13 Mar 2026

Walla Walla District Engineers among those recognized for innovative digital design of major navigation system

When a barge passes through a navigation lock along the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, few people think about the massive steel gates that quietly make the process possible. Behind those gates is a team of engineers and technical specialists from across the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, including experts from the Walla Walla District, using advanced digital modeling tools to design the next generation of infrastructure that keeps commerce moving along the nation’s inland waterways. Recently, the team’s work was recognized in the agency’s 2025 national awards program. Engineers and technicians supporting the project received the Computer-Aided Design/ Building Information Modeling Team Award of Excellence for their innovative design work supporting the navigation system. Personnel from the Walla Walla, Philadelphia, Mobile, Louisville, Little Rock, Tulsa and Rock Island districts collaborated to design replacement miter gates for 18 locks and dams on the navigation system.

21 Aug 2025

Dworshak’s “Skeleton Bay” flooded in key step toward regional energy growth

On the banks of the North Fork Clearwater River, a new chapter is being written for one of the Pacific Northwest’s most important hydropower resources. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Walla Walla District, in partnership with the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), has taken a key step toward expanding the Dworshak Dam powerhouse with a fourth generating unit.