20 Apr 2020

DHA Announcement Deckhand Dredge Hurley

Opening and Closing Dates:  4/20/20 – 4/24/2020 Position Title:  Deckhand Series/Grade:  Deckhand, XF-5788-06 Full Performance Level:  XF-06 Duty Location:  Official Duty Station is the Dredge Hurley, position requires (non-TDY) travel with the Hurley, shift work, and mandatory overtime.   Hourly Salary Range:  $19.15 - $22.34 Work Schedule:  Full-Time, Seasonal Appointment Type:  Permanent Travel Requirement:   Temporary Duty Travel is 5% of the time Who May Apply:  U.S. Citizens

20 Apr 2020

DHA Announcement Dredging Equipment Operator Hurley

Opening and Closing Dates: 4/20/20 – 4/24/2020 Position Title: Dredging Equipment Operator Series/Grade: Dredging Equipment Operator, XF-5401-12 Full Performance Level: XF-12 Duty Location: Official Duty Station is the Dredge Hurley, position requires (non-TDY) travel with the Hurley, shift work, and mandatory overtime. Hourly Salary Range: $28.76 - $33.57 Work Schedule: Full-Time Appointment Type: Permanent Travel Requirement: Temporary Duty Travel is 5% of the time Who May Apply: U.S. Citizens

20 Apr 2020

PUBLICATION NOTICE: Application of Chirp Acoustic Sub-Bottom Data in Riverine Environments: Identification of Underlying Rocky Hazards at Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and Thebes, Illinois

ABSTRACT: Shallow acoustic reflection (chirp) data have been utilized to map the elevation of underlying stratigraphy in a wide range of aqueous environments. Of particular concern in riverine regions is the elevation of near-surface underlying rock that, if exposed during normal migration of sedimentary bedforms, can cause grounding and damage to vessels transiting the region during periods of low water. Given the ephemeral nature of the rock’s exposure, traditional surveying methods are insufficient to map rock when it is covered by a thin veneer of sediment, increasing the potential hazard. Accordingly, the US Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District, (MVS) explored the use of chirp sub-bottom surveys to identify buried rock within the Mississippi River in the vicinity of Cape Girardeau, MO, and Thebes, IL. Hazard maps showing the distribution of buried rock were generated, and the base of the mobile sediment layer was identified where possible. These data will allow MVS to accurately identify potentially hazardous regions during periods of low water. Although the study did not result in the complete mapping of all near-surface geologic hazards, regions that warrant further study are identified, and modifications to the original survey plan are provided to improve the accuracy of future data collection efforts.

20 Apr 2020

PUBLICATION NOTICE: Bed-Load Transport Measurements on the Chippewa River Using the ISSDOTv2 Method

PURPOSE: This Regional Sediment Management (RSM) Technical Note (TN) provides information on bed-load measurements obtained on the Chippewa River, Wisconsin, in the spring of 2018. The ISSDOTv2 method was developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Engineering Research and Development Center (ERDC), Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL), River and Estuarine Engineering Branch. The method uses time-sequenced bathymetric data to determine a bed-load transport rate. When transport rates are obtained with concurrent flow-rate data, it is possible to develop bed-load rating curves. Such rating curves are extremely valuable in forecasting or hindcasting bed-load sediment delivery for the location at which the data were obtained. This is very important for river managers in developing sediment budgets and in the planning of dredging operations.  In the present study, the USACE Mississippi Valley Division (MVD), St. Paul District (MVP), had contracted with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for real-time monitoring of suspended-sediment concentrations (suspended sand load and bed-load sediment) on the lower Chippewa River, a major source and contributor of sand-sized sediment to the Upper Mississippi River (UMR). The bed-load values obtained using ISSDOTv2 are presented in this RSM TN.

