WEBVTT 00:00.009 --> 00:01.953 Welcome to another episode of Core 00:01.953 --> 00:04.239 Connection . As always , I'm your host , 00:04.250 --> 00:06.539 Patrick Bloodgood . In this episode , 00:06.550 --> 00:08.717 we take a deep look into what it takes 00:08.717 --> 00:10.661 to keep commerce flowing along our 00:10.661 --> 00:12.661 nation's rivers . We also travel to 00:12.661 --> 00:14.717 sunny Florida to escape the cold and 00:14.717 --> 00:16.439 take a look at a major project 00:16.439 --> 00:18.328 milestone to help with Everglades 00:18.328 --> 00:20.550 restoration . In addition , we'll go to 00:20.550 --> 00:22.328 Miami where USA is working with 00:22.328 --> 00:24.383 officials there to develop a plan to 00:24.383 --> 00:24.340 help the area mitigate the risks of 00:24.350 --> 00:26.659 coastal storm flooding . Those stories 00:26.670 --> 00:28.870 all coming up on this edition of Core 00:28.879 --> 00:29.540 Connection 00:40.770 --> 00:42.881 during the winter . Each year , usa's 00:42.881 --> 00:45.009 districts monitor snow pack and ice 00:45.020 --> 00:46.909 levels to help determine how much 00:46.909 --> 00:48.964 inflow may be expected in the spring 00:48.964 --> 00:51.076 from runoff as well as get an idea of 00:51.076 --> 00:52.853 when they can open the nation's 00:52.853 --> 00:55.020 waterborne navigation system for cargo 00:55.020 --> 00:56.798 to safely travel on some of the 00:56.798 --> 00:59.020 nation's inland waterways . We take you 00:59.020 --> 01:01.187 to the ST Paul district as they go out 01:01.187 --> 01:03.353 and take measurements on Lake Pepin to 01:03.353 --> 01:05.076 see exactly when they can open 01:05.076 --> 01:08.980 navigation season . Cole 01:09.029 --> 01:11.449 Atkinson , I'm a survey technician for 01:11.459 --> 01:13.626 the Saint Paul district of the US Army 01:13.626 --> 01:15.792 Corps of Engineers . So we're doing an 01:15.792 --> 01:19.589 ice survey 17 miles along Lake Pepin to 01:19.599 --> 01:21.655 check the thickness of the ice . The 01:21.655 --> 01:23.821 purpose of doing the ice surveys is to 01:23.821 --> 01:26.059 measure the ice thickness . Lake Pepin 01:26.069 --> 01:28.739 is the widest part of the Mississippi , 01:28.860 --> 01:32.199 Mississippi river . And so that allows 01:32.209 --> 01:34.610 us to get a good baseline as to how 01:34.620 --> 01:36.842 thick the ice is as opposed to the more 01:36.842 --> 01:39.176 narrow parts of the river . And in turn , 01:39.176 --> 01:41.449 that will show us when tools will be 01:41.459 --> 01:44.099 able to start going up the river or at 01:44.110 --> 01:45.999 least give us an estimate of when 01:45.999 --> 01:48.260 navigation of the channel can start to 01:48.269 --> 01:50.629 happen again . We go to a set of 01:50.639 --> 01:54.059 predetermined river and we will go to a 01:54.069 --> 01:56.339 river mile marker drill a hole , 01:56.349 --> 01:58.819 measure said hole and record that data 01:58.830 --> 02:01.790 between the thickness of white ice and 02:01.800 --> 02:04.069 blue ice . Blue ice being what 02:04.080 --> 02:06.080 everybody calls black ice . So it's 02:06.080 --> 02:08.860 more clear . Um And white ice would be 02:08.869 --> 02:11.036 white ice that has more air bubbles in 02:11.036 --> 02:13.202 it . Um After we record that data , we 02:13.202 --> 02:15.202 will then move on to the next river 02:15.202 --> 02:17.710 mile marker and we will continue to 02:17.720 --> 02:20.589 record that data until we set it up and 02:20.770 --> 02:23.649 then we can monitor the changes as the 02:23.660 --> 02:25.750 season passes . We stay with the ST 02:25.779 --> 02:27.723 Paul District and their navigation 02:27.723 --> 02:29.779 mission . The district sat down with 02:29.779 --> 02:31.946 one of their water managers to discuss 02:31.946 --> 02:33.946 exactly what he does to keep things 02:33.946 --> 02:35.779 moving along . The Mississippi , 02:38.580 --> 02:40.500 I'm Dan and I work in the water 02:40.509 --> 02:42.565 management section of the Saint Paul 02:42.565 --> 02:44.620 District , Army Corps of Engineers . 