USACE News

/ /

Levees are a vital part of modern flood risk management. They are part of flood defense systems that may also include flood walls, pumping stations, gates closures, and other associated structures. These elements work together to reduce risk to human life and reduce economic damages from flood events. — USACE extends comment period on draft National Levee Safety Guidelines

'The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced today it is extending the comment period on the draft first edition of the National Levee Safety Guidelines to Aug. 31, 2024. The guidelines were developed with stakeholder input under the National Levee Safety Program and released for public review on...'

7/19/2024
Read More

HQ USACE NEWS RELEASES

Water Resources Development Act of 2024 public comment period

March 6, 2025

News Stories

Archive: 2020

Clear

April

16 Apr 2020
Sandy Lake Dam Rehabilitation Project, Aitkin County, Minnesota
Over its history, Sandy Lake Dam has undergone a series of modifications, repairs and periodic inspections. From 2011 to 2016, a series of above and below water inspections identified several features that had deteriorated to a point that repair or replacement were necessary to maintain the long-term stability of the structure. Sandy Lake Dam is located on the Sandy River in Aitkin County, Minnesota, 1.25 miles upstream of the junction between the Sandy River and Mississippi River.
16 Apr 2020
Re-Purposing Water Safety Materials in a Time of Crisis
John W. Flannagan and North Fork of Pound donate water safety bandanas for re-purposing into much needed protective face masks for Dickenson County Sheriff’s Office and Dickenson County Emergency Services.
16 Apr 2020
Lac qui Parle Dam Emergency Spillway; Watson, Minnesota
The Lac qui Parle dike and emergency spillway is designed to retain the Lac qui Parle Reservoir during times of flood but is designed for over topping during extreme events. The overtop elevation of the spillway is 940.75 feet. The Lac qui Parle Dam is located on the upper Minnesota River 30 miles east of the South Dakota border. The dam is about 7 river miles upstream of Montevideo, Minnesota. The dike and emergency spillway is adjacent to and west of the dam between the dam and County Hwy 75. The damaged area of the spillway extends approximately 2,500 feet from the dam.
16 Apr 2020
Despite pandemic, high school intern works with USACE to complete project
Although COVID-19 virus has led to the cancellation of many of the traditional high school rites of passage around the country, a passion for engineering and an assist from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Middle East District (TAM) helped high school senior Sally Sydnor maintain some sense of normalcy during a final year of high school that has been anything but. Sydnor was in the middle of an engineering internship with the district when schools closed for the year. With her senior year unexpectedly coming to an end, Sydnor decided to see if there was a way she could continue her engineering project.
16 Apr 2020
Mississippi River: Lock and Dam 4 Winter Maintenance, Alma, Wisconsin
Purpose of this project is to assure proper periodic maintenance and subsequent operation of the Lock and Dam 4 system. Lock and Dam 4 is located in Alma, Wisconsin. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed the facility in 1935 as part of the overall 9-foot channel navigation project, and it began operation in the same year.
16 Apr 2020
Far East District employees find innovative solutions to support mission while teleworking
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea –Due to the global pandemic, COVID 19, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Far East District (FED) has reduced its manpower to mission essential only reporting to the office daily. In an effort to stop the spread of the virus, many district employees have adopted a telework schedule.
15 Apr 2020
Team successfully tests new unmanned autonomous surface vessel
Anxious at first about the specter of possible software glitches that would derail the project, the U.S. Army Engineer and Development Center’s Justin Wilkens, a research biologist with the Environmental Laboratory, soon confirmed that everything was functioning well. He and a team of other EL research biologists, including Dr. Guilherme Lotufo and Dr. Mark Ballentine, visited Vieques, an island off the coast of Puerto Rico, for five days in February to demonstrate a new unmanned autonomous surface vessel, or USV.
15 Apr 2020
Social distancing, the MVM mission
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has several recommendations in place to try and stop the spread of this monstrous virus, to include such measures as wearing a face mask when out in public and practicing what has become mandated in many states: social distancing. While social distancing and other precautions are in place for the right reasons, they can unfortunately have a challenging impact on business operations. Especially difficult is when your employees cannot do their job behind a computer. So what do they do?
15 Apr 2020
Fort Worth District’s employee USACE Dam Safety Professional of the Year award
Sarwenaj Ashraf, or Sarvi Ashraf as she is known in the Fort Worth District, has won the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Dam Safety Professional of the year award. Although her home station is in the Fort Worth District, Ashraf is the USACE Dam Safety Program Manager. The Dam Safety Program ensures that the dams deliver their intended benefits while reducing risks to people, property and the environment through continuous assessment, communication and management. USACE dams and levees are a part of America’s landscape and provide critical benefits to the communities around them.
14 Apr 2020
USACE civilian graduates DINFOS: A peek into his experience there
Q: Describe your public affairs experience? A: I started working for the US Army Corps of Engineers as a public affairs specialist in August 2018. Prior to working for the Corps, I was a photographer for the Army’s Multimedia Visual Information Directorate working at the Pentagon. Prior to federal service I spent five years as a mass communication specialist in the U.S. Navy. In addition, I have degrees in journalism and professional media. Q: What class did you attend? A: I attended the Department of Defense’s Public Affairs Qualification Course at the Defense Information School on Ft. Meade, Maryland.

