19 Jul 2022

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District welcomes new commander

DETROIT – Lt. Col. Brett Boyle assumed command of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, today, in a Change of Command ceremony rich with symbolism and heritage. Boyle comes to Detroit after serving as a Chief Observer, Coach, and Trainer for the Protection Warfighting Function, at the Army’s Mission Command Training Program, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The district is responsible for an area which includes all of Michigan and parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Indiana – with 3,200 miles of Great Lakes shoreline. Along with the New Lock at the Soo project, the district maintains 81 federal navigation projects including the channels joining lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, St. Clair and Erie. Much of this work is carried out through offices located in Detroit, Duluth, Minnesota, Grand Haven, Michigan and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

26 May 2022

Corps of Engineers to replenish Michigan’s eroding beaches

DETROIT- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will use western Michigan harbor dredge material to nourish and replenish Lake Michigan beaches from recent high water level erosion. “Nourishing beaches using shoaled sand into these harbors rather than trucking in new material is very functional and cost effective,” said Grand Haven Resident Engineer Elizabeth Newell Wilkinson. “It allows for both dredging and beach nourishment.” The Corps of Engineers sampled and analyzed the harbor dredged material to determine if it is suitable for beneficial reuse as nearshore nourishment material. The sampling results indicate the proposed outer harbor dredge material is suitable for beneficial reuse as nourishment material. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) issued Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality Certifications for these projects.

2 Dec 2021

MacArthur Lock closing for seasonal repair, maintenance

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich., - The Soo Locks’ MacArthur Lock will close to marine traffic 7:00 a.m. Dec. 15, 2021 through 12:01 a.m. April 30, 2022 to perform critical maintenance. The Poe Lock will remain open until 11:59 p.m. Jan. 15, 2022 or until commercial traffic ceases, whichever occurs first. The operating season is fixed by federal regulation and is driven in part by vessel operation ability in typical ice conditions. “The 800-foot-long MacArthur Lock, built in 1943, is 78 years old; the maintenance period is critical to keeping the lock in operation during the shipping season,” Maintenance Branch Chief LeighAnn Ryckeghem said.

25 Jun 2021

USACE Chicago District hosts Great Lakes Inspection Tour

Last week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Chicago District, with the help of its sister districts in Detroit and Buffalo, hosted a Great Lakes and Ohio River Division Great Lakes Inspection Tour (GLINT) to engage local, state and federal senior leaders and develop strategic partnerships with a focus on improving Great Lakes coastal resiliency.

20 Apr 2021

New Lock at the Soo 2021 construction begins

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich., —The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) New Lock at the Soo project is on schedule as construction resumes on phase one and is initiated on phase two this week. Trade West Construction, Inc., and joint venture Kokosing-Alberici began moving equipment to the site the week of April 12 and 19. Trade West continues phase one, deepening the upstream channel to the Sabin and Davis Locks, which will be replaced by the new lock. USACE officials expect phase one completion in November 2021. Kokosing-Alberici is starting phase two this year, rehabilitating the upstream approach walls. This will stabilize the existing approach walls allowing modern vessels to tie up and wait their turn to pass through the new lock. Phase two should be complete by fall 2023, with winter seasonal breaks.

6 Sep 2019

USACE Buffalo, Detroit Districts complete 5-year study in Menominee AOC

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Buffalo and Detroit Districts, along with Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), and Ecology and Environment, Inc. completed a - five year project from 2014 to 2019 designed to manage invasive species across four riverine islands in the Menominee River.

The goal of the Menominee River Area of Concern (AOC) Aquatic Plant Control for Rookery Habitat Project was to reduce the abundance of invasive species, so native plant communities can thrive in the future, and protect the rookery.

15 Nov 2017

Diving in the St. Lawrence River to better understand Lake Erie and Ontario

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Buffalo District Dive Team, accompanied by USACE Detroit District Hydraulic Engineers, traveled north to the St. Lawrence River and installed an Acoustic Doppler Velocity Meter (ADVM) 4-miles upstream of Morristown, New York.

13 Oct 2016

Dive school prepares Corps of Engineers for high-risk projects

Two employees from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District staff recently completed dive school at the Sonny Carter Training Facility at NASA Neutral Buoyancy Lab in Houston, TX. For Safety Manager William Pioli, taking the one-week course was a refresher course required for his position, but for engineer Brian Dockstader, his three-week course provided specialized training to work on construction sites that require diving expertise.