02:44.620 --> 02:46.676 It's my job every day to monitor the 02:46.676 --> 02:48.620 water levels on the Mississippi to 02:48.620 --> 02:50.842 ensure a navigable depth . So my day to 02:50.842 --> 02:53.440 day job is providing safe and reliable 02:53.449 --> 02:55.671 navigation and that means maintaining a 02:55.671 --> 02:58.369 minimum navigation depth of locks and 02:58.380 --> 03:01.123 dams on the mainstem , Mississippi 03:01.132 --> 03:04.402 don't have enough storage or ability to 03:04.813 --> 03:07.022 reduce flooding impacts . And instead 03:07.033 --> 03:09.200 they pull their gates out of the water 03:09.200 --> 03:11.200 and they let the river restore to a 03:11.200 --> 03:13.255 natural state and let all the floods 03:13.255 --> 03:15.366 close , pass as quickly as possible . 03:15.366 --> 03:17.533 What you're going to experience during 03:17.533 --> 03:20.742 a flood situation is that the , if you 03:20.753 --> 03:22.975 were go and see the locks of dams , you 03:22.975 --> 03:25.197 would see all their gates pulled out of 03:25.197 --> 03:27.420 the water at a certain point . And what 03:27.420 --> 03:29.586 you'll notice is that the tail water I 03:29.586 --> 03:31.697 e the water below the dam is going to 03:31.697 --> 03:33.966 come up and meet the pool level or the 03:33.975 --> 03:35.886 head water of the dam . And so 03:35.895 --> 03:38.835 literally , there's no room to evacuate 03:38.845 --> 03:41.065 any more water any quicker than the 03:41.076 --> 03:43.610 dams already do . Each dam is a little 03:43.619 --> 03:45.979 different as you go up and down the 03:45.990 --> 03:48.157 Mississippi . Each one has a different 03:48.157 --> 03:50.759 amount of threshold that they , when 03:50.770 --> 03:52.881 they reach a threshold that they have 03:52.881 --> 03:54.992 to pull the gates . But all of them , 03:54.992 --> 03:56.992 you will notice that the tail water 03:56.992 --> 03:59.214 will come up to meet the headwater . So 03:59.214 --> 04:01.381 from a water level management , as far 04:01.381 --> 04:03.548 as the navigation locks go , they just 04:03.548 --> 04:05.492 don't have the storage capacity to 04:05.492 --> 04:07.381 really reduce flood risk . And so 04:07.381 --> 04:09.492 that's why I like to think of them as 04:09.492 --> 04:11.603 drought control , not flood control . 04:11.603 --> 04:13.770 Keeping the nation's navigation system 04:13.770 --> 04:15.659 moving is a major task . One that 04:15.659 --> 04:17.603 requires annual maintenance during 04:17.603 --> 04:19.826 scheduled outages on the locks and dams 04:19.826 --> 04:21.881 throughout the entire US . The Walla 04:21.881 --> 04:24.048 Walla district recently caught up with 04:24.048 --> 04:25.937 their technicians as they perform 04:25.937 --> 04:25.589 annual maintenance on the navigation 04:25.600 --> 04:27.959 locks at mcnary and Snake River dams to 04:27.970 --> 04:30.137 talk about how important it is to keep 04:30.137 --> 04:31.970 these engineering marvels up and 04:31.970 --> 04:31.779 running 04:35.559 --> 04:37.670 recently , we had a NAV lock outage . 04:37.670 --> 04:40.790 We just completed a few days ago . It's 04:40.799 --> 04:44.140 about a 2 to 3 week outage usually and 04:44.359 --> 04:48.119 we inspect the NAV 04:48.130 --> 04:51.420 lock for damages either incurred by 04:51.429 --> 04:54.799 just usage or water water 04:54.809 --> 04:58.480 intrusion or concrete spall . It's an 04:58.489 --> 05:01.410 annual inspection . It was a rare 05:01.420 --> 05:04.320 opportunity to look at the locks in the 05:04.329 --> 05:06.390 dewatered and see everything that's 05:06.399 --> 05:09.670 involved with the infrastructure 05:09.890 --> 05:13.829 and what's done to maintain that . And 05:13.839 --> 05:16.549 this is one of the eight dams on the 05:16.559 --> 05:19.429 Columbia Snake River System and this is 05:19.440 --> 05:22.459 the seventh of the eight for me to tour . 