Home / Media / News / NewsSearch

  • Environmental Evaluation and Management of Dredged Material for Beneficial Use: A Regional Beneficial Use Testing Manual for the Great Lakes

    Abstract: The Environmental Evaluation and Management of Dredged Material for Beneficial Use: A Regional Beneficial Use Testing Manual for the Great Lakes (a.k.a. Great Lakes Beneficial Use Testing Manual) is a resource document providing technical guidance for evaluating the suitability of dredged sediment for beneficial use in aquatic and terrestrial environments in the Great Lakes region. The procedures in this manual are based on the Environmental Laboratory extensive research, working with US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Great Lakes districts, state resource agencies, and local stakeholders seeking to develop dredged material beneficial use alternatives consistent with regional needs and goals. This manual is the first guidance document developed by USACE for evaluating the environmental suitability of dredged material specifically for beneficial use placements. It provides a tiered framework for evaluating the environmental suitability of aquatic and upland beneficial uses consistent with the Inland Testing Manual and the Upland Testing Manual. This manual is intended to serve as a regional platform to increase collaborative problem-solving and endorse a common understanding of the scientific and institutional practices for evaluating dredged material for any beneficial use. Dredged sediment may be managed as a valuable resource, with great potential to create economic, environmental, and social benefits.

  • Corps seeks public comments on Big Lake restoration project

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is seeking public comments on the Lower Pool 4 Big Lake Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project and will host a public meeting Aug. 29, from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. at Wabasha-Kellogg High School

  • Realizing Multiple Benefits in a Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Project through Application of Engineering With Nature® Principles

    PURPOSE: The application of Engineering With Nature® (EWN®) principles in urban environments and watersheds within and outside the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is increasing. Extreme rainfall events have triggered the need and development of more sustainable urban infrastructure in urban areas such as New Orleans, Louisiana. This technical note documents a USACE–New Orleans District (MVN) project that successfully applied EWN principles in an urban landscape to reduce flood risk while providing other environmental, social, economic, and engineering benefits to both the community and the environment.

  • Oyster Reef Connectivity: Ecological Benefits and Associated Vulnerabilities

    OVERVIEW: Global oyster abundance has declined ~85 % over the past 200 years, primarily because of overharvesting (Beck, Brumbaugh, and Airoldi 2011; Kirby 2004). Healthy oyster reef systems benefit the environment in many ways, including water-quality improvement, shoreline protection, increased biological and habitat diversity, and carbon sequestration. To maintain these environmental benefits, reef-restoration efforts that produce healthy, sustainable oyster reefs are essential. To this end, the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has been involved in reef-restoration projects in many locations, including extensive efforts in the Chesapeake Bay (Virginia, Maryland), coastal regions of New York and New Jersey, and the Gulf of Mexico.

  • USACE Vicksburg District announces Lake Greeson shoreline volunteer clean-up

    VICKSBURG, Miss. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District announces a shoreline volunteer clean-up at Lake Greeson from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. on Sept. 17.

  • USACE Louisville District supports recovery efforts in eastern Kentucky following severe flooding

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District is working in partnership with local, state and federal agencies in response to severe flooding, which impacted eastern Kentucky, July 26-30, 2022. USACE works under the direction of FEMA to support state and local governments in responding to major disasters serving as the lead agency to respond with public works and engineering support.

  • Dry Creek Restoration Project gets underway with Aug. 16 ceremony at Gallo Site

    GEYSERVILLE, Calif. – Please join the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers San Francisco District (USACE), Sonoma Water and key local partners as they commemorate the start of construction for the Dry Creek Ecosystem Restoration Phase 1 Project.

  • High heat, drought conditions impact recreation at Hammond Lake

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Hammond Lake encourages continued safety for the visiting public as high temperatures and drought conditions continue to impact recreation.

  • Restoring bird habitats while sustaining ours

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, North Atlantic Division is collaborating with other agencies and organizations on dredging and beneficial use projects. The projects involve dredging critical navigation channels and using the sediment to restore vanishing bird habitats while also enhancing resilience for coastal communities. 

  • Evaluation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Flood Risk Management: Results of Terrain and Structure Assessments

    Abstract: The 2017 Duck Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Pilot Experiment was conducted by the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory, Field Research Facility (FRF), to assess the potential for different UAS to support US Army Corps of Engineers coastal and flood risk management. By involving participants from multiple ERDC laboratories, federal agencies, academia, and private industry, the work unit leads were able to leverage assets, resources, and expertise to assess data from multiple UAS. This report compares datasets from several UAS to assess their potential to survey and observe coastal terrain and structures. In this report, UAS data product accuracy was analyzed within the context of three potential applications: (1) general coastal terrain survey accuracy across the FRF property; (2) small-scale feature detection and observation within the experiment infrastructure area; and (3) accuracy for surveying coastal foredunes. The report concludes by presenting tradeoffs between UAS accuracy and the cost to operate to aid in selection of the best UAS for a particular task. While the technology and exact UAS models vary through time, the lessons learned from this study illustrate that UAS are available at a variety of costs to satisfy varying coastal management data needs.