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  • Corps increases water releases from Lake Okeechobee

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District has increased the amount of water flowing from Lake Okeechobee to the Caloosahatchee River. The new target flow from the lake to the Caloosahatchee Estuary is 1,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) as measured at W.P. Franklin Lock (S-79) near Fort Myers. There are no target releases for the St. Lucie Estuary, although runoff from the St. Lucie Canal will continue to pass through the St. Lucie Lock as needed.

  • St. Lucie Canal between Stuart and Palm City to partially close for construction

    There is a scheduled closure of St. Lucie Canal South Fork at the Indian Street Bridge construction zone between Stuart and Palm City in Martin County, Fla. There will be a daily waterway closure from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. starting Feb. 18 through March 4, 2013.

  • Federal, state partners celebrate completion of key component in Everglades restoration

    Federal and state partners celebrated the completion of a key component in improving freshwater deliveries to the southern end of the Everglades ecosystem Jan. 11 in Homestead, Fla., at the C-111 Spreader Canal Western Project Dedication Ceremony.

  • Milestones reached at Herbert Hoover Dike as dedication to water management balance continues

    The past year saw both low water and high water at Lake Okeechobee, as well as completion of one project and the start of others on Herbert Hoover Dike (HHD). The best news occurred in October, when the last section of cutoff wall in the dike between Port Mayaca and Belle Glade was accepted by Jacksonville District construction representatives. The action meant 21.4 miles of cutoff wall that had been under construction since 2007 was in place, reducing the risk of failure for the southeast portion of the dike.

  • Invasive Species biologists combat explosion of aquatic plant growth

    The year 2012 brought many challenges for the Invasive Species Management (ISM) Branch to tackle. Multiple factors led to the highest levels of water hyacinth on Lake Okeechobee since 1986. Water hyacinth invades lakes, ponds, rivers, marshes and other types of wetland habitats. According to the Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System website, water hyacinth can reproduce and quickly form dense floating mats of vegetation, sometimes doubling in size over a two week period. These dense mats reduce light and deplete oxygen levels for submerged plants and aquatic invertebrates.

  • Ports are focus of national spotlight in 2012

    Ports were thrust into the national spotlight in 2012 after President Obama announced the “We Can’t Wait” Initiative, which placed several of Jacksonville District’s port projects and studies onto the fast track for implementation. As a part of the initiative, President Obama identified seven nationally and regionally significant infrastructure projects to be expedited to help modernize and expand five major ports in the United States, including the port of Jacksonville and the port of Miami.

  • When the call comes, Jacksonville District team members respond

    Jacksonville District’s Emergency Management Branch has been working with nearly 50 district employees on deployment missions at home and abroad during 2012. At the end of November, 32 district team members had deployed to Afghanistan, while 16 others had responded to three tropical systems that impacted Florida and the north Atlantic – 12 were sent to New Jersey and New York to assist with emergency response following Hurricane Sandy, while seven others had earlier assisted with damage assessment following Tropical Storms Debby and Isaac.

  • Dredging and beach programs experience active year

    Florida’s shorelines saw a flurry of activity during 2012. The state experienced several storm systems that caused erosion impacts to a host of federal beach projects. In addition, a few beaches saw new sand placed on their shores as a result of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ dredging projects.

  • Jacksonville District uses unique technology to search for munitions debris

    A large munitions response site, coupled with heavy vegetation and hazardous wildlife, provided ideal conditions for Jacksonville District to use a helicopter magnetometer for initial fieldwork at the Avon Park Formerly Used Defense Site Sept. 28.

  • Week of Valor event aims to connect

    U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus and Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown kicked off the city of Jacksonville’s Veterans Jobs Fair Nov. 9. More than 90 companies and universities participated in the event, which attracted nearly 1,000 job-seeking veterans.