05:22.570 --> 05:24.679 I'm currently the president of the 05:24.690 --> 05:27.049 Pacific Northwest Waterways Association . 05:27.369 --> 05:29.425 I'm a pork commissioner with Port of 05:29.425 --> 05:31.899 Whitman County and I am a grain grower 05:31.910 --> 05:35.339 in both Washington and Idaho . The 05:35.350 --> 05:37.730 Snake River Columbia River system is a 05:37.739 --> 05:40.570 river freeway and it is no different 05:40.579 --> 05:44.309 than interstate freeways and the dams 05:44.320 --> 05:46.809 are as important to the water freeway 05:46.820 --> 05:48.542 system as the bridge is to the 05:48.542 --> 05:51.209 interstate freeway system . And because 05:51.220 --> 05:55.100 of the work that is done at the same 05:55.109 --> 05:58.799 time , the grain companies can plan for 05:58.959 --> 06:02.720 the outages , the cruise ships can plan 06:02.730 --> 06:04.674 on the outages and because they're 06:04.674 --> 06:08.239 doing the work in advance of something 06:08.250 --> 06:11.440 that is catastrophic , the outages are 06:11.450 --> 06:13.929 minimal . The intent of the inspection 06:13.940 --> 06:16.619 ensures a safe operation throughout the 06:16.630 --> 06:19.470 year . For all the barges and 06:19.480 --> 06:21.549 recreational craft that we get . The 06:21.559 --> 06:23.726 team that came in and crawled all over 06:23.726 --> 06:25.670 it and inspected it . If they find 06:25.670 --> 06:27.670 something they let us know . So I'm 06:27.670 --> 06:27.500 pretty sure there's going to be a 06:27.510 --> 06:29.829 negative report . It will be good to 06:29.839 --> 06:31.630 operate another year until they 06:31.640 --> 06:33.760 inspected it . One of the very unique 06:33.769 --> 06:35.769 things about the Portland and Water 06:35.769 --> 06:38.950 Wallet District is they have an outage 06:38.959 --> 06:41.399 that is at the same time because the 06:41.410 --> 06:43.519 entire system , they're all 06:43.529 --> 06:46.239 interdependent and not all core 06:46.250 --> 06:48.880 districts work in conjunction 06:48.890 --> 06:51.001 throughout the country like these two 06:51.001 --> 06:53.929 in the Northwest Division does . And 06:53.940 --> 06:55.718 that's a good thing for all the 06:55.718 --> 06:58.260 consumers . The Pittsburgh district is 06:58.269 --> 07:00.380 working on a lock replacement project 07:00.380 --> 07:02.491 which will expand the capabilities of 07:02.491 --> 07:04.713 moving commerce along the Mangala River 07:04.713 --> 07:06.602 at Charleroi , Pennsylvania . The 07:06.602 --> 07:08.769 district takes us on a walking tour of 07:08.769 --> 07:11.047 this massive construction project . Hi , 07:11.047 --> 07:12.825 I'm Steve Di . I'm the resident 07:12.825 --> 07:14.825 engineer at the Lower Mont resident 07:14.825 --> 07:14.579 office for the US Army Corps of 07:14.589 --> 07:16.922 Engineers , Pittsburgh District . Today , 07:16.922 --> 07:19.145 I'm going to take you on a walking tour 07:19.145 --> 07:20.867 of the Charleroi River Chamber 07:20.867 --> 07:20.690 completion project 07:27.059 --> 07:29.281 for a lot of people . This is a once in 07:29.281 --> 07:31.337 a lifetime opportunity to be able to 07:31.337 --> 07:34.690 see these mass concrete place and 07:35.190 --> 07:37.619 go from nothing to what we have out 07:37.630 --> 07:40.089 here . Now . Everybody works on 07:40.100 --> 07:42.549 buildings , bridges , roads , not 07:42.559 --> 07:44.910 everybody but a lot of civil engineers 07:44.920 --> 07:46.920 do , but to have the opportunity to 07:46.920 --> 07:48.970 work on a large civil works project 07:48.980 --> 07:52.920 like this Dams . Lots , we don't 07:52.929 --> 07:56.380 build these every day . And it's a 07:56.390 --> 07:58.709 great opportunity to be involved in a 07:58.720 --> 08:00.942 project that's going to be here for the 08:00.942 --> 08:04.649 next 100 years . It's amazing to me 08:04.660 --> 08:08.250 that we build these sites to go from 08:08.260 --> 08:11.010 when I first was coming out here . This 08:11.019 --> 08:14.420 is still the old dam was here . We're 08:14.429 --> 08:18.019 building the , The coffer box and it 08:18.029 --> 08:20.130 was , this was all water through it 08:20.140 --> 08:22.269 like this was all the river . Now 08:22.279 --> 08:25.589 coming out here , we've placed about 08:25.600 --> 08:29.350 250,000 yards of concrete out here 08:29.489 --> 08:31.656 and this is what you end . With you go 08:31.656 --> 08:34.138 from nothing to something that's going 08:34.148 --> 08:36.148 to be here for the next 100 years . 08:36.148 --> 08:39.090 It's a great experience and to walk out 08:39.099 --> 08:41.099 here every day to be able to see it 08:41.099 --> 08:43.979 through the process . To me , that's , 08:44.489 --> 08:46.711 it's pretty amazing . I've been on this 08:46.711 --> 08:49.299 project for four years . A lot of hand 08:49.309 --> 08:51.960 off through the years . But I want to 08:51.969 --> 08:54.580 say I'm the third resident engineer on 08:54.590 --> 08:57.030 the project . You have these projects 08:57.039 --> 09:00.390 that last so long , you have to have a 09:00.400 --> 09:02.622 good stable of people coming up through 09:02.622 --> 09:04.400 the system to make sure you can 09:04.400 --> 09:06.567 transition these projects and complete 09:06.567 --> 09:09.080 it . The one thing about this project , 09:09.090 --> 09:11.034 you get a lot of steps in a lot of 09:11.034 --> 09:13.201 mileage on your boots . Walking around 09:13.201 --> 09:16.710 here . This is the upstream side of our 09:16.840 --> 09:19.090 new chamber . We've got our upstream 09:19.099 --> 09:21.849 bulkhead , our minor gates and you can 09:21.859 --> 09:24.450 see all eight intakes for the two 09:24.460 --> 09:26.627 culverts , the length of the chamber . 09:26.789 --> 09:28.900 The top part here is the M sill where 09:28.900 --> 09:30.900 you see the one gentleman walk in . 09:31.030 --> 09:33.479 That's where the mitr gates will close , 09:33.489 --> 09:35.789 create a seal so that we can lower the 09:35.799 --> 09:38.760 pool and keep it at low pool for 09:38.770 --> 09:41.549 locking boats . Currently , we're 09:41.559 --> 09:45.030 heading down into the Teril Basin so 09:45.039 --> 09:47.789 the water will come down the bulkhead 09:47.799 --> 09:50.380 here and then it will go into our 09:50.390 --> 09:52.334 culvert intakes . So there's eight 09:52.334 --> 09:55.650 intakes that come down into two 09:55.820 --> 09:58.690 culverts to fill the chamber . So how 09:58.700 --> 10:00.719 this works is we'll open our gates 10:00.919 --> 10:03.609 inside these intakes and it will pull 10:03.619 --> 10:06.150 the water in and the water will shoot 10:06.159 --> 10:08.239 down our culverts . And then we have 10:08.250 --> 10:10.599 some ports in here where the water will 10:10.609 --> 10:13.059 come out of the ports to fill the 10:13.070 --> 10:15.469 chamber up to the upper pool . So what 10:15.479 --> 10:19.390 these culverts do is they disperse the 10:19.400 --> 10:22.309 water at various points in the chamber 10:22.380 --> 10:26.260 to help fill the chamber safely 10:26.270 --> 10:29.469 consistently and it reduces the 10:29.479 --> 10:31.900 turbulence on the boats that