Around the Northwestern Division

News Stories and News Releases from the Northwestern Division and the NWD Districts including the Kansas City, Omaha, Portland, Seattle and Walla Walla Districts. 

NWD - News Releases

Missouri River Basin spring public meetings announced
Missouri River Basin Water Management
3/15/2024
Public Meetings are held each spring and fall across the Missouri River basin. Upper Basin spring public meetings will be held the week of March 25 in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana...
Despite early runoff, upper basin runoff forecast below average; Gavins Point releases to increase for navigation flow support
Missouri River Basin Water Management
3/7/2024
A warm February led to increased snowmelt and runoff in the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa. February runoff was 1.8 million acre-feet, 161% of average with above average runoff in every...
Litigation stay agreement increasing Columbia River spill, begins
Northwestern Division
3/1/2024
After an agreement to stay the Columbia River Basin litigation for up to 10 years, federal water managers will begin spilling more water over basin dams this spring than in past years. In the...
Average Garrison Dam releases declining to address downstream ice
Missouri River Basin Water Management
2/29/2024 UPDATED
**Updated to note continued decline in releases toward 16,000 cfs ahead of the forecast schedule.** Fluctuations in temperatures in the Bismarck area have resulted in ice formation on the Missouri...
Below average runoff forecast for the upper Missouri River Basin in 2024
Missouri River Water Management Division
2/6/2024 UPDATED
**Last paragraph to note Forecast generation for 2024 is 8.6 billion kWh. It had been incorrectly stated as 2023.** The updated 2024 calendar year runoff forecast for the Missouri River Basin above...

