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  • November

    Lygodium microphyllum, or Old world climbing fern, pictured here in Loxahatchee, Fla. Native to Africa, Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands, the plant invades open forest and wetland areas in Florida and Alabama.

    A Community of Practice is born

    The Invasive Species Leadership Team was established to provide direction to the ongoing research program, represent the Corps on regional invasive species councils and assist Corps headquarters in the development of national invasive species policy and program management.
  • W.P. Franklin Lock and Dam Recreation Area volunteers Don Chapman (left) and George Schisler clean and repair one of the many Purple Martin “palaces” that they have built over the years, in preparation for the return of Purple Martin colonies in January.

    Corps volunteers prepare for annual return of Purple Martins

    Along the Okeechobee Waterway, the return of the Purple Martins is one of the much-anticipated annual rites of spring. Corps volunteers have worked hard over the years to attract these delightful birds to Corps recreation areas for the enjoyment of all.
  • Hispanic Heritage Month Coordinator José Bilbao (third from right) created and organized the cook-off event. He is joined by the Equal Employment Opportunity Office staff (left to right): student intern Melanie Daniels, Equal Employment Opportunity Manager Collen Shanklin, and Equal Employment Opportunity Specialists Lucy Soto and Adam Morrison.

    Jacksonville District savors the flavors with Hispanic Heritage Month Cook-Off

    In José Bilbao’s family, like many Hispanic families, food brings people together. “For most Hispanics, food is such an important part of our culture, history and way of life,” he said. “Families often come together, spend the day together and cook all day long.”
  • Col. Alan Dodd (left), district commander, received the 2013 Richard Bonner Award from Don Donaldson, sponsor for Palm Beach County and Debbie Flack, FSBPA president, during the FSBPA’s 57th Annual Conference at Delray Beach Sept. 25-27.

    Protecting lives and infrastructure from the next storm

    The Florida Shore and Beach Preservation Association (FSBPA) presented awards in recognition of Hurricane Sandy and Tropical Storm Debby recovery efforts to two Jacksonville District team members during its 57th Annual Conference at Delray Beach Sept. 25-27.

  • October

    The Faka Union Pump Station is scheduled to be completed in fall 2014.

    Corps awards final pump station contract for Picayune Strand restoration

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District has awarded the construction contract for the third and final pump station for the Picayune Strand Restoration Project in Collier County, Fla.
  • Crowds line the fence during a demonstration held at the St. Lucie Lock & Dam August 3 to protest the discharges from Lake Okeechobee to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee River Estuaries. An estimated 5,000 people attended the event.

    All in a day’s work: South Florida Operations Office multi-tasks all summer

    During normal operations, the staff is responsible for the Okeechobee Waterway, the recreation areas around the locks, maintenance on Herbert Hoover Dike, and numerous other tasks. However, as the water rose on Lake Okeechobee this summer, SFOO staff had to adjust duties to accommodate other priorities, such as weekly inspections of the 80-year-old dike.
  • Frank Araico (left), project manager for the Mullet Key Bombing and Gunnery Range Formerly Used Defense Site, shows a local news reporter maps that detail where military activities took place on the site during World War II. A Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study is currently under way.

    Work begins at Mullet Key Formerly Used Defense Site

    Investigations have begun on the Mullet Key Bombing and Gunnery Range Formerly Used Defense Site, now known as Fort DeSoto County Park on Tampa Bay. Soon after the Labor Day holiday, contractors for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began surveying the site to mark the areas for investigation, which will then be cleared of brush and swept with digital metal detectors to identify buried metallic objects that may potentially be munitions remaining from past military activities.
  • Wild hogs cause problems at levees because they dig around them, allowing other invasive plants to get established and increasing costs for treating invasives on the levee that normally wouldn’t be there.

    Going Hog Wild

    With their growing population, feral hogs are threatening human, animal and native species health throughout Florida. Their rooting behavior destroys habitat, kills plants and creates disturbed areas where invasive plants can easily grow. They carry diseases that can infect livestock or humans.
  • Murika Davis (right), CEPP engineering lead, and Gretchen Ehlinger (left), CEPP environmental lead, discuss the project’s Tentatively Selected Plan with meeting attendants during the open house portion of the Sept. 17 meeting in Fort Myers, Fla. (

    Public input received during series of public meetings for Central Everglades Planning Project

    Five public meetings were held throughout south Florida Sept. 16-19 and Sept. 25 to discuss the draft report. Meeting attendants ranged from environmental, agricultural and recreational interest groups to high school students and local residents.

  • September

    The Palm Valley Reach of the Intracoastal Waterway, where structures along the federal channel are plentiful.

