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  • April

    The “Flamboyán” tree, known in English as a Royal Poinciana or Flame Tree, is named for its flamboyant display of orange-red petals. The tree, planted by Corps employees in 1976, still graces the grounds of the Antilles office today.

    A brief history of the Antilles Office through the eyes of the people

    If the responsibility for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers office in Puerto Rico was a dance, it would probably be closer to the currently popular “Harlem Shuffle” than a salsa. Though responsibility for the office was shuffled over the years from New York to Panama, then to Puerto Rico, and finally to Jacksonville District, the importance of having a Corps office located on the island has never shifted. Corps civilian and military activities in Puerto Rico include administration, coastal defense projects, facilities construction on military bases and flood risk reduction, as well as maintenance and improvement of inland waterways and harbors. Specific navigation projects have included Arecibo Harbor, San Juan Harbor, and Mayaguez Harbor in Puerto Rico.
  • Work continues on a water control structure replacement at the Culvert 11 site south of Port Mayaca. Jacksonville District plans to remove or replace 30 structures at Herbert Hoover Dike over the next five years.

    USACE begins Dam Safety Modification Study on Herbert Hoover Dike

    “The Dam Safety Modification Study is a comprehensive, system-wide study intended to identify risks in the system, and to recommend the necessary measures that can reduce the risk of failure,” said Tim Willadsen, HHD project manager. While certain sections of the dike have been studied before, HHD has never undergone a review this comprehensive and detailed. Each segment of the dike will be thoroughly reviewed for its geology and geometry, with particular attention given to scenarios that would cause the dike to fail.
  • The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) released a female Florida panther that had been rescued as an orphaned kitten in 2011. Biologists released her in the Picayune Strand Restoration Project area in Collier County in southwest Florida.

    Rescued Florida panther released into Picayune Strand

    This year, Earth Day in the south blocks is a very different story. It’s an environmental success story with a variety of subplots. The Picayune Strand Restoration Project, the first component of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) to begin construction, is well under way. Though the project is not yet complete, benefits are already being observed. Groundwater levels have improved and vegetation is recruiting naturally in an orderly succession. Wildlife continues to use the area, traveling long-used trails and open areas, including a bridge across one of the canals near the Merritt Pump Station, even during the construction phase.

  • March

    As part of the Tamiami Trail One-Mile Bridge Opening Ceremony on March 19, 2013, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Jo-Ellen Darcy and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar cut a ribbon on the bridge deck prior to taking the inaugural drive across the fully-constructed bridge, which will be opened up to traffic in the upcoming weeks.

    Completion of critical project milestone celebrated for Tamiami Trail One-Mile Bridge

    Federal, state and local officials stood atop 5,280 linear feet of restoration progress as they came together to celebrate the completion of the Tamiami Trail one-mile bridge March 19 in Miami, Fla.
  • Everglades Day at the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge brings many families and children like Sara Green to the Corps booth, where they spin the “Wayne Drop” wheel and learn about the Everglades and water safety.

    Reaching out in South Florida

    Reaching out to the communities we serve, to engage them by providing information as well as seeking their input on our projects and processes, is a basic tenet of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District. From formal meetings about the Central Everglades Planning Project to participating in community-based events, the Jacksonville District team is continuously engaged in a multitude of public interactions in south Florida.

  • December

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers worked rapidly to repair a levee breach caused by Hurricane Sandy in Mantoloking, N.J. The breach occurred at the end of the only bridge onto the barrier island, effectively cuting it off from the rest of the state. At the peak of the response effort, the Corps had nearly 4,000 employees from across the nation engaged in more than 38 FEMA mission assignments, exceeding a total of $134 million.

    Corps responds to Superstorm Sandy

    Hurricane Sandy was the biggest storm yet of an active tropical storm season. It formed south of Jamaica on Oct. 22, smashed through Cuba Oct. 24-25 and began affecting beaches in Florida by Oct. 26. As it moved further north, concern heighted as it merged with another storm, prior to making landfall near Atlantic City, N.J. Oct. 29. Jacksonville District engineers were on alert from the beginning. The district activated its emergency operations center (EOC) Oct. 24 and closely monitored the storm as it moved through the Bahamas. Once reports started circulating about the full range of impacts in New York and New Jersey, several Jacksonville District team members were tapped for duties in a variety of locations.

  • October

    Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick, commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, took an airboat ride through Everglades National Park after visiting the Tamiami Trail Modifications project in Miami-Dade County Oct. 10, 2012

    Lt. Gen. Bostick visits the Everglades

    JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick, commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), visited the Everglades October 10, 2012 to see the restoration work being performed by the Jacksonville District and their partnering agencies. "USACE has one of the largest environmental restoration and sustainability roles in the federal government, and the Everglades restoration is our largest project of this kind," said Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick, commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. "After viewing first-hand the enormous challenges facing Everglades restoration and meeting with our partners in this effort, I am absolutely convinced that working together, we can achieve restoration goals and improve this ecological treasure for future generations."

  • UAV Program Conducts Successful Demonstration

    Nearly 40 people from Jacksonville District and other federal agencies were able to witness the award-winning Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) system during a demonstration on September 5 near St. Augustine.

  • September

    A major milestone was reached on the Tamiami Trail Modifications project shortly after midnight July 13 as the first concrete pour on the bridge deck was completed.

    Major construction milestone achieved at Tamiami Trail

    A major milestone for the Tamiami Trail Modifications project was reached shortly after midnight July 13 as the first concrete pour on the bridge deck was completed.

  • January

    NOVA UAV program soars

    “The NOVA has been developed to provide a technological edge for us,” said Larry Taylor, NOVA UAV program manager. “Its specialty is detecting and monitoring change over time. We have used it for levee monitoring; we have detected anomalies in the levees that weren’t detected by ground observation.” In addition to the levee monitoring the NOVA has also been used for wildlife surveys, regulatory permit reconnaissance, invasive species contract assessments and invasive species acreage estimation.