Home / Media / News / NewsSearch
Results:
Tag: innovation
Clear

  • Ad astra per aspera: Kansas a global leader in solving sediment challenges

    The year was 1952. The world’s first rock and roll concert was held in Cleveland, Ohio, Mr. Potato Head was the first toy advertised on TV, Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected president and Elizabeth II was proclaimed Queen of England. Post-WWII America was rife with invention and innovation. New technologies and scientific advances included development of the Polio vaccine, the first commercial computer and the first airbag for cars. In the heart of America, however, communities were recovering from devastating flooding from the previous year. The Great Flood of 1951 destroyed thousands of homes, farms and businesses in the Kansas River Basin, causing over $725 million of damage. Despite the destruction it caused, the historic flood set in motion the final piece needed for the construction of one of Kansas’s most vital water resources – Tuttle Creek Dam and Reservoir.

  • McAlpine Lock and Dam tests AI cameras to revolutionize data collection, improve operational efficiency

    The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center recently installed six new CorpsCam cameras at McAlpine Lock and Dam in Louisville, Kentucky, to explore the use of imagery in automating the Lock Performance Management System. Currently, LPMS relies on manual data entry by lock operators.

  • Innovative Water Injection Dredging pilot project set to begin Sept. 17 at Tuttle Creek Lake

    The Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in partnership with the Kansas Water Office, is pleased to announce the start of the first demonstration period for the innovative Water Injection Dredging project at Tuttle Creek Lake. The demonstration will take place from September 17 to 27, 2025, providing a real-world assessment of Water Injection Dredging's effectiveness for sediment management within inland reservoirs. This pioneering project aims to evaluate Water Injection Dredging (WID) and downstream discharge of sediment as a potential alternative to traditional mechanical dredging with offsite sediment disposal. WID uses a controlled injection of water, under pressure, to resuspend sediment from the reservoir bed and create a density current, allowing it to be carried downstream by gravity and the natural current.

  • The Kansas City District tests AI and GoPro technology to improve roadway and campground maintenance with new pilot program

    The Kansas City District has long played a significant role in testing and implementing new approaches to conducting work across its sprawling footprint in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa. Now, a new pilot program that leverages GoPro cameras and Artificial Intelligence technology reflects a broader commitment to using these tools for smarter, more efficient ways to serve the needs of the public it serves across the region.

  • Building together: USACE highlights regional needs, invites business innovation

    The Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Northwest Posts hosted the Meet the Chiefs 2025 Regional Event on June 17, at the Seattle Airport Marriott. This gathering brought together leaders from key federal agencies and industry partners for a full day of strategic insights, networking, and future planning.

  • Overcoming challenges to meld history with modernity for the USAFA’s innovation center

    On April 25, 2025, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District leaders attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the U.S. Air Force Academy’s new Madera Cyber Innovation Center. The Omaha District led the military construction effort of this 48,000 square foot facility, which broke ground in 2021.

  • OPTIC: Transforming Mission Planning with Safety, Efficiency, and Innovation

    The proliferation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in civil works, emergency response, and military applications is the primary driver for development of the Operator’s Tool for Information Collection (OPTIC). Designed to meet operational needs, OPTIC leverages decades of experience to improve mission planning, operational tracking, and data-driven decisions for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).

  • New innovation earns Ice Harbor Lock and Dam recognition

    Ice Harbor Lock and Dam has been honored as the Infrastructure Project of the Year by the American Shotcrete Association, due to a groundbreaking initiative to enhance hydroelectric efficiency and improve fish survival.

  • It’s electric! One-of-a-kind fish barrier project aims to preserve walleye population

    From a young age, most are taught electricity and water don’t mix. While there is certainly truth to this statement, there are some exceptions. At Rathbun Lake in southern Iowa, engineers and scientists are working to design a one-of-a-kind electric barrier to deter fish from escaping downstream of the reservoir—all happening under water. The Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates and maintains the dam and reservoir at Rathbun Lake, but the Iowa Department of Natural Resources maintains the fish hatchery and fish population found there. Together, along with partners from Iowa State University and the private sector, USACE and the Iowa DNR are hard at work to make the seemingly impossible happen—create a safe, effective underwater electric fish barrier to keep walleye in the reservoir.

  • ERDC celebrates Army’s first hydrogen-powered nanogrid

    In December 2024, the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) has unveiled a cutting-edge hydrogen-powered small microgrid (nanogrid) at the White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) in New Mexico.