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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

June’s improved runoff not enough for Missouri River basin drought
7/6/2022
Despite improved runoff in June, water conservation measures will continue for the second half of the navigation flow support season based on the July 1 Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir System...
John Day Dam storing water to minimize lower Columbia River flooding
6/12/2022
Federal water managers are changing release and storage schedules at several Pacific Northwest dams because of a late season and strong atmospheric river that began June 9. Significant amounts of...
Below average runoff forecasts for upper Missouri River Basin continue
6/8/2022
Runoff continues to be below average in the upper Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa. Below-normal precipitation, dry soil conditions in the western portions of the basin, and...
Army Corps updates Safe Lockage Policy for recreational vessels on Columbia, Snake rivers
5/27/2022 UPDATED
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has put the following guidelines in place for the continued safe passage of recreational craft through the navigation locks at McNary, John Day, The Dalles, and...
Drought conditions persist throughout the Missouri River Basin
5/5/2022
Dry conditions in April resulted in well-below average runoff in the upper Missouri River Basin. April runoff was 1.5 million acre-feet, which is 51% of average. The updated 2022 upper Basin runoff...
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NWD District - News Releases

Dworshak Dam increases discharge to cool river temperatures
7/6/2022
Due to increased temperatures, Dworshak Dam will be increasing their releases to support flow augmentation intended to keep the tailwater of Lower Granite Lock and Dam at or below 68 F...
June’s improved runoff not enough for Missouri River basin drought
7/6/2022
Despite improved runoff in June, water conservation measures will continue for the second half of the navigation flow support season based on the July 1 Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir System...
22-051 Corps of Engineers announces July 8 change-of-command ceremony
7/1/2022
WALLA WALLA, Wash. – The public is invited to attend the Walla Walla District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, change-of-command ceremony set for 10 a.m. on Friday, July 8. The ceremony will be live...
22-050 Corps encourages safety this 4th of July weekend
6/30/2022
WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- As the nation's largest federal provider of water-based recreation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stresses water safety and urges extra caution while in or around water...
22-049 Dworshak Reservoir offers July 4 holiday fun
6/30/2022
AHSAHKA, Idaho – Come out and enjoy Dworshak Dam and Reservoir this July 4. The reservoir is at full pool! All campgrounds and boat ramps are open for use...
Flood risk management project planned for Merriam, Kansas
6/29/2022
On June 29, 2022, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District, and the City of Merriam, Kansas, signed a design agreement to begin design on a series of floodwalls and levees to reduce...
Omaha District’s Montana Regulatory Offices prioritizing emergency permitting
6/27/2022
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District announces that due to extensive damage caused by recent flooding, its Montana Regulatory Offices will expedite emergency permitting actions...
43 fish die in Mud Mountain Dam fish passage facility
6/23/2022 UPDATED
Two physical barrier mishaps occurred at the new Mud Mountain Dam fish passage facility June 22 and June 26, which left 42 Chinook salmon and one bull trout dead...
USACE, Omaha District announces Lower Yellowstone project ribbon cutting ceremony
6/23/2022
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in conjunction with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will be co-hosting an official ribbon cutting ceremony for the Lower Yellowstone Intake Diversion Dam Fish Passage...
Through groundbreaking consultation, Corps signs programmatic agreement to protect Willamette Valley’s cultural, historic resources
6/16/2022
The Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and partners have finalized an agreement that will enhance the protection of historic and cultural resources across the Willamette Valley...
22-048 Boise River flows to start reducing as Lucky Peak is topped off next week
6/16/2022
BOISE, Idaho – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation have begun to reduce Boise River flows through the city of Boise. Currently flows passing the Glenwood Bridge are...
22-047 Dworshak Dam to decrease outflow over next several days
6/16/2022
AHSAHKA, Idaho – Flows are receding in the Clearwater Basin, including the North Fork of the Clearwater above Dworshak. Due to receding flows Dworshak will be reducing outflow to minimize overall...
Late spring storms bring high flows, potential debris on Lake Pend Oreille
6/15/2022
Heavy precipitation from a series of late spring storms combined with above average and late-melting snowpack runoff have significantly increased inflows into Lake Pend Oreille and increased flood...
22-046 Corps stops diverting water as Mill Creek flows recede
6/14/2022
WALLA WALLA, WA – Water Management officials at the Walla Walla District stopped diverting water into Bennington Lake at 5:45 a.m. in response to receding flows coming down Mill Creek. The diverted...
Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee membership application season open
6/13/2022
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District announces that the Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee membership application season is open...
22-045 Corps to minimize flow through town as Mill Creek flows increase due to recent rainfall
6/13/2022
WALLA WALLA, WA – Due to recent heavy rainfall, Mill Creek flows have increased. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Walla Walla District is working to ensure that flows through the City of Walla Walla...
22-044 Dworshak Dam to Increase to 25,000 cubic feet per second due to heavy rain and snowmelt
6/12/2022
AHSAHKA, Idaho – Dworshak Dam is currently releasing approximately 20,200 cubic feet per second (cfs) and will be increasing outflow to 25,000 cfs over the afternoon of Sunday June 12, 2022...
22-043 Boise River flows to increase to balance remaining space with recent rainfall
6/12/2022
BOISE, Idaho – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation will increase Boise River flows through the City of Boise from approximately 1,250 to 2,750 cubic feet per second (cfs),...
John Day Dam storing water to minimize lower Columbia River flooding
6/12/2022
Federal water managers are changing release and storage schedules at several Pacific Northwest dams because of a late season and strong atmospheric river that began June 9. Significant amounts of...
22-042 Dworshak Dam to increase to 15,500 cubic feet per second as reservoir nears full
6/9/2022
Dworshak Dam will be increasing its outflow to 15,500 cubic feet per second (cfs) over the next two days. Currently, the dam is releasing approximately 9,600 cfs with a forebay elevation of 1,593 ft...