20 Apr 2020

PUBLICATION NOTIFICATION: Local Spatial Dispersion for Multiscale Modeling of Geospatial Data: Exploring Dispersion Measures to Determine Optimal Raster Data Sample Sizes

ABSTRACT: Scale, or spatial resolution, plays a key role in interpreting the spatial structure of remote sensing imagery or other geospatially dependent data. These data are provided at various spatial scales. Determination of an optimal sample or pixel size can benefit geospatial models and environmental algorithms for information extraction that require multiple datasets at different resolutions. To address this, an analysis was conducted of multiple scale factors of spatial resolution to determine an optimal sample size for a geospatial dataset. Under the NET-CMO project at ERDC-GRL, a new approach was developed and implemented for determining optimal pixel sizes for images with disparate and heterogeneous spatial structure. The application of local spatial dispersion was investigated as a three-dimensional function to be optimized in a resampled image space. Images were resampled to progressively coarser spatial resolutions and stacked to create an image space within which pixel-level maxima of dispersion was mapped. A weighted mean of dispersion and sample sizes associated with the set of local maxima was calculated to determine a single optimal sample size for an image or dataset. This size best represents the spatial structure present in the data and is optimal for further geospatial modeling.

20 Apr 2020

PUBLICATION NOTICE: Design considerations for beneficial use sites along the Channel to Victoria, Calhoun County, Texas

Purpose: This U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Regional Sediment Management (RSM) investigation considered implementation of new or historically underutilized beneficial use (BU) sites for the Channel to Victoria (CTV) in Calhoun County, Texas. The utilization of alternative  placement areas is justified on two main grounds: (1) there is cost savings associated with the shorter pump distance compared to the existing upland confined placement areas and (2) shoaling reduction relative to a without project condition. Additional benefits realized by utilizing the proposed sites include (1) increased safety for vessels navigating CTV due to the reduction/elimination of open fetch and currents, (2) additional placement options available in times of emergency dredging, and (3) increased bird habitat, particularly for the endangered whooping crane. These sites have received National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) clearance in previous project documents, and it is anticipated minimal or no additional NEPA coordination will be required to construct/restore these sites.

20 Apr 2020

PUBLICATION NOTICE: New and Enhanced Tools for Civil Military Operations (NET-CMO)

Abstract: Civil Military Operations (CMO) associated geospatial modeling is intended to enable increased knowledge of regional stability, assist in Foreign Humanitarian Assistance (FHA), and provide support to Force Health Protection (FHP) operational planning tasks. However, current geoenabled methodologies and technologies are lacking in their overall capacity to support complex mission analysis efforts focused on understanding these important stability factors and mitigating threats to Army soldiers and civilian populations. CMO analysts, planners, and decision-makers do not have a robust capability to both spatially and quantitatively identify Regions of Interest (ROI), which may experience a proliferation in health risks such as vector-borne diseases in areas of future conflict. Additionally, due to this general absence of geoenabled health assessment models and derived end-products, CMO stakeholders are adversely impacted in their Military Decision Making Process (MDMP) capabilities to develop comprehensive area studies and plans such as Course of Action (COA). The NET-CMO project is focused on fostering emerging geoenabling capabilities and technologies to improve military situational awareness for assessment and planning of potential health threat-risk vulnerabilities.

20 Apr 2020

Corps announces April 30 LOSOM Project Delivery Team Meeting via Web

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, announces the next Project Delivery Team (PDT) meeting for the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM), to be held from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 30, as an online Web Meeting (revised meeting date).

20 Apr 2020

Alternate Care Facility construction complete in Michigan

DETROIT – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, announces that construction is complete at Michigan’s second Alternate Care Facility at Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. The facility is expected to begin accepting patients by the end of the week. The Suburban Collection Showplace Alternate Care Facility is one of the first in the Nation to be turned over to the state. Modeled after the TCF Regional Care Center in Detroit, construction included a triage area, patient support services such as showers and toilets, staff changing areas and administrative space, a command center and pharmacy. The 250,000 square foot conversion of the convention center into a medical facility with 250 bed spaces was originally designed to a capacity of up to 1,100 beds. “Engineering solutions to the Nation's toughest challenges is what we do,” said Lt. Col. Gregory Turner, commander, USACE, Detroit District. “We've worked closely with the State of Michigan to respond to the evolving situation in Michigan and to rapidly deliver projects to help our communities.”

17 Apr 2020

Primary Construction Work Completed at Harpersfield Dam

All major work within the Grand River has been completed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District of the Harpersfield Dam Sea Lamprey Barrier project located on the Grand River, in the town of Geneva, Ohio, with funding through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the non-federal partners.