are 10:31.909 --> 10:34.076 locking through the chamber . And in a 10:34.076 --> 10:35.909 couple of months , these will be 10:35.909 --> 10:38.450 underwater for a very long time . We'll 10:38.460 --> 10:40.404 be the last people to come through 10:40.404 --> 10:43.640 these chambers or these culverts for 10:43.650 --> 10:47.229 years until we dewater them . Again . I 10:47.239 --> 10:49.183 always think that the magnitude of 10:49.183 --> 10:53.070 these projects is so large that it's 10:53.080 --> 10:54.969 hard to picture just looking at a 10:54.969 --> 10:57.340 drawing or a picture . Like when you're 10:57.349 --> 11:01.289 actually walk in it and experiencing it , 11:01.299 --> 11:03.521 it's a completely different field . You 11:03.521 --> 11:05.688 don't , you get the magnitude the size 11:05.688 --> 11:09.590 of the project . So these are 11:09.599 --> 11:13.450 the covert intakes with our large 11:13.460 --> 11:15.239 trash racks which are 11:18.440 --> 11:21.590 just steel slats and these will stop 11:21.599 --> 11:23.488 any large debris from coming in . 11:33.500 --> 11:37.320 So this is called our gallery . 11:37.849 --> 11:41.840 Um So this was a big structure 11:42.549 --> 11:44.700 that when we're looking downstream , 11:45.059 --> 11:47.281 you saw the big concrete structure with 11:47.281 --> 11:49.448 the intakes right now , we are walking 11:49.448 --> 11:51.615 over the intakes in the future state . 11:51.615 --> 11:54.179 This whole area will be submerged 11:56.080 --> 11:58.080 when we're raising and lowering the 11:58.080 --> 12:01.530 pool for passing river traffic 12:06.859 --> 12:08.915 on our tour . We haven't done enough 12:08.915 --> 12:10.637 steps . So now we'll head up . 12:16.190 --> 12:18.412 This is where the lock operator will be 12:18.412 --> 12:20.549 working . They'll have computers and 12:20.559 --> 12:22.726 there's monitor cameras throughout the 12:22.726 --> 12:24.892 project where they'll be able to , the 12:24.892 --> 12:27.320 operator will be able to see different 12:27.330 --> 12:29.274 areas of the project while they're 12:29.274 --> 12:31.163 locking a boat through with a new 12:31.163 --> 12:33.386 chamber , it's wide enough designed for 12:33.386 --> 12:35.608 these new barges that they can keep the 12:35.608 --> 12:37.774 barges coupled together , floated into 12:37.774 --> 12:39.886 the chamber and get down on the lower 12:39.886 --> 12:41.997 pool or up pool and continue on their 12:41.997 --> 12:44.099 path . It will reduce the time for a 12:44.109 --> 12:47.489 lock in half at least . 12:47.979 --> 12:49.812 Thank you for joining us on this 12:49.812 --> 12:52.035 walking tour of the Charleroi project . 12:52.035 --> 12:53.979 We'll see you in a few months when 12:53.979 --> 12:53.890 we're filling the chamber with water . 13:02.820 --> 13:04.653 We turn our attention now to the 13:04.653 --> 13:06.764 Sunshine State where the Jacksonville 13:06.764 --> 13:08.653 District is continuing to work on 13:08.653 --> 13:10.764 projects to improve the environment , 13:10.764 --> 13:12.820 working to restore the vital Florida 13:12.820 --> 13:14.931 Everglades . They recently celebrated 13:14.931 --> 13:16.876 the start of construction on a new 13:16.876 --> 13:18.931 reservoir which will help send fresh 13:18.931 --> 13:21.153 water south through the Glades , the US 13:21.153 --> 13:23.320 Army Corps of Engineers , Jacksonville 13:23.320 --> 13:25.376 District and the South Florida Water 13:25.376 --> 13:27.542 Management District along with federal 13:27.542 --> 13:29.542 state and local stakeholders joined 13:29.542 --> 13:31.264 forces to break ground for the 13:31.264 --> 13:33.431 Everglades agricultural area reservoir 13:33.431 --> 13:35.840 project . Today's groundbreaking is 13:35.849 --> 13:38.400 testament