An aerial view of snow-covered Cook Mountain near Johnagan Creek in Clearwater County, Idaho, rises 3,041 feet above sea level, captured during the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District’s annual snow flight, April 10. Conducted in collaboration with the Idaho Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, this mission helps engineers with the Water Management Team of the Walla Walla District, assess mountain snowpack—nature’s high-altitude water reserve—crucial for forecasting regional water flow that sustains rivers, farms, and communities.

The power grid produces as it is consumed. Energy production rises and falls in tandem with human activity, allowing electricity to flow continuously into homes and businesses. However, this flow can be interrupted.

Nestled along the Boise River, just five miles from downtown Boise, lies the Barber Pool Conservation Area (BPCA), an aquatic and riparian ecosystem spanning over 700 acres, one of the largest natural areas dedicated to wildlife found within an American capital city. Known for its lush habitats and migratory bird stopovers, the BPCA is now the focus of restoration initiative led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Walla Walla District (USACE ) and Boise State University.

Born and raised only 30 miles away from the Walla Walla District headquarters, a young Dayton native never knew much about the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It wasn’t until after college that Ryan Laughery, hydraulics engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District, would come to realize the world of opportunities awaiting him one town over.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District, is soliciting public and agency comments regarding the scope of the Barber Pool Conservation Area Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study. USACE, in partnership with the non-federal sponsor, Boise State University, is developing a plan to restore aquatic and riparian habitats on the Boise River and prepare a Feasibility Report/Environmental Assessment under the Continuing Authorities Program, Section 1135.

It started in 1979 on the dirt streets of Zacatecas, Mexico, where a young boy named Juan Gaytan dreamed of a better life in the United States.

The Walla Walla District constructs, operates, maintains, and secures multipurpose infrastructure to energize the economy, reduce flood risk, and serve as stewards of water resources for the Snake River Basin and the Nation.