News Releases

Archive: 2020

Clear

14 Aug 2020
Smith’s Island Recreation Area Closed Until Further Notice
Due to safety concerns related to storm damage, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has closed the Smith’s Island Recreation Area until further notice.
14 Aug 2020
USACE awards first contract for new Alameda VA facility
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District awarded a services contract August 7 to Adanta Inc., of Napa, California to restore a self-sustaining tidal marsh at the site of the future VA clinic on Alameda Point, California. The VA Northern California Health Care System will administer the new clinic.
14 Aug 2020
Hop Brook Lake Reopens
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood risk management and recreation area at Hop Brook Lake in
13 Aug 2020
John W. Flannagan and North Fork of Pound River Lakes Master Plans Revision
The Huntington District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), hereby informs the public of the initiation of the process to update the John W. Flannagan Lake and North Fork of Pound River Lake Master Plans into one Regional Master Plan and Integrated Environmental Assessment. USACE defines a master plan as the strategic land use management document that guides the comprehensive management and development of all recreational, natural, and cultural resources throughout the life of the water resource development projects. The master plans are a vital tool produced and used by USACE to guide the responsible stewardship of USACE-administered lands and resources for the benefit of present and future generations. Public participation is critical to the successful revision of the master plans.
13 Aug 2020
Corps of Engineers closes Missouri River Levee System L-536 breach near Corning, Missouri
OMAHA, Neb. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District closed another breach along the Missouri River Levee System L-536, northwest of Corning, Missouri Saturday.
12 Aug 2020
MKARNS Nav Notice SWL 20-49 Lock 4 Sailing Instruction Lifted
MKARNS - The sailing instruction for the downstream approach to Emmett Sanders Lock (No. 4) NM 66.0, as noted in Navigation Notice SWL 20-42 has been lifted.
12 Aug 2020
Volksweg Trail Extension Now Open to Cordova Park
The newest section of the Volksweg Trail at Lake Red Rock is now complete and open to the public. This extension adds an additional 2.5 miles of trail from the Roberts Creek trailhead west to Cordova County Park. The full length of the Volksweg is now over 17 miles.
12 Aug 2020
Boat Launch Ramp to Close, Dam Face Work Continues
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District’s East Branch Lake Dam announces its boat launch ramp will close Monday, Aug. 24 due to falling lake levels and urges continued caution to travelers as dam construction work continues.
11 Aug 2020
Mississippi River Commission schedules low-water inspection trip
The Mississippi River Commission will conduct its annual low-water inspection trip on the Mississippi River, August 24 – 28, 2020.
11 Aug 2020
Waste Management Disposal Services of Maine seeks permit for landfill expansion in Norridgewock
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District received a permit application from Waste Management Disposal Services of Maine, Incorporated, for proposed work in freshwater wetlands adjacent to 357 Mercer Road, Norridgewock, Maine. The work involves a 48.6 acre expansion of an existing landfill on the 933 acre property the applicant owns.