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  • August

    Gathright Dam located in Alleghany County, Va., impounds the water flowing down the Jackson River to create the 2,500 acre Lake Moomaw. The dam has prevented numerous floods over its 30 plus year existence saving countless dollars and lives.

    Gathright Dam ‘pulse release’ to increase Jackson River water flow

    The Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will conduct a pulse release at Gathright Dam, near Covington, Va., on Tuesday, Aug. 13, beginning at approximately 6 a.m.
  • Craney Island Dredged Material Management Area (CIDMMA), also known as Craney Island, is the “Jewel in the Port of Hampton Roads.” Since its construction in 1957, Craney Island’s centralized location provides a low-cost placement option for material dredged from Hampton Roads navigation channels, as well as from private dredging projects.

    Craney Island mosquito spraying set for Aug. 12

    Aerial mosquito spraying Monday at federal properties on Craney Island, adjacent city properties and the Churchland area in Portsmouth.
  • VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- An aerial view shows the beach renourishment area near 25th and 26th streets at the Oceanfront Jan. 10, 2013. The beach was 50- to 280-feet wide and dredged sand increased the beach to as much as 300 feet, with a minimum elevation of 8.5 feet. The work was part of the Virginia Beach Hurricane Protection and Beach Renourishment Project, which replenished 1,440,250 cubic yards of sand between 15th and 70th streets.

    Big Beach renourishment complete

    Contractors smoothed out the last of the sand on the Virginia Beach, Va., beachfront Aug. 1, completing a beach renourishment cycle that widened the buffer between punishing storm surge and the city’s homes, businesses and tourist attractions.

  • July

    The national wetland plant list received its first update since going web based in 2012. The list features 7937 plant species, which is a reduction of 263 species from 2012. (U.S. Army image)

    Agencies prune plant list

    When the national wetland plant list was initially rolled out to the web in May 2012 the Corp’s Regulatory Office said there would be periodic changes. Earlier this month those periodic changes became a reality.
  • Gathright Dam located in Alleghany County, Va., impounds the water flowing down the Jackson River to create the 2,500 acre Lake Moomaw. The dam has prevented numerous floods over its 30 plus year existence saving countless dollars and lives.

    Gathright Dam ‘pulse release’ to increase Jackson River water flow

    The Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will conduct a pulse release on Tuesday, July 23, beginning at approximately 6 a.m.
  • Location where the six reefs will be constructed.

    Craney Island’s oyster mitigation project set for summer launch

    Oysters are expanding their real estate in the Elizabeth River and Hoffler Creek this summer, thanks to a USACE, VPA partnership to construct 16 acres of oyster reef, part of the Craney Island Eastward Expansion project.

  • June

    SANDBRIDGE, Va. -- The Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, partnering with the city of Virginia Beach, Va., began a five-mile hurricane protection and beach renourishment project in Sandbridge in mid-April, 2013. The $13.35 million non-federal project included the dredging and placement of approximately 2 million cubic yards of sand along public beachfront from Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge to the Dam Neck Naval facility.

    2-plus million cubic yards added to Sandbridge beachfront; Big Beach completion now under way

    VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- A five-mile hurricane protection and beach renourishment project in Sandbridge is complete.
  • NORFOLK -- Michelle Hamor is the 2013 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood risk manager of the year. The Corps gives the award yearly to individuals who excel in the field of flood plain management, which plans for and identifies ways at controlling and reducing flood damages experienced by citizens living in flood plains. (U.S. Army photo/Patrick Bloodgood)

    Flood plain manager flooded with praise

    Michelle Hamor, chief of Norfolk District’s flood plain management section, is the 2013 recipient of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Flood Risk Manager of the Year Award. The Corps gives the award yearly to individuals who excel in the field of flood plain management, which plans for and identifies ways at controlling and reducing flood damages experienced by citizens living in flood plains.
  • Gathright Dam's intake tower stands out in Lake Moomaw Oct. 13, 2010. The dam and Lake Moomaw Project provide flood protection of industrial, commerical and residential properties along the Jackson and James rivers with immediate impact on Covington, Va.

    Officials cancel Gathright Dam pulse release

    Federal and commonwealth officials have canceled Gathright Dam’s pulse release scheduled for Tuesday. The Norfolk District, in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, determined that June’s higher-than-average flows in the Jackson River eliminated the need for the first planned pulse release.
  • YORKTOWN, Va. – Contractors use rock to stabilize the York River shoreline along 800 feet of the Colonial National Parkway here June 6, 2013. The area is part of more than four miles of shoreline in need of stabilization due to severe erosion, which is threatening portions of the parkway and the National Park Service’s Colonial National Historic Park. (U.S. Army photo/Patrick Bloodgood)

    Corps assists park service in protecting parkway from river

    As the York River encroaches on the Colonial Parkway, engineers have found that rocks are part of the answer to fixing critically damaged and eroded shoreline. That is why contractors, working for the Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, are using heavy equipment to place large boulders along the edge of the York River to stabilize and strengthen a section of the shoreline.
  • VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- The Wilmington, N.C.-based dredging vessel Merritt, will be off the Virginia coastline to dredge Rudee Inlet from June 17-20, 2013.

