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  • February

    2013 Engineering Career Day takes place Feb. 22 beginning at 8:30 a.m.at the Jacksonville District headquarters, 701 San Marco Blvd. Keynote speaker will be Eric Bush, chief of the Planning and Policy Division. This year’s theme is “Future Connections.” Students will focus on projects that incorporate several different engineering disciplines.

    Motivating, recruiting students was driving force behind Engineering Career Day

    A desire to motivate students to pursue engineering degrees and jobs ten years ago by a handful of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District engineers and other young professionals resulted in what has become an annual high school competition on Engineering Career Day. These enterprising engineers from several different disciplines within the Corps came up with a plan to make students aware of a possible future in the fields of science, engineering, math and technology via a take home construction competition.
  • Burmese pythons have been known to consume a wide variety of wildlife, including alligators, wood storks and Key Largo woodrats.

    Burmese pythons threaten native species and restoration efforts

    A hunt for Burmese pythons in south Florida is not a hoax; this non-native invasive species is threatening Everglades ecosystem restoration efforts and native wildlife. The one-month ‘Python Challenge’ organized by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission allows anyone older than 18 to hunt the snakes on state land. Burmese pythons are exceptionally difficult to locate, due to their camouflaging capabilities. The ISM branch has initiated efforts to detect the pythons by using dogs and thermal energy remote sensing by an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).

  • Quick response by Regulatory Division keeps St. Thomas running

    Early in December 2012, Regulatory Division’s Antilles Office staff received word that the island of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands was on the brink of losing electrical power, absent a permit to make necessary modifications to a dock at Krum Bay which would facilitate the delivery of fuel.
  • Viktoria Bogina, E.I.T., a civil engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Jacksonville District, was one of the USACE nominees for this year's New Faces of Engineering program.

    New Faces of Engineering: Viktoria Bogina

    Viktoria Bogina, E.I.T., a civil engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Jacksonville District, was one of the USACE nominees for this year's New Faces of Engineering program. “I’m really excited for this recognition, and I couldn’t be more thrilled!” said Bogina. Each year, the National Engineers Week Foundation – a coalition of engineering societies, major corporations and government agencies – asks its members to nominate colleagues 30 years old and younger who have shown outstanding abilities and leadership. The program promotes the accomplishments of young engineers, highlights the impact of their engineering contributions on society and inspires students to consider engineering careers.

  • January

    During his recent visit to Jacksonville District project sites in south Florida, Maj. Gen. Michael J. Walsh, Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency Operations for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, paid a visit to the Central Everglades Planning Project team during a Project Delivery Team meeting they were holding in West Palm Beach, Fla., Jan. 24.

    Corps Deputy Commanding General visits south Florida project sites

    Maj. Gen. Michael J. Walsh, Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency Operations for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, visited Jacksonville District project sites in south Florida Jan. 23 and 24, including the Tamiami Trail Modifications project and the Herbert Hoover Dike Rehabilitation project.
  • Timothy R. Brown, a senior project manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, responsible for leading interdisciplinary project delivery teams in the execution of large scale civil works projects, is the recipient of this year’s Special Recognition award for the 2013 BEYA STEM Conference.

    Jacksonville Engineer Tim Brown wins big at national engineering conference

    Timothy R. Brown, a senior project manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, responsible for leading interdisciplinary project delivery teams in the execution of large scale civil works projects, is the recipient of this year’s Special Recognition award for the 2013 BEYA STEM Conference.
  • Jacksonville District Commander Col. Alan Dodd, spoke alongside federal and state partners, at a dedication ceremony for the C-111 Spreader Canal Western Project in Homestead, Fla., hosted by the South Florida Water Management District Jan. 11, 2013.

    Federal, state partners celebrate completion of key component in Everglades restoration

    Federal and state partners celebrated the completion of a key component in improving freshwater deliveries to the southern end of the Everglades ecosystem Jan. 11 in Homestead, Fla., at the C-111 Spreader Canal Western Project Dedication Ceremony.
  • Six species of pitcher plants (Sarracenia) are found in Florida’s wetlands, with the greatest concentration found from Franklin County to Escambia County. The unique plant is carnivorous, attracting and trapping insects that decompose in the plant’s liquid, creating a nitrogen-rich “fertilizer.” England and Japan both have gardens that feature North American pitcher plants, and they are a major attraction. According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, pitcher plant habitat in Florida is “at risk, primarily from lack of fire management and from drainage by ditching.” All wild pitcher plants are protected by state and federal laws.

    Busy year for nation’s largest regulatory permitting program

    Jacksonville District’s regulatory permitting program, the largest in the Corps, exceeded all national performance standards in Fiscal Year 2012. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that 94 percent of general permit decisions were completed within 60 days of receipt of a complete application and 82 percent of individual permit decisions were completed within 120 days of receipt of a complete application.
  • Water flows through the gates of the St. Lucie Lock in late September, as Jacksonville District started discharges from Lake Okeechobee to stem the rapid rise in lake levels after Tropical Storm Isaac. The releases began Sept. 19 and continued until early November.

    Milestones reached at Herbert Hoover Dike as dedication to water management balance continues

    The past year saw both low water and high water at Lake Okeechobee, as well as completion of one project and the start of others on Herbert Hoover Dike (HHD). The best news occurred in October, when the last section of cutoff wall in the dike between Port Mayaca and Belle Glade was accepted by Jacksonville District construction representatives. The action meant 21.4 miles of cutoff wall that had been under construction since 2007 was in place, reducing the risk of failure for the southeast portion of the dike.
  • A warmer than normal winter and heavy early season rains contributed to the highest levels of water hyacinth on the St. Johns River and Lake Okeechobee since 1986.