    Regulatory rolls out revised setback guidance

    In the interest of navigation safety and waterway accessibility, Regulatory Division rolled out its revised setback guidance for structures placed along certain federal channels at a series of public meetings, held in Deerfield Beach, Palm Beach Gardens and Palm Valley, Fla. in August.
  • Kissimmee River oxbow near Phase IV-A

    “River of Interests” is first Corps publication honored by American Library Association

    In June 2013, Jacksonville District’s “River of Interests: Water Management in South Florida and the Everglades, 1948-2010” became the first U.S. Army Corps of Engineers publication to be placed on the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2012 Notable Documents list. It was one of 20 federal publications to be so honored.
  • The historic Kissimmee River floodplain, north of Lake Okeechobee, is about 1-3 miles wide. This photo from May 7, 2013 is a view looking north in the Central Phase 1 Kissimmee River restoration area during late dry season conditions. The uplands start at the edge of the floodplain and the boundary is marked by Live Oaks, which show up as dark green areas at the top of the picture. The floodplain here is about 1.5 miles wide, and the water that collects here eventually flows into Lake Okeechobee.

    Lake Okeechobee: Following the flow

    A diagram of Lake Okeechobee, with arrows that show water flowing into the lake from the north and flowing out of the lake to the east, west and south may look simple; however, the reality is much more complex.
  • Beach nourishment projects provide storm damage reduction to infrastructure as well as incidental recreational opportunities for local, national and international visitors. Faced with depleted sand sources in Miami-Dade County, the Corps recently conducted a series of scoping meetings to discuss potential alternative sources.

    Search for sand under way for Miami-Dade beaches

    Florida’s coastline is one of the largest in the nation, and its beaches are plentiful. The average person would think that sand is an endless resource and would never run out. However, for Miami-Dade County, sand that is dependable, economical and environmentally practicable is nearly depleted.
  • Operation Warfighter (OWF) is a Department of Defense program that places active duty service members in internships with federal agencies during their recovery.

    Operation Warfighter Program benefits local Soldier, Jacksonville District

    A 15-month deployment, especially a first deployment, does not typically involve tours in three

  • August

    Swimmers cooled down at the W.P. Franklin swim beach while enjoying a sunny July 4th weekend.

    Independence Day on the Okeechobee Waterway

    The W.P. Franklin South Recreation Area in Alva was a popular destination on the July 4th weekend, receiving more than 2,000 visitors. The swim beach provided a welcome place for families to splash, play and stay cool.
  • Tegu hatchlings have a green coloration on their head, which usually fades within a few months. On average, a mature female tegu will lay around 35 eggs a year. In Florida, tegus hatch in the early summer.

    South American lizards slither into south Florida

    Hailing from South America, the tegu, an exotic lizard, has made its way into the Sunshine State and is now considered to be established in the south Florida region.
  • Hansler Bealyer (right), chief of the Real Estate Acquisition Branch, accompanies engineers Tony Smith (center) and Tim Gysan (left) on a River Acres site visit, to ensure real estate interests are appropriately addressed.

    Real estate plays important role in civil works and military projects

    More than a decade after leaving Jacksonville District as a realty specialist to assume an 18-month tour with the Installation Management Agency, Europe, Audrey Ormerod has come full circle, returning to the district as the Real Estate Division chief.
  • Roseate Spoonbills and the endangered West Indian manatee are among the species that call the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge home. If approved to fly the restricted airspace over the refuge, unmanned aircraft systems may provide potential, unobtrusive opportunities for research, environmental and wildlife data collection.

    Unmanned Aircraft Systems working group examines capabilities, future opportunities

    A group of leaders from the University of Central Florida, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, University of Florida, Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), Space Florida and the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) gathered June 24 to discuss the possibility of using unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) around the Cape Canaveral area.
  • Course participants learned the proper procedures for launching and retrieving a boat.

    Motorboat Operator training provides certification and skills needed to perform a wide range of duties

    In May and June, the South Florida Operations Office hosted a 32-hour motorboat licensing course and two 8-hour refresher courses at the W.P. Franklin Lock Recreation Area on the Okeechobee Waterway. Thirteen Jacksonville District employees participated in the program, designed to ensure that operators are adequately trained, properly tested and licensed prior to the official operation of any Corps boat or vessel less than 26 feet in length.
  • This panther kitten was discovered in the Fakahatchee State Park Preserve, just east of the Picayune Strand Restoration Project area.

    It’s a girl! Kitten born to rescued and released Florida panther

    In September 2011, a pair of orphaned five-month-old Florida panther kittens was rescued by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) biologists, after their mother was found dead. Too young to survive on their own, they were raised in captivity at White Oak Plantation in Yulee, Fla., with the goal of one day releasing them back into the wild.