    Corps begins Rudee Inlet dredging

    The Army Corps of Engineers will begin dredging the Rudee Inlet Federal Navigation Project here Monday. The Corps’ dredge Merritt, based out of Wilmington, N.C., will dredge for four days to remove shoaling in the channel. Engineers expect to dredge about 20,000 cubic yards of material, which will be placed directly north of the entrance channel and inlet jetties. The $78,000 project is 72 percent federally funded. Virginia Beach will fund the remaining 28 percent.

  • May

    FNOD Restoration Advisory Board meets June 6

    Restoration efforts at the Former Nansemond Ordnance Depot, or FNOD, remains an ongoing priority for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Community members can learn more about the formerly used defense site here and latest clean-up progress during the project’s quarterly restoration advisory board meeting.
  • Hurricane Sandy approaches the Atlantic coast of the U.S. in the early morning hours of October 29, 2012. (NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, using VIIRS Day-Night Band data from the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership.)

    Corps begins post-Sandy study of North Atlantic coast

    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers scientists and engineers launched a collaborative study May 28 to determine how best to reduce flood and storm damage risks for people and communities along the North Atlantic coast.
  • Gathright Dam's intake tower stands out in Lake Moomaw Oct. 13, 2010. The dam and Lake Moomaw Project provide flood protection of industrial, commerical and residential properties along the Jackson and James rivers with immediate impact on Covington, Va.

    Corps of Engineers and commonwealth of Virginia announce Gathright Dam pulse release dates

    COVINGTON, Va. – The Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will deviate from Gathright Dam’s existing water control plan in order to conduct six pulse releases from June through October 2013.
  • ARLINGTON, Va. -- Randy Barton, an Arlington National Cemetery engineering technician, re-lights the Eternal Flame from the temporary flame at President John F. Kennedy's gravesite on May, 17, 2013 here. The flame has been undergoing repair and upgrade work, which includes installing newly designed burners, a new igniter and new gas and air lines. Underground work continues and is expected to be complete later this month.(U.S. Army Photo/Melissa Bohan)

    New burner installed for Eternal Flame at the President John F. Kennedy gravesite

    ARLINGTON, Va. – The temporary flame that has been operating at the gravesite of President John F. Kennedy and his family since April 29 was removed today and the new burner at the Eternal Flame has been relit.

  • Arlington National Cemetery dedicates columbarium

    Arlington National Cemetery will dedicate its ninth columbarium court here today. Officials will mark the dedication of Columbarium Court No. 9 with a joint, full-honors committal service for six unclaimed remains of veterans from all branches of military.

  • April

    ARLINGTON, Va. – Randy Barton, an Arlington National Cemetery engineering technician, lights a torch from the John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame April 29, 2013. The torch was used to transfer the flame to a temporary burner while the permanent flame undergoes repair and upgrade work to install new burners, a new igniter as well as new gas and air lines. (U.S. Army photo/Patrick Bloodgood)

    Contractors begin work on JFK Eternal Flame burner

    ARLINGTON, Va. – Contractors began work here yesterday on the burner of the President John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame, which has been lit since 1967. Technicians from Meltech Corp., Inc.; based in Landover, Md.; built an 8-foot temporary fence and installed a temporary flame at one of the most visited sites in Arlington National Cemetery.
  • SUFFOLK, Va. -- Pumps from the Army Corps of Engineers’ hopper dredge Currituck, based out of Wilmington, N.C., filters sand from Bennett's Creek to increase the depth from 2- to 6-feet. The shallow draft dredging of the federal navigation channel here began April 20, 2013. Approximately 4,000 cubic yards of sand - equivalent to 450 dump trucks of sand – will be placed at the Craney Island Dredged Material Management Area in Portsmouth, Va.

    Corps begins $144K Bennett’s Creek dredging

    SUFFOLK, Va. -- The Army Corps of Engineers’ dredge Currituck arrived here Saturday to dredge the federal navigation channel in Bennett’s Creek. Significant shoaling, caused by natural transport and deposit of sediment, made dredging necessary. The natural shoaling was exacerbated by Hurricane Sandy.
  • ARLINGTON, Va. – Contractors are putting the finishing touches on the new 62,820-square-foot Columbarium Court 9 here. The $12.9-million-dollar facility will add 20,292 niche spaces and extend the availability of first inurnment to 2024.

    Court opens up niche space at Arlington

    Work is wrapping up on the new 12.9-million-dollar, 62,820-square-foot Columbarium Court 9, which is slated to be the final columbarium court in this section of the cemetery. The new facility increases the cemetery’s inurnment capacity by 20,296 niche spaces.
  • Lance Cpl. Joseph Marshall, a squad automatic weapon gunner with Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, waits for the sun to rise in Southern Marjah District, Helmand province, Afghanistan, March 23, the first day of Operation Watchtower. Marshall is from Glenallen, Alaska.

    Engineering a difference

    Thumbing through the pages of his chartreuse logbook where he writes down thoughts, project plans and drawings, Capt. Antonio Pazos stops to point out a particular drawing. It’s a rough sketch diagram of how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and federal and state engineers designed a dewatering plan to remove 400 million gallons of water from the Brooklyn Battery and Queens tunnels after Hurricane Sandy slammed into the East Coast Oct.29, 2012.