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  • October

    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.
  • Civil engineer Jessamyn Fluitt, Engineering Division, assists students with the water tower construction at the one-day STEM event at the University of North Florida.

    District supports local STEM initiative

    In an effort to pique the interest of middle school students toward science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines, Jacksonville District partnered with Mentoring Families and Kids, Inc., (MFK) at the Second Annual STEM Camp, held at the University of North Florida, June 28.

  • July

    Survey technician Jack Salzer at the helm of the Florida II. Salzer was working for the Corps when the Florida first arrived in 1973

    New survey vessel brings enhanced capability to support district missions

    The Florida II is a 62-foot aluminum hydrofoil-assisted catamaran hydrographic survey vessel that was built to Corps specifications by All American Marine and commissioned in February 2013. The
  • Lionfish were first reported off Florida’s Atlantic Coast in 1985, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website. Lionfish can reach up to 22 inches in length and have a venomous spine that can cause painful wounds.

    Lionfish continue to populate, pose threats to coral reefs

    Their dorsal spines and zebra-like bodies may draw one in for a closer look. Commonly used in aquariums for show, the invasive lionfish has made its way from the South Pacific and Indian Oceans to the east coast. In the past decade, they’ve been rapidly expanding from Florida to North Carolina, as well as the Caribbean.
  • Senior leaders from Jacksonville District listen as Emergency Management Branch Chief Aaron Stormant fires questions to the group during a Continuity of Operations (COOP) exercise conducted June 4. The exercise tested the COOP plan through a discussion on how critical operations would be conducted if the district’s headquarters building were inaccessible due to disaster.

    Jacksonville District prepares for potential emergency

    The exercise tested the COOP plan, which identifies critical actions that must continue in the event the district’s headquarters building was no longer inhabitable because of fire, flood or some other event.
  • The members of EMC Magnitude Design, Inc. at Booker Creek, the site of their award-winning water environment improvement design. Pictured left to right is Miki Skinner, Caitlin Hoch and Brett French. Team members not pictured are Erin Morrison and Josh Becker.

    Regulatory’s Caitlin Hoch and team headed to national competition

    Tampa Regulatory Office’s newest environmental engineer Caitlin Hoch has already added a pretty impressive credential to her resume. The recent University of South Florida graduate and her student design team, EMC Magnitude Design, Inc. took first place in a recent competition sponsored by the Florida Water Environment Association, beating 10 other teams from seven state universities. They will advance to represent the state in the national competition at the Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference this fall.

  • June

    Archaeologists Grady Caulk (left) and Wendy Weaver (right) conduct archaeological investigations at the 8.5 Square Mile project.

    Archaeologists help preserve the past, link to the future

    Archaeological evidence shows that the area that we now know as Florida has been occupied by man since around 12,000 B.C. Known as Paleo-indians, these inhabitants lived off of available plants and animals, including mega-fauna such as the mastodon or the 12-foot-tall giant ground sloth that once roamed Florida. Over time, Florida slowly evolved into what we see today, with climate and sea levels becoming more stabilized.
  • An aerial view of the Culvert 11 site shows the ongoing work to replace more than 30 water control structures around Lake Okeechobee, providing continued stability for Herbert Hoover Dike.

    HHD named Project of the Year

    The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Palm Beach Branch has given its Outstanding Project of the Year Award to Jacksonville District, for its work in designing and constructing the improvements to reduce the risk of failure at the dike. The award is presented annually by the organization to recognize the best example of an innovative or outstanding design/construction project in Palm Beach County.