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  • January

    Lucy Soto, Jacksonville District's Equal Employment Opportunity Officer, is wrapping up her more than 36-year career this week while looking forward to her retirement. Soto receives an award from Jacksonville District Commander James Booth during her retirement celebration.

    That's a wrap. Soto reflects on 36 years with the district as she readies for retirement

    JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Jan. 31, 2022) – Lucy Soto, Jacksonville District's Equal Employment Opportunity Officer, is wrapping up her more than 36-year career this week while looking forward to her retirement.

  • December

    Before major lock maintenance and repairs can take place, the lock must be dewatered so that inspections and repair work can be done in relatively dry conditions. Using a barge-mounted crane, the crane operator and rigging crew set a needle dam girder (I-beam) in place in notches built into the lock chamber wall. Then, they place large metal panels known as “needles” against the I-Beam to form a wall called a “needle dam.” (USACE Jacksonville District photo from a 2012 maintenance repair project at the St. Lucie Lock in 2012)

    Army Corps of Engineers temporarily closes St. Lucie Lock for major maintenance and repairs

    STUART, Fla. (Dec. 28, 2020) – After a year of planning, coordination and notification, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will conduct a planned temporary closure of the St. Lucie Lock for major maintenance and repairs starting Jan. 4, 2022, with completion expected no later than March 31.

  • November

    USACE photo by Mark Rankin

    USACE celebrates Indian River Lagoon-South C-44 Reservoir and Stormwater Treatment Area completion

    MARTIN COUNTY, Fla.- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony commemorating the filling of the Indian River Lagoon- South C-44 Reservoir and Stormwater Treatment Area Nov. 19, 2021.

  • October

    Lt. Gen Scott Spellmon, commanding general signed the Pinellas County, Florida Coastal Storm Risk Management Study Chiefs Report, recommending the project to Congress for approval.

    U.S. Army Corps announces Chief’s Report signing for Pinellas County, Florida Coastal Storm Risk Management Study

    Jacksonville, Fla. - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announces that Lt. Gen. Scott A. Spellmon, commanding general, has signed the Chief’s Report for the the Pinellas County, Florida Coastal Storm Risk Management Study, recommending the project to Congress for approval. The project could be included in the next Water Resources Development Act. If approved, separate appropriations legislation would have to be passed to fund the construction of the project.

  • September

    Mark Rankin

    Booth becomes 61st commander of Jacksonville District

    JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – (Sept. 9, 2021) – U.S. Army Col. James L. Booth took command of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District today during a change of command ceremony at the at the Terry Theater, Times Union Center, Jacksonville. He becomes the 61st commander of the district.

  • June

    Applied Aquatics, project manager, Keith Mangus demonstrates how to use a wind meter. The wind plays an important role when managing invasive aquatic plants with chemical sprays. The Portable Series Wind Meter is used to indicate wind speed and direction. Licensed applicators use this device along with guidance from the Environmental Protection Agency to determine whether or not to spray invasive aquatic plants.

    A Simple Device manages the Eco-scape

    Many of these whirling watercraft operators are piloting a new device that promises efficiency, efficacy, and most importantly accountability. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, biologist Jessica Fair and Keith Mangus, project manager at Applied Aquatic Management, took me out on the lake to explain how this small, inconspicuous device will revolutionize the management of invasive plants.

  • April

    USACE photo

    Jacksonville District hosts media day

    CLEWISTON, Fla. (April 14, 2021)—The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District hosted its first-ever media day by inviting media from across the region to learn about projects, mission, and completion dates for south Florida projects including the rehabilitation of Herbert Hoover Dike and Lake Okeechobee.

  • January

    Buoy deployed at Port Everglades currently being used for monitoring water quality and oceanographic data in near real-time. The buoy is a loan from NOAA’s AOML. (Courtesy photo by Dr. Anthony Priestas, ERDC-CHL)

    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers tests artificial-intelligence tool for monitoring water quality and oceanographic conditions at Port Everglades

    Large-scale coastal dredging projects have the potential to add stress to coral reef communities in surrounding areas, especially if impacts are undetected or fail to be detected in time.

  • October

    Federal and state partners shovel ceremonial sand to kick-off the official start of the Jacksonville District's Central Everglades Planning Project South at a groundbreaking ceremony.in Miami today. (USACE photo by Mark Rankin)

    Corps groundbreaking ceremony kicks off Everglades restoration construction projects

    MIAMI, Fla. (Oct. 23, 2020) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District hosted a groundbreaking ceremony today for the Central Everglades Planning Project South, a project designed to restore more natural flows through the heart of the Everglades and improve water flows south to Everglades National Park.

  • August

    The Corps team arrives on site before sunrise to begin dewatering the Ortona Lock.

    Lock steps: Dewatering is the first step before lock repairs can begin

    Did you ever wonder why it takes so long to repair a lock? Check out the dewatering process for the Ortona Lock and Dam maintenance repairs through a series of photos of the event in 2018. It's a LOT more involved than just closing the lock and doing repairs!