to the fact that the Army 13:38.409 --> 13:40.353 Corps of Engineers , South Florida 13:40.353 --> 13:42.520 Water Management District , all of the 13:42.520 --> 13:44.409 stakeholders communities that are 13:44.409 --> 13:46.520 invested in these projects . They are 13:46.520 --> 13:48.687 up to the task . So congratulations to 13:48.687 --> 13:50.798 everybody for the groundbreaking here 13:50.798 --> 13:52.965 today with the backdrop of two massive 13:52.965 --> 13:55.187 granite piles used for the construction 13:55.187 --> 13:57.020 site . Colonel James Booth , the 13:57.020 --> 13:58.798 Jacksonville district commander 13:58.798 --> 14:00.965 welcomed the crowd and assured them of 14:00.965 --> 14:02.965 the continued commitment to advance 14:02.965 --> 14:05.076 Everglades projects and many consider 14:05.076 --> 14:06.909 the Everglades agricultural area 14:06.909 --> 14:09.076 reservoir to be the crown jewel of the 14:09.076 --> 14:11.131 comprehensive Everglades restoration 14:11.131 --> 14:13.298 plan . The reservoir is truly going to 14:13.298 --> 14:15.353 be a game changer for the everglades 14:15.353 --> 14:17.242 and for South Florida , we have a 14:17.242 --> 14:19.659 monumental project ahead of us . When 14:19.669 --> 14:22.270 completed , we will have built a 16 14:22.280 --> 14:24.880 square mile reservoir covering the area 14:24.890 --> 14:26.946 similar to the cities of Stewart and 14:26.946 --> 14:29.890 Fort Myers put together . The reservoir 14:29.900 --> 14:32.359 is one of 68 projects outlined in the 14:32.369 --> 14:34.630 comprehensive everglades restoration 14:34.640 --> 14:37.320 plan . The project is comprised of two 14:37.330 --> 14:40.020 main components , a storage reservoir 14:40.030 --> 14:41.974 and a storm water treatment area . 14:41.974 --> 14:44.086 Currently , we're moving forward with 14:44.086 --> 14:46.308 construction on the reservoir with what 14:46.308 --> 14:48.474 we call our contract 10 A which is the 14:48.474 --> 14:50.641 inflow outflow canal and seepage canal 14:50.641 --> 14:52.863 that project builds two canals north of 14:52.863 --> 14:54.919 the reservoir to help maintain water 14:54.919 --> 14:57.141 flow into the reservoir . That water is 14:57.141 --> 14:59.363 going to come from Lake Okeechobee into 14:59.363 --> 14:59.190 that canal and then flow into the 14:59.200 --> 15:01.299 reservoir . We then also have 15:01.309 --> 15:03.420 additional projects that are going to 15:03.420 --> 15:06.719 build a approximately 28-30-foot levee 15:06.729 --> 15:09.130 around this site . You is constructing 15:09.140 --> 15:12.200 a 10,500 acre reservoir . It is a 15:12.210 --> 15:14.390 massive deep water reservoir that will 15:14.400 --> 15:16.770 store excess lake old water preventing 15:16.780 --> 15:19.002 it from being discharged to the coast . 15:19.090 --> 15:21.201 Its footprint will span approximately 15:21.201 --> 15:23.830 16 square miles once complete . This 15:23.840 --> 15:26.007 project is massive because it , it can 15:26.007 --> 15:28.173 take water from Lake Okeechobee and so 15:28.173 --> 15:30.284 we can take about six inches of water 15:30.284 --> 15:32.284 off of Lake Okeechobee and bring it 15:32.284 --> 15:34.507 into this reservoir . So this reservoir 15:34.507 --> 15:34.309 is meant to hold a large amount of 15:34.320 --> 15:36.487 water so we can hold it during our wet 15:36.487 --> 15:38.598 season , we get a lot of water at one 15:38.598 --> 15:40.709 point in the summer . And then during 15:40.709 --> 15:42.653 the winter , we don't have as much 15:42.653 --> 15:42.539 water . So what this reservoir is doing 15:42.549 --> 15:44.549 is holding that water when we don't 15:44.549 --> 15:46.660 need it . And then when we do need it 15:46.660 --> 15:48.716 in the dryer season , it can send it 15:48.716 --> 15:50.882 south to the Everglades to rehydrate . 