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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

Kansas City District holds change of command ceremony
6/11/2021
In historic military tradition, command of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District transferred today from Col. William C. Hannan, Jr., to Col. Travis J. Rayfield. In a ceremony at the...
Upper basin runoff forecast continues to be below average
6/3/2021 UPDATED
After our June communication materials were sent, we received a few calls from the public seeking clarification on planned releases from Gavins Point Dam. The press release has been updated to...
Drought conditions driving lowered runoff forecast
5/6/2021
Very dry conditions in April resulted in very low runoff in the upper Missouri River Basin. The upper Basin runoff was 44% of average, which was the 9th driest April in 