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  • May

    As part of an U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC)-University project, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Walla Walla District Biologist Damian Walter is netting flowering rush plants for a feeding study at the ERDC Environmental Laboratory’s greenhouse on the Vicksburg, Mississippi, installation. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Dr. Nathan Harms)

    Aquatic Botany journal features biologist Damian Walter’s ERDC-U project

    U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Environmental Laboratory Research Biologist Dr. Nathan Harms co-authored a journal article as one of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Walla Walla District Wildlife Biologist Damien Walter’s 2019 ERDC University mentors.

  • March

    Two US Army Corps of Engineers employees inspect a flowering rush infestation from a boat.

    Corps of Engineers partners with states in fight against invasive aquatic plants

    Butomus umbellatus may conjure up images of a hippopotamus belly, but in reality, it is flowering rush, an aquatic invasive plant species that poses a grave threat to the Columbia River Basin’s aquatic ecosystems.
  • Brig. Gen. D. Peter Helmlinger, commander of the Corps’ Northwestern Division, and Lt. Col. Richard Childers, commander of the Walla Walla District, toured the Lucky Peak Dam Project, in Boise, Idaho, Thursday March 4.The tour was a way for district staff to discuss seasonal operating procedures during the pandemic.

    Brig. Gen. D. Peter Helmlinger speaks to Northwestern Division priorities during trip to Lucky Peak

    Brig. Gen. D. Peter Helmlinger, commander of the Corps’ Northwestern Division, came to Boise recently, to meet with Congressional staff, public officials and stakeholders.
  • Operations Project Manager Jeannette Wilson speaking at the 50th anniversary ceremony for Lower Monumental Lock and Dam in 2019.

    Finding a place at the Corps

    Finding the perfect career isn’t easy, but for Jeannette Wilson, becoming the operations project manager (OPM) at Lower Monumental Lock and Dam was like finding gold at the end of the rainbow.

  • February

    Summer Dellamater -- Power Plant Operator at Lower Monumental Lock and Dam

    Defining Hydropower: a glimpse into the world of a power plant operator

    Power plant operators are an integral to running a dam. But what does it mean to be an operator? To gain a better understanding of the job, we interviewed three power plant operators who work at dams in the Walla Walla District: Telzey Bartley, Billie Guille and Summer Dellamater.
  • diver submerged

    Divers perform inspection of Ice Harbor’s Removable Spillway Weir

    For the Corps of Engineers, the onset of colder weather signals the beginning of dive season. While perhaps not an official season, most dive work is scheduled between November and March, when salmon runs are at their lowest. On November 17, a team of divers suited up at Ice Harbor Dam to perform the required 3-year inspection of the Removable Spillway Weir.
  • Emily Klinefelter, Park Ranger with Lower Granite Natural Resource Office and Duke the German Shepherd.

    ‘He is focus and he’s freedom;’

    “I am 10th generation to serve,” Emily Klinefelter, Park Ranger with Lower Granite Natural Resource Office, said. “My grandmother filled my head with dreams about being a sailor. She served in WWII teaching young Americans and Russians how to use the anti-aircraft guns.”
  • Hurricane Maria devasted the agriculture and livestock industry on the island making it one of the costliest storms to hit the islandof Puerto Rico. An arial shot of the island taken on Oct. 5, 2017.

    Walla Walla District cost engineers provide expertise and support to FEMA and other federal agencies

    Natural disasters like floods and hurricanes can severely damage homes, businesses and infrastructure. Those who suffer damages in natural disasters can apply to FEMA for financial assistance. When this happens, a cost estimate is needed to determine how much money it would take to either repair or replace the structure in question.

  • January

    Caldwell Idaho 2017 flood model. Terrain Background

    Corps partners with Flood Control District 10 to create predictive model to manage the Boise River

    The Corps is using the latest technology to develop tools that communities in Idaho can use to predict flooding. The technology: Two-dimensional modelling.

  • November

    shrub-steppe habitat

    Improving Biodiversity in the Habitat Management Units

    Habitat Management Units, or HMUs, are different from other parks. While parks are maintained to provide recreational opportunities, HMUs are areas of land dedicated to environmental stewardship.