News Stories from across NWD

Kansas City District embraces sustainability and energy efficiency initiatives
7/1/2022
The Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed several solar field projects that greatly contribute to the sustainability and energy efficiency initiatives at the Wilson Lake Project...
Corps trains for ‘Super Bowl of disasters’
6/24/2022
The Corps of Engineers' Northwestern Division led a regional exercise June 14-16 to prepare its teams of emergency planners, operators, and engineers for the possibility of a severe earthquake from...
Omaha District leaders visit Fort Randall Dam to discuss multi-million-dollar construction contract
6/24/2022
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in partnership with Voith Hydro North America, held a major unit rehabilitation partnering meeting to discuss a collaboration on the Ft. Randall hydropower plant...
Groundbreaking ceremony for new B-21 Low Observable Restoration Facility at Ellsworth Air Force Base signifies kickoff of historic B-21 Beddown
6/3/2022 UPDATED
Representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Air Force, the state of South Dakota, and industry partners gathered, May 25, 2022, to conduct an official groundbreaking ceremony for the start...
Veterans Memorial at Stockton Lake dedicated on Armed Forces Day
5/26/2022
A dedication ceremony was appropriately held on Armed Forces Day for the Stockton Veterans Memorial at the Stockton Lake project office. This day paid and ceremony tribute to men and women who serve...
Florence bedrock removal project on Missouri River in full swing
5/26/2022 UPDATED
Work is well underway as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, in partnership with our contractors and sub-contractors, are excavating bed rock from the Florence Bend reach portion of the...
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Releases Work Plan for Fiscal 2022 Civil Works Appropriations
5/25/2022 UPDATED
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) delivered to Congress its Fiscal Year 2022 (FY 2022) Work Plan for the Army Civil Works program on May 25, 2022. On March 15, 2022, President Biden signed into...
Striking a work-life balance is possible at the Corps
5/24/2022
Working for USACE allows me the satisfaction of being a part of projects that affect the American public, all while still being able to pick my daughter up from school...
District tests emergency flood management equipment in Hamburg
5/17/2022
Recently, local contractors, in coordination with the Omaha District and the Iowa Department of Transportation, performed a trial erection of flood gate panels across Highway 33 leading into Hamburg,...
Docks along the shoreline: The intersection of public and private property
4/27/2022
For those who live along the river, the idea of having a boat dock can be attractive. However, specific laws, rules and procedures go into installing a boat dock, and it’s important to be aware of the...
Corps bracing for another challenging water year in Willamette Basin
4/21/2022
Despite substantial help from recent rain and snow events, Army water managers are bracing for another challenging year as they work to refill 13 Willamette Valley reservoirs for the upcoming...
4 million mouths to feed
4/11/2022
Just below Dworshak Dam, on the shore of the Clearwater River, lies the Dworshak National Fish Hatchery (DNFH). The DNFH raises millions of salmon and steelhead smolts every year to be released into...
Modernizing hydropower on the Snake River
4/6/2022
Hydropower, a clean, renewable and reliable energy source, just became safer for fish and more efficient at generating electricity, thanks to the new turbines at Ice Harbor Lock and Dam on the Snake...
Building a better you: Lolita Law, Kansas City District Administrative Assistant
3/30/2022
Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Administrative Assistant Lolita Law has been through her fair share of challenges. She believes those challenges shaped her into the mother, wife,...
Statement by Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works on the President’s Fiscal Year 2023 Budget
3/28/2022 UPDATED
The Biden-Harris Administration today submitted to Congress the President’s Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. The President’s Budget details his vision to expand on the historic progress our country...
It is never too late: Susan Abbott, Kansas City District Civil Engineer
3/28/2022
“I was a tomboy growing up. I took every science course our schools had, and I just loved them—learning about how things worked and why,” Kansas City District Civil Engineer Susan Abbott said.Abbott...
What’s it like being a working mom in 2022?
3/11/2022
We asked our Bonneville Dam Resident Engineer, Martha Brandl, who balances her full-time position as a rockstar on our team with raising three children—including two twins. (That’s soon to be five, as...
Climbers inspect Bonneville Lock's miter gate
3/11/2022
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains and assesses the locks along the Columbia and Snake rivers on an annual basis to keep an estimated $23 billion dollars’ worth of commerce flowing...
Fifth graders help Army engineers
3/9/2022
In early December 2021, several 5th grade classes at Zundy Elementary in Wichita Falls, Texas helped beta test the Missouri Basin Balancer web-based video game for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,...
Incredible women of Portland District
3/8/2022
Women play a vital role in developing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and this great nation. They serve across all career paths in USACE, as leaders and supervisors, engineers and rangers,...