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  • December

    Matos, a two-year-old Belgian Malinois that works as an explosive detection dog, picks up a scent and focuses on leading his handler, Stevie Valencia of AMK9, to a buried training target during a demonstration on the Mullet Key Formerly Used Defense Site at Fort DeSoto Park near St. Petersburg, Fla. The specialty dogs are being used as a demonstration technology, to evaluate the potential for using them on other similar sites.

    These noses know no limits

    Don is a five-year-old German Shepherd, one of several explosive detection dogs that are working alongside their handlers at the Mullet Key Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS) at Fort DeSoto Park in Pinellas County near St. Petersburg, Fla.
  • Florida bark scorpions have been found under rocks and in monitoring well sleeves during inspections of the 143-mile long Herbert Hoover Dike levee around Lake Okeechobee.

    Presentation on poisonous species benefits field staff safety

    Clewiston biologist Nicole Liette provided an overview of the many poisonous plants and animals in south Florida for South Florida Operations Office and lock employees who spend a lot of time outdoors or in the field,to help them be educated,alert,aware and safe during their normal duties in south Florida.

  • September

    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.
  • 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

    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.
  • 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.
  • “We’ve got to create more jobs today, doing what you’re doing right here at JAXPORT, and that’s building this country’s future,” said President Barack Obama in his July 25 address to a capacity crowd at JAXPORT.

    Obama stresses importance of ports during visit to Jacksonville

    Addressing a standing-room-only audience at JAXPORT July 25, President Barack Obama stressed the importance of maintaining the nation’s ports and aging infrastructure. Hundreds gathered to hear Obama’s plan for moving the economy forward, starting with passing legislation to authorize two local port projects that would put people back to work in Jacksonville. “In a couple of years, new supertankers are going to start coming through the Panama Canal,” said Obama. “We want those supertankers to come here, to Jacksonville.”

  • 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
  • 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.
  • Outreach program specialist and former middle school teacher Erica Skolte spoke to eighth grade students at Polo Park Middle School about what the Everglades were like prior to being altered by man.

    The student connection: Corps employees reach out to local schools

    For the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, this time of year provides an opportunity to educate future engineers and scientists on the breadth of the district’s work and the contributions it makes to the quality of life in Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. All Corps team members are representatives for the Corps in their own communities. Every interaction provides a potential opportunity to share information about the district’s programs and projects.
  • A view of Palm Beach Harbor, the site of the Lake Worth Inlet Feasibility Study, which evaluates the potential widening and deepening of the channel.

    Lake Worth Inlet moves forward with release of draft report to public

    In May, the Lake Worth Inlet project team reached a major milestone with the release of the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) to the public. A public meeting to introduce the plan to the community was attended by nearly 70 interested residents and stakeholders in Palm Beach.
  • Steve Dunham, chief of the South Florida Operations Office in Clewiston (in white shirt) and park ranger Richard Bailey speak with army instructor Sergeant First Class Brian Lamberton as JROTC volunteers plant Royal Palms along the entrance to the Port Mayaca Lock & Dam.

    Volunteers take pride in accomplishments at Take Pride in America Day

    Like anything worthwhile, Jacksonville District’s observance of Take Pride in America Day took a lot of planning, preparation and hard work. For the Corps employees and volunteers who participated in the May 4 event, the results were well worth the effort again this year. It was a win-win for everyone involved.
  • Adam Morrison (left), Jacksonville District Equal Employment Opportunity Office, visited lock leader Pam Peralta (right) and lock operator Robert Holmes (center) at Moore Haven Lock and Dam on the Okeechobee Waterway.

    Female lock leader honored with Steel de Fleury

    Forty years ago, career choices for women were generally not as diverse as they are today. Pam Peralta never let that stand in her way. Her choices leaned toward the non-traditional and resulted in several historic firsts.
  • 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.

  • May

    After the initial clearing, Melaleuca mulch, similar to what is shown in the photo, was left behind, which suppressed the regrowth of sawgrass and beakrush. Waiting for the decay of the mulch and subsequent regrowth would have delayed achievement of the success criteria by approximately 10 years, much longer than the permit allowed. The enforcement case compelled Century to go back to the site and remove the mulch and conduct supplemental plantings in the buffer areas in order to jumpstart the mitigation area so that it met its success criteria within five years.

    Violation of consent decree in Century Homebuilders Clean Water Act case settled

    A 2006 Clean Water Act violation case against Century Homebuilders has been closed with the receipt of payment of $400,000 in civil penalties plus the purchase of $60,000 in mitigation credits from Everglades National Park.
  • The result of successful stream restoration at a different site.

    Areawide Environmental Impact Statement addressing phosphate mining in Central Florida Phosphate District completed

    The final Areawide Environmental Impact Statement (AEIS) addressing phosphate mining in the Central Florida Phosphate District (CFPD) has been completed and released and a Notice of Availability is scheduled for publication in the Federal Register May 3.

  • April

    Biologist Jessica Spencer (left) educates a volunteer group about air potato, an invasive vine that has been found at local creek cleanups. The volunteers were at one of many cleanup sites around Jacksonville, Fla. as part of the 18th Annual St. Johns River Cleanup March 16.

    Air Potato Roundup yields big results, educates community

    National Invasive Species Week, held March 2 through 8, focused on raising awareness of non-native threats to local ecosystems and endangered species. Invasive species smother native plants and are one of the greatest ecological threats to natural communities, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior, which also estimates the costs to prevent, monitor and control invasive species at about $137 billion annually.
  • Beach vitex leaves are round, silvery gray-green, have a spicy fragrance and purplish blue flowers. If beach vitex is spotted, do not dig it up; contact Jacksonville District’s Invasive Species Management Branch.

    Coastal menace from the Carolinas creeps towards Florida

    The rapidly spreading beach vitex, an invasive vine native to countries in the western Pacific, is creeping down the eastern coast from the Carolinas towards Florida, impacting beach stability and endangering sea turtles.