  • October

    Brad Trumbo, fish and wildlife biologist for the Walla Walla District, trimming coyote willow whips in the stilling basin of the Mill Creek Diversion Dam in Walla Walla.

    Corps repurposes native willow for habitat improvement

    In an effort to stabilize shorelines, protect cultural sites and improve habitat for fish and wildlife, Corps engineers, biologists and environmental scientists have repurposed native coyote willow found below the Mill Creek Diversion Dam at Rooks Park in Walla Walla.

  • August

    Hololens 2: The future of Engineering and Design

    Virtual reality has become a very real tool in the field of engineering.

  • Constructing Habitat for an Industrious Owl

    For most bird species, the concept of living underground would be considered strange. For the burrowing owl, living anywhere else would be unthinkable.

  • June

    2 men stand in long corridor with strange device, overlooking third man in a rectangular hole in the floor

    Corps employees develop debris removal device for safer fish passage at Little Goose Dam

    WALLA WALLA, WA – Two Corps employees at Little Goose Lock and Dam created a device that removed debris blockages within the dam.

  • May

    This edition highlights protecting and preserving the environment, in support of Environmental Operating Principle #4. The content within this issue showcases the extraordinary environmental stewardship efforts across the Army.

    The Corps Environment - May 2020 issue now available

    The Corps Environment May 2020 issue is now available. This edition highlights protecting and preserving the environment, in support of USACE's Environmental Operating Principle #4, and showcases extraordinary environmental stewardship efforts across the Army.

  • March

    Hear remarks by Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy and Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, USACE Commanding General and 54th U.S. Army Chief of Engineers, specific to support by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to the national Coronavirus response. These clips are excerpts from today's press conference in the Pentagon. The full event, including remarks by Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy; Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. James McConville; Army Corps of Engineers Commander Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite; and Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Scott Dingle can also be viewed here: https://facebook.com/DeptofDefense/videos/2643688735757461/

    Army to help convert vacant buildings into hospitals as COVID-19 spreads

    Army leaders announced plans to quickly convert unused buildings into makeshift hospitals in multiple states, starting in New York, as hospitals brace for medical shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This week, construction is set to kick off as the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan will be refitted into a 1,000-bed hospital and an additional 1,800 field medical stations, officials said. Soldiers from the New York National Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and civilian employees will prepare the medical facility, slated to begin operating in a week to 10 days. The race against the virus is “an unbelievably complicated problem” that needs a simple solution, said Lt. Gen. Todd T. Semonite, commanding general of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

  • Memo from the Director of Contracting re: COVID-19

    For USACE Contractors, As the Director of Contracting for the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, I wanted to personally reach out to all of you and let you know that we are actively monitoring the situation in regards to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Attached is the guidance we received on planning for potential Novel Coronavirus Contract Impacts.
  • phto of nav lock with text saying "temporarily closed for scheduled maintenance"

    20-010 Columbia and Snake river navigation locks will close March 7 for annual maintenance

    COLUMBIA & SNAKE RIVERS, Ore. & Wash. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Portland and Walla Walla districts will close all Corps navigation locks on the Columbia and Snake rivers March 7 at 6 a. m. for regularly scheduled annual inspections, preventative maintenance and repairs.

  • February

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, and Bonneville Power Administration, as co-lead agencies, are preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act on the operations, maintenance and configurations for 14 federal projects in the Columbia River System in the interior Columbia River Basin.

    Federal agencies release Columbia River System Operations draft environmental impact statement and preferred alternative

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation and Bonneville Power Administration today released the Columbia River System Operations draft environmental impact statement for a 45-day public review and comment period from February 28 - April 13, 2020. The draft includes the Preferred Alternative for the operations, maintenance and configuration of the 14 federal dam and reservoir projects that comprise the Columbia River System.

  • November

    Photo of green laser shining at night

    New laser at McNary Dam is the latest technology for deterring birds

    In an effort to discourage birds from snatching up juvenile salmon below McNary Dam, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Walla Walla District has bought a laser.