15:50.882 --> 15:52.660 The Everglades . The Everglades 15:52.660 --> 15:54.549 restoration is a 50 50 cost share 15:54.549 --> 15:56.382 arrangement by the Army Corps of 15:56.382 --> 15:58.493 Engineers and the South Florida Water 15:58.493 --> 16:00.716 Management District . The total cost of 16:00.716 --> 16:02.938 the Central Everglades planning project 16:02.938 --> 16:06.825 E A A phase is made it at $3.9 billion 16:06.835 --> 16:08.724 Everglades restoration builds 16:08.734 --> 16:10.914 resiliency for South Florida and the 16:10.924 --> 16:13.465 Everglades . This project is a major 16:13.474 --> 16:15.265 component of the Comprehensive 16:15.275 --> 16:17.575 Everglades restoration plan that 16:17.585 --> 16:19.864 provides engineering solutions for our 16:19.875 --> 16:22.065 nation's toughest challenges and 16:22.075 --> 16:24.474 reconnects Lake Okeechobee water to the 16:24.484 --> 16:26.715 Central Everglades . Now , here we are 16:26.724 --> 16:30.344 today . And this year , I mean , when , 16:30.880 --> 16:33.590 When have we turned a concept and an 16:33.599 --> 16:37.159 idea in Senate Bill 10 into finishing a 16:37.169 --> 16:40.070 wetland treatment system and starting a 16:40.080 --> 16:43.340 massive incredible reservoir in six 16:43.349 --> 16:45.750 years ? That doesn't happen . So , do 16:45.760 --> 16:47.840 not ever doubt the folks at the 16:47.849 --> 16:49.960 Jacksonville District . I see colonel 16:49.960 --> 16:52.071 Kirk that was there at the time . The 16:52.071 --> 16:54.071 Jacksonville District and the South 16:54.071 --> 16:56.071 Florida Water Management District . 16:56.071 --> 16:58.182 We're ready to get busy . We're going 16:58.182 --> 17:00.293 to get stuff done reporting for you . 17:00.293 --> 17:02.405 I'm Davina Fuller Bender in South Bay 17:02.405 --> 17:04.516 Florida . Sliding over to the coast . 17:04.516 --> 17:06.571 The Norfolk District is working with 17:06.571 --> 17:08.682 Miami Dade County to devise solutions 17:08.682 --> 17:10.738 on how best to protect the area from 17:10.738 --> 17:10.715 impacts of coastal storms through a 17:10.725 --> 17:12.962 multiple line of defense mix of and 17:12.972 --> 17:14.916 natural based solutions along with 17:14.916 --> 17:18.832 other engineered structures . Are there 17:19.911 --> 17:22.271 multiple stakeholders from around Miami 17:22.281 --> 17:24.503 Dade County met with us , army Corps of 17:24.503 --> 17:26.448 Engineers representatives during a 17:26.448 --> 17:28.392 shred held at the port of Miami in 17:28.392 --> 17:30.614 early March to work on reinitiating the 17:30.614 --> 17:32.781 Miami Dade Back Bay coastal storm risk 17:32.781 --> 17:35.003 management study . The updated study is 17:35.003 --> 17:36.670 looking to include additional 17:36.670 --> 17:38.670 alternatives with multiple lines of 17:38.670 --> 17:40.892 defense that include natural and nature 17:40.892 --> 17:43.059 based features to help reduce the risk 17:43.059 --> 17:45.003 to an area that is at high risk of 17:45.003 --> 17:47.114 damage from storm surge . Storm surge 17:47.114 --> 17:48.948 in particular is one of the most 17:48.948 --> 17:51.170 damaging and consequential aspects of a 17:51.170 --> 17:53.225 coastal storm or a hurricane . Miami 17:53.225 --> 17:55.114 Dade County developed the two new 17:55.114 --> 17:57.337 alternatives following an earlier shred 17:57.337 --> 17:59.337 held this last November . The first 17:59.337 --> 18:01.503 looks at living with the rising waters 18:01.503 --> 18:03.392 utilizes additional natural based 18:03.392 --> 18:05.281 features like living shorelines , 18:05.281 --> 18:07.225 restoring sub aquatic vegetation , 18:07.225 --> 18:09.114 mangrove trees as well as raising 18:09.114 --> 18:10.781 structures and flood proofing 18:10.781 --> 18:12.725 structures and infrastructure that 18:12.725 --> 18:14.837 can't be raised . We're doing what we 18:14.837 --> 18:16.948 call a reset to look at a more nature 18:16.948 --> 18:19.579 based approach . This is very important 18:19.589 --> 18:22.959 because we all here with the water and 18:22.969 --> 18:25.191 we don't want to just create barriers . 