    Invasive Species biologists combat explosion of aquatic plant growth

    The year 2012 brought many challenges for the Invasive Species Management (ISM) Branch to tackle. Multiple factors led to the highest levels of water hyacinth on Lake Okeechobee since 1986. Water hyacinth invades lakes, ponds, rivers, marshes and other types of wetland habitats. According to the Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System website, water hyacinth can reproduce and quickly form dense floating mats of vegetation, sometimes doubling in size over a two week period. These dense mats reduce light and deplete oxygen levels for submerged plants and aquatic invertebrates.
  • The Jacksonville Harbor Deepening Study, included in President Obama’s “We Can’t Wait” initiative, is being conducted on an expedited schedule. The Jacksonville Harbor (Mile Point) Navigational Study achieved a signed Chief of Engineers’ Report and Project Design Agreement, critical steps in moving the project to Congressional authorization and appropriation.

    Ports are focus of national spotlight in 2012

    Ports were thrust into the national spotlight in 2012 after President Obama announced the “We Can’t Wait” Initiative, which placed several of Jacksonville District’s port projects and studies onto the fast track for implementation. As a part of the initiative, President Obama identified seven nationally and regionally significant infrastructure projects to be expedited to help modernize and expand five major ports in the United States, including the port of Jacksonville and the port of Miami.
  • Approximately 11,000 lineal feet of pipeline and 10 underground storage tanks were removed from the former Arecibo Airdrome in Puerto Rico.

    From state-of-the-art school to complex environmental projects, IIS sets the standard

    Innovation and outside-of-the-box thinking were some of the keys to success for the Interagency and International Support (IIS) Branch in 2012. Jacksonville District has begun work on the Antilles Elementary School at Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico. The $51 million project is being constructed for the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) under a design-build contract awarded in June 2012 to Gilbane Building Company.
  • Jacksonville District Electrical Engineer Gerald Deloach assesses damage to a building in Moonachie, N.J. that was damaged by Hurricane Sandy. Deloach was one of a dozen people from Jacksonville District that deployed to the impact zone.

    When the call comes, Jacksonville District team members respond

    Jacksonville District’s Emergency Management Branch has been working with nearly 50 district employees on deployment missions at home and abroad during 2012. At the end of November, 32 district team members had deployed to Afghanistan, while 16 others had responded to three tropical systems that impacted Florida and the north Atlantic – 12 were sent to New Jersey and New York to assist with emergency response following Hurricane Sandy, while seven others had earlier assisted with damage assessment following Tropical Storms Debby and Isaac.
  • Vice President Joe Biden visited the Everglades in April, 2012 to discuss the administration’s ecosystem restoration priorities and efforts.

    Everglades restoration takes several leaps forward

    For Everglades restoration, the year started off with lots of excitement and momentum as the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) accelerated, with the ambitious goal of delivering – within two years – finalized plans for congressional authorization for a suite of restoration projects in the central Everglades.
  • Sand was placed at Fort Clinch State Park following the dredging of Kings Bay Entrance Channel at Fernandina Harbor.

    Dredging and beach programs experience active year

    Florida’s shorelines saw a flurry of activity during 2012. The state experienced several storm systems that caused erosion impacts to a host of federal beach projects. In addition, a few beaches saw new sand placed on their shores as a result of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ dredging projects.

  • December

    Lt. Col. Thomas Greco presented St. Lucie Lock Leader Michael L. Carter (center) with the Steel de Fleury Medal Dec. 19 at the St. Lucie Lock in Stuart, Fla. Also present was South Florida Operations Office Chief, Steve Dunham (right).

    Corps lock leader receives Steel de Fleury Medal

    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District employee Michael L. Carter received the prestigious military engineer award, the Steel de Fleury Medal, Dec. 19 for his significant contributions to the district over the course of his 32-year career with the Corps.
  • Matt Morrison (left), South Florida Water Management District project manager for the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) and Gretchen Ehlinger(second from right), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers environmental lead for CEPP, explain the proposed final array of alternatives for CEPP at the Dec. 13 public meeting in Stuart, Fla. An open house was held at each of the five public meetings conducted throughout south Florida Dec. 10-13 and Dec. 18.

    Series of public meetings held for Central Everglades Planning Project

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Jacksonville District hosted a series of public meetings to present the proposed final array of alternatives for the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) and give all interested individuals, groups and agencies an opportunity to comment and ask questions.
  • During an informal signing ceremony, Jacksonville District Commander Col. Alan Dodd added his name to a cooperative agreement along with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Florida field office supervisors to help manatees and insure the Corps' navigation mission moves forward.

    Cooperative agreement promises to aid both manatees and navigation

    During an informal signing ceremony, Jacksonville District Commander Col. Alan Dodd added his name to a cooperative agreement along with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Florida field office supervisors to help manatees and insure the Corps' navigation mission moves forward. The group used the authority provided in the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to develop a cooperative agreement which provides both agencies flexibility when developing real world solutions to help the manatee in the face of growing pressure.
  • Chief of Engineers Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick, right, visited the New Jersey Recovery Field Office, where he was briefed by Tim Brown, mission manager for the Housing Planning Response Team.

    Jacksonville District’s Housing Planning Response Team on the scene in New Jersey

    Within days of Hurricane Sandy’s landfall, which reaped devastating effects across the northeastern seaboard, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District team was among the many national Corps responders to arrive on the scene to provide welcomed relief and assistance.
  • The helicopter magnetometer detects magnetic anomalies on the ground or in shallow surfaces. The device flies six feet above ground at speeds of 30 to 40 mph.

    Jacksonville District uses unique technology to search for munitions debris

    A large munitions response site, coupled with heavy vegetation and hazardous wildlife, provided ideal conditions for Jacksonville District to use a helicopter magnetometer for initial fieldwork at the Avon Park Formerly Used Defense Site Sept. 28.