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  • 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.

  • MKARNS Nav Notice SWL 22-48 Lock 1 Closure Update

    MKARNS - Norrell Lock (No. 1) NM 10.3 will go to 24-hour operation beginning at 7:01 P.M. on Friday, September 9th, 2022, until 6:59 A.M. on Friday, September 16th, 2022.

  • Army Corps of Engineers waives fees and invites volunteers to participate in National Public Lands Day, Sept. 24

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced today that it will waive day use fees normally charged at boat launch ramps and swimming beaches at its recreation areas nationwide in recognition of National Public Lands Day (NPLD) on Saturday, Sept. 24.

  • Evaluation of 11 Buildings in the Fort McCoy Cantonment

    Abstract: The US Congress codified the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA), the nation’s most effective cultural resources legislation to date, mostly through establishing the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The NHPA requires federal agencies to address their cultural re-sources, which are defined as any prehistoric or historic district, site, building, structure, or object. Section 110 of the NHPA requires federal agencies to inventory and evaluate their cultural resources, and Section 106 requires them to determine the effect of federal undertakings on those potentially eligible for the NRHP. Fort McCoy is in west-central Wisconsin, entirely within Monroe County. It was first established as the Sparta Maneuver Tract in 1909. The post was renamed Camp McCoy in 1926. Since 1974, it has been known as Fort McCoy. This report provides historic context and determinations of eligibility for buildings in the cantonment constructed between 1946 and 1975 and concludes that none are eligible for the NRHP. In consultation with the Wisconsin State Historic Preservation Officer (WISHPO), this work fulfills Section 110 requirements for these buildings.

  • USACE Real Estate executes recruiting mission on behalf of Army

    Recruiting is an essential task for the U.S. military to maintain its strength in numbers, and a recruiting office is where some start their military career. It can also be a prospective service member’s first impression of the military. 

  • Army Corps Supports Branch Week at USMA West Point

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, participated in Branch Week at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York ─ an annual event providing Cadets an opportunity to become more familiar with the different branches of the U.S. Army and meet with experienced Soldiers and Army leaders to discuss potential career paths.