18:25.191 --> 18:27.319 We want to work on ways that we can 18:27.329 --> 18:31.119 divert water more naturally and work 18:31.130 --> 18:33.297 with our coastal cities . And also our 18:33.297 --> 18:35.619 Back Bay and inland cities to have a 18:35.630 --> 18:37.519 more equitable approach that will 18:37.519 --> 18:39.790 benefit more of our communities . The 18:39.800 --> 18:42.022 second alternative being looked at is a 18:42.022 --> 18:44.189 combination of measures , the Atlantic 18:44.189 --> 18:47.410 coastline incorporates 18:48.300 --> 18:51.869 previous studies , previous measures 18:51.880 --> 18:55.369 especially the um the Miami 18:55.380 --> 18:59.329 Beach renourishment which is already a 18:59.339 --> 19:02.530 core authorized project 19:03.219 --> 19:06.430 and reinforcing that project and then 19:07.339 --> 19:10.890 protecting the greater Back Bay area by 19:10.900 --> 19:13.099 coming up with other structural 19:13.109 --> 19:16.869 measures really to protect the whole 19:16.880 --> 19:19.900 back Bay in a multiple line of defense 19:19.910 --> 19:22.400 and it incorporates natural nature 19:22.410 --> 19:24.699 based features throughout this 19:24.709 --> 19:26.876 reinitiation process . Officials say a 19:26.876 --> 19:28.876 key component will be local input . 19:28.876 --> 19:31.042 We're looking forward to getting input 19:31.042 --> 19:33.310 from our community . We are committed 19:33.319 --> 19:37.150 to working with Miami Dade and getting 19:37.160 --> 19:40.250 feedback from the public which is 19:40.260 --> 19:43.219 critical to the success of this project 19:43.229 --> 19:46.589 to get buy in from the 19:46.599 --> 19:48.969 public that this is part of their 19:48.979 --> 19:52.949 solution to mitigating storm risk . The 19:52.959 --> 19:54.737 additional alternatives will be 19:54.737 --> 19:56.959 presented to the Assistant Secretary of 19:56.959 --> 19:58.681 the Army for Civil Works , the 19:58.681 --> 20:00.848 honorable Michael Connor in August for 20:00.848 --> 20:03.070 an evaluation of whether it can proceed 20:03.070 --> 20:05.348 further or not . If given the approval , 20:05.348 --> 20:07.181 a full feasibility study will be 20:07.181 --> 20:09.292 conducted and additional public input 20:09.292 --> 20:11.459 will be sought . We're so pleased that 20:11.459 --> 20:13.626 we've had multiple offices of the cops 20:13.626 --> 20:15.070 involved and that in this 20:15.070 --> 20:17.292 administration with Assistant Secretary 20:17.292 --> 20:19.181 Connor , we've been able to say , 20:19.181 --> 20:21.500 please let's start fresh and look at 20:21.510 --> 20:24.869 some new alternatives that uh will be 20:24.880 --> 20:27.380 better received . Better 20:27.829 --> 20:31.489 accepted by our community as well to 20:31.500 --> 20:33.556 incorporate some of the Nature Based 20:33.556 --> 20:35.800 Solutions that are gaining prominence 20:35.810 --> 20:38.109 all around the world from Miami Florida 20:38.239 --> 20:41.630 Patrick that completes this month's 20:41.640 --> 20:44.219 edition of Core Connection . We will be 20:44.229 --> 20:46.451 back next month to once again highlight 20:46.451 --> 20:48.673 what your US army Corps of engineers is 20:48.673 --> 20:50.896 doing for the nation and our servicemen 20:50.896 --> 20:52.951 and women . Until then , this is Ben 20:52.951 --> 20:53.790 core connection .