysis was performed on the Old River Low Sill Structure due to a change in the operating conditions from historic river sedimentation. Sedimentation of the Mississippi River channel since the 1973 spring flood has caused higher river stages at lower discharges. Numerical methods used included nonlinear analysis of pile group stability, seepage analyses, and limit equilibrium methods. The structure’s foundation was compromised during the 1973 flood, and emergency repairs were conducted to prevent scouring and undermining of the foundation by the flood scour. Rehabilitation included the reconstruction of a failed wing wall on the left abutment, rock and riprap fill in the forebay channel, and emergency grouting to fill the scour hole beneath the structure. An operating restriction was emplaced to limit the differential head across the structure due to flood damage. Taking these conditions into account, results from an updated analysis showed that full headwater uplift caused increased tension in the piles, while the increased body load caused increased compressive loads in the piles. Review of piezometric monitoring and the seepage analyses showed that full headwater uplift is unlikely, indicating the foundation grouting adequately sealed the scour hole beneath the structure. Analysis results exhibited lower magnitude compression and tension loads in the piles with design load cases compared to previous analyses. Recommendations from these analyses indicate that increased monitoring and additional investigation may support increasing the differential head limitation.

  • Properties and Detectability of Rogue Synthetic Biology (SynBio) Products in Complex Matrices

    Abstract: Synthetic biology (SynBio) aims to rationally engineer or modify traits of an organism or integrate the behaviors of multiple organisms into a singular functional organism through advanced genetic engineering techniques. One objective of this research was to determine the environmental persistence of engineered DNA in the environment. To accomplish this goal, the environmental persistence of legacy engineered DNA building blocks were targeted that laid the foundation for SynBio product development and application giving rise to “post-use products.” These building blocks include genetic constructs such as cloning and expression vectors, promoter/terminator elements, selectable markers, reporter genes, and multi-cloning sites. Shotgun sequencing of total DNA from water samples of pristine sites was performed and resultant sequence data mined for frequency of legacy recombinant DNA signatures. Another objective was to understand the fate of a standardized contemporary synthetic genetic construct (SC) in the context of various chassis systems/genetic configurations representing different degrees of “genetic bioavailability” to the environmental landscape. These studies were carried out using microcosms representing different environmental matrices (soils, waters, wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) liquor) and employed a novel genetic reporter system based on volatile organic compounds (VOC) detection to assess proliferation and persistence of the SC in the matrix over time.

  • Application of Clean Dredged Material to Facilitate Contaminated Sediment Source Control

    Abstract: Navigation channels, turning basins, and other US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)–managed navigation infrastructure often serve as repositories for contaminated sediment from off-site sources. As much as 10% of the material that USACE dredges on an annual basis is contaminated such that it requires additional and more costly management (for example, rehandling and placement in managed confined disposal facilities). Presence of contaminated sediments constrain potential management options resulting in additional costs and opportunity loss from the inability to beneficially use the material. One potential solution is applying clean dredged material to stabilize and isolate contaminated sediment sources, preventing further transport and introduction to USACE-managed infrastructure. This document summarizes a comprehensive literature review of laboratory and field case studies relevant to using clean dredged material to isolate or stabilize contaminated sediments, focusing on the physical, chemical, and biological parameters critical to establishing its feasibility and long-term effectiveness. Potentially effective engineering control measures were also reviewed where erosion and site hydrodynamics are facilitating the transport of contaminated sediments to USACE-maintained navigation infrastructure. This literature review documents and summarizes those factors considered in establishing feasibility and long-term effectiveness of the approach as well as the applicable engineering tools employed and constraints encountered.