  • March

    Port Mayaca Lock looking toward Lake Okeechobee

    USACE continues work on LORS deviation

    After he took charge of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District in 2018, Col. Andrew Kelly charged his team to look for tools that would offer different options for the management of water in Lake Okeechobee during times when harmful algal blooms (HABs) were present. Significant HAB events affected Lake Okeechobee and the coastal estuaries in 2016 and 2018. Jacksonville District engineers and biologists reviewed the Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule (LORS) and looked for potential tools to adjust operations in anticipation of possible future HAB events. Last summer, Jacksonville District rolled out a proposed deviation to LORS that would provide greater flexibility in the management of water with the goal of reducing the health risk to the public associated with HABs.

  • October

    CLEWISTON, Fla. – Jacksonville District Commander, Col. Jason Kirk welcomed Florida Gov. Rick Scott to the Herbert Hoover Dike at Lake Okeechobee on Oct. 9, 2017.

    Governor Scott tours Herbert Hoover Dike at Lake Okeechobee

    CLEWISTON, Fla. (Oct. 9, 2017) – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District commander, Col. Jason Kirk welcomed Florida Governor Rick Scott to the Herbert Hoover Dike at Lake Okeechobee today for an update on current water levels and to see the project at the dike.

  • April

    District commander Col. Jason Kirk discusses Everglades water issues with Everglades National Park Superintendent Pedro Ramos.

    Army Corps of Engineers: Restoring the Environment, Increasing Resiliency

    As commander of the Jacksonville District's 780-member team of professionals, I want to share information about our efforts to restore the environment and to help our nation face the challenges posed by rising sea levels.

  • January

    Dredged material from Tampa Harbor maintenance is beneficially used on Egmont Key, which is severely eroding. The sand placement will help protect cultural resources on the island.

    Year in review: Ports

    Jacksonville District is responsible for 17 deep draft and 20 shallow draft harbors in Florida and the Caribbean – and it seems like teams here made progress on nearly all of them during 2014!
  • From transferring the first completed Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) project to resolving long-standing policy issues that will enable restoration projects to move forward, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District has performed some heavy lifting this year to keep Everglades restoration progress moving forward.

    Year in Review: Ecosystem restoration

    From transferring the first completed Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) project to resolving long-standing policy issues that will enable restoration projects to move forward, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District has performed some heavy lifting this year to keep Everglades restoration progress moving forward.
  • Contractors pump sand onto miles of Brevard County beaches.

    Year in Review: Civil works transformation

    Nature struck powerful blows against Florida in 2012 with storm-force winds, rain and large swells causing more than $68 billion in damages and brought a record amount of beach restoration work to Jacksonville District. The work resulted in constructing 22 projects and in 2014 teams ensured more than 38.5 miles of critically eroded beaches in Florida received sand to protect upland structures.
  • floods ravaged the gulf Breeze area in the Florida Panhandle as a result of severe storms in April 2014.

    Year in Review: Regulatory

    Due to the April 2014 storms that affected Florida’s Panhandle, the Jacksonville District initiated emergency permitting procedures in response to conditions resulting from these storms.

  • December

    University of North Florida (UNF) President John A. Delaney (left) and Col. Alan M. Dodd (right), Commander, Jacksonville District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers signed a Memorandum of Understanding on November 25, 2014, in order to advance educational opportunities between the Corps and UNF in STEM subject areas – math, science, engineering and technology – for developing student scientists and engineers.

    Jacksonville District commander signs memorandum of understanding with local university

    On Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2014, the Jacksonville District signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University of North Florida (UNF), designed to be a framework outlining cooperative educational collaborations between UNF and the district in STEM subject areas for purposes of developing student scientists and engineers.
  • The tug boat Leitner pushed a barge mounted crane into position so a crew could break up and remove a half-acre tussock or floating island, restoring navigation along the Rim Canal Route 2 of the Okeechobee Waterway and the south side of Lake Okeechobee.

    Tussock removal

    A half-acre tussock was blown by the wind, and completely blocked the navigation channel of Rim Canal Route 2 of the Okeechobee Waterway, on the south side of Lake Okeechobee. The Okeechobee Waterway is a navigable waterway that cuts across the state, from the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. The tug boat Leitner, with Capt. Graham Thompson at the helm, pushed a barge-mounted crane with a crew of three into position. The team successfully broke up and removed the tussock, restoring navigation on the Okeechobee Waterway.
  • Project manager Jason Harrah presents during an industry day held in November to engage and inform contractor representatives regarding the requirements and challenges of the Mile Point project.

    Mile Point Industry Day information educates contractors

    Due to the complexity and challenges of the Mile Point Reconfiguration project, project manager Jason Harrah knew it was important to engage and inform the industry about the project early on. An industry day was held in Jacksonville in November, to provide an opportunity for contractor representatives to learn about the details and requirements for the project.