NWD District - News Releases

USACE awards Turner Gulch boat ramp rehabilitation contract
U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS WALLA WALLA DISTRICT
3/21/2024
BOISE, Idaho – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District has awarded a $2,136,537 contract to MACNAK Construction, LLC to conduct a rehabilitation project on the 70-year-old Turner Gulch...
Dam safety drill shines spotlight on resilience and preparedness at Pomme de Terre Lake
Kansas City District
3/20/2024
Officials held an emergency preparedness tabletop exercise at Pomme de Terre Lake in Hermitage, Missouri, on March 14, 2024, to showcase the joint emergency preparedness between local, state and...
Military night operations training to be held at McNary Lock and Dam March 25 through 27
U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS WALLA WALLA DISTRICT
3/20/2024
UMATILLA, OR. -  Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord will conduct military night operations training at McNary Lock and Dam from Monday, March...
Boise River flows set to increase Monday, March 25
U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS WALLA WALLA DISTRICT
3/18/2024
BOISE, Idaho -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation will increase Boise River flows through the City of Boise starting on March 25. These releases will help reduce the risk...
Missouri River Basin spring public meetings announced
Missouri River Basin Water Management
3/15/2024
Public Meetings are held each spring and fall across the Missouri River basin. Upper Basin spring public meetings will be held the week of March 25 in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana...
Lower Monumental Dam closes public dam crossing March 18 through 21
U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS WALLA WALLA DISTRICT
3/13/2024
KAHLOTUS, Wash. – Officials at Lower Monumental Lock and Dam will be closing public dam crossings March 18 through 21 to perform maintenance...
Road NF-1993 across Cougar Dam closed for construction
Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
3/13/2024
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will close both lanes of Road NF-1993 across Cougar Dam, Mar. 18 from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m...
President’s Budget includes $500 million to support Green River fish passage, water supply, flood risk management
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Seattle District
3/11/2024
The President’s Budget request for Fiscal Year 2025 includes $500 million for construction of a downstream fish passage facility at Howard A. Hanson Dam on the Green River...
Public invited to attend meeting for Lower Missouri River Holt County spin-off study
Kansas City District
3/11/2024
Officials will hold a public meeting for the Lower Missouri River Holt County spin-off study on April 1, 2024, in Mound City, Missouri. The meeting, which will be hosted by the Kansas City District,...
Increased Boise River flows anticipated this spring for flood risk management
U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS WALLA WALLA DISTRICT
3/8/2024
BOISE, Idaho -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Walla Walla District expects flood risk management releases from Lucky Peak Dam will begin later this month or early April...
Despite early runoff, upper basin runoff forecast below average; Gavins Point releases to increase for navigation flow support
Missouri River Basin Water Management
3/7/2024
A warm February led to increased snowmelt and runoff in the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa. February runoff was 1.8 million acre-feet, 161% of average with above average runoff in every...
Stockton Lake officials to temporarily limit access to Hawker Point campground and boat ramp
Kansas City District
3/1/2024
Officials will be closing the boat ramp and encouraging the public to limit access at the Hawker Point campground from March 18 to March 29, 2024. The boat ramp will be closed while lake staff and the...
Litigation stay agreement increasing Columbia River spill, begins
Northwestern Division
3/1/2024
After an agreement to stay the Columbia River Basin litigation for up to 10 years, federal water managers will begin spilling more water over basin dams this spring than in past years. In the...
Average Garrison Dam releases declining to address downstream ice
Missouri River Basin Water Management
2/29/2024 UPDATED
**Updated to note continued decline in releases toward 16,000 cfs ahead of the forecast schedule.** Fluctuations in temperatures in the Bismarck area have resulted in ice formation on the Missouri...
Dworshak Visitor Center schedule to change in March
U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS WALLA WALLA DISTRICT
2/28/2024
AHSAHKA, Idaho – Dworshak Dam Visitor Center is announcing some upcoming temporary closures and cancellations. These closures are to accommodate staff training requirements and attendance at the Big...
Walla Walla District to hold Small Business Industry Day March 19
U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS WALLA WALLA DISTRICT
2/27/2024
WALLA WALLA, Wash. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District is hosting a free Industry Day seminar for business owners and representatives on Tuesday, March 19 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to...
Public invited to meetings scheduled for upcoming Water Control Manual updates
Kansas City District
2/27/2024
Updates to Water Control Manuals and reviews of the Water Control Plans for Melvern, Pomona and Hillsdale Dams and Reservoirs will be the subject of a series of public meetings held by the Kansas City...
Flood Resiliency Study team to hold second public outreach meeting in Brunswick, Missouri
Kansas City District
2/26/2024
Officials are hosting a public outreach meeting in Brunswick, Missouri, on Monday, March 11, 2024, to discuss progress on the flood resiliency study near Brunswick. The meeting will be hosted by the...
Officials planning to conduct one-day test release at Rathbun Lake
Kansas City District
2/26/2024
Officials plan to conduct a one-day test release from Rathbun Lake later this spring. As part of the detailed design process for the Rathbun Lake Fisheries Section 1135 project, the information...
Army Corps refilling Lake Washington for summer
USACE/Seattle District
2/23/2024
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials began Lake Washington’s annual summer refill operations Feb. 15. Water managers are targeting a typical annual refill of the lake to elevation 22 feet this...

News Stories from across NWD

Serving the Northwest from afar
U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS WALLA WALLA DISTRICT
3/11/2024
Every day, Gabrielle Marucci sits down at her desk and logs into her computer, checking her email and meeting schedule. Her desk sits next to a window and, outside, one might expect to see scenery...
What a leader looks like
U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS WALLA WALLA DISTRICT
3/5/2024
“What does being a leader mean to you?”This was a question posed by Lt. Col. ShaiLin KingSlack, Commander of the Walla Walla District, when she spoke to tribal students at schools in Pendleton,...
Sunken treasure: Fish Attractor Program at Pomme de Terre Lake benefits environment and recreators alike
Kansas City District
2/21/2024
On an unseasonably warm day in February, the sun was shining and hardly a cloud could be found in the sky. Staff at Pomme de Terre Lake, along with staff from the Missouri Department of Conservation,...
Army Corps of Engineers publishes proposed rule on protection of historic properties
Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works
2/12/2024
The Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works released a proposed rule to remove Appendix C from the United States Army Corps of Engineers Regulatory Program’s permitting...
Innovative project receives 2023 Department of the Air Force Design Award
Kansas City District
2/6/2024
When you hear the word ‘merit’, you probably think of a great achievement or outstanding accomplishment. Both of those things could be used to describe the work of the Whiteman Air Force Base Resident...
First meeting of task force set to address issues in the Kansas River Basin
Kansas City District
2/2/2024
This month, a dedicated group of professionals took an important step for the health of Kansas water resources. On Jan. 18, 2024, the Kansas Reservoir Sedimentation Task Force, made up of...
A Christmas Story – kind of…
Northwestern Division
1/17/2024
MAUI, Hawaii – When a fire burns hot enough to melt engine blocks and granite countertops, it is at least 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit. Everything it touches at that point is compromised. So, when it’s...
Missouri River navigation restoration efforts hit major milestone despite challenges
Kansas City District
1/9/2024
2024 will mark five years since the historic flood of 2019 in Kansas City and the surrounding region. Water levels on the Missouri River reached heights not seen for decades and caused an estimated...
From Villain to Victor: History of the Bald Eagle Watch
Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
1/4/2024
Bald eagle watches are a popular winter event in many states with wintering eagle populations. Watches began after eagle populations crashed in the 1960s to share information about challenges...
Safety first: Northwestern Division’s occupational health nurse hopes to prioritize health and safety across the division
Kansas City District
1/4/2024
Active construction sites can be dangerous places. Full of heavy mechanical equipment and other hazards, the risk posed to the workers at these sites is often high. But there are other, less obvious...
Scraping Barnacles Gives Salmon A Fighting Chance
USACE/SEATTLE DISTRICT
12/20/2023
Army Corps employees scrape barnacle buildup along the filling tunnels at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, Seattle, fulfilling a federal law requirement to help improve endangered salmon’s chances of...
Bridging the waters: USACE districts partner for flood resilience
USACE OMAHA DISTRICT
12/18/2023
While partnership shines across many of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District projects, some of the strongest are those with neighboring districts. One such project benefitting from a...
‘Man Overboard’: Dredge vessel crew saves woman swept away by Columbia River
Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
12/15/2023
It was the sound – something like a scream – that first caught their attention...
Omaha District Admins further skills, set PACE of professional development
USACE, Omaha District
12/12/2023
Administrative professionals at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District provide support by carrying out foundational tasks, allowing technical experts the ability to focus solely on...
District Officer Introductory Course offers unique learning experience for junior officers
Kansas City District
12/11/2023
One common misconception about the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is that most people who work for the agency are in the military. In fact, of the roughly 37,000 people who work for USACE, only about...
Years of partnership and perseverance leads to historic osprey nesting
Kansas City District
12/5/2023
Osprey, a bird of prey, is the only species of raptor that dives feet first into the water to catch its prey—mainly fish. It’s no surprise then that osprey typically nest in and around bodies of water...
Army water regulators await torrent of winter moisture set to blast the Pacific Northwest
Northwestern Division
12/1/2023
A stream of atmospheric rivers will be flowing through parts the Pacific Northwest at the beginning of December, drastically changing the region’s most recent crisp, dry autumn – a seemingly strange...
Jack of all trades—cartographer, archivist and pilot all in one
Kansas City District
11/30/2023
When asked to describe his job, long-time Kansas City District employee John Atkinson has a humorous response. “Jack of all trades, I guess,” he says. Officially, Atkinson serves as the district’s...
Omaha District, partners successfully complete temporary power mission in San Juan
USACE Omaha District
11/22/2023 UPDATED
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District proudly announced the successful completion of a temporary power mission project in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This Federal Emergency Management Agency led...
Mill Creek restoration an example of interagency collaboration and innovation
Kansas City District
11/17/2023
At approximately 9:30 p.m. on the evening of December 7, 2022, a pressure drop in the Keystone Pipeline system was reported by TC Energy Corporation. Not long after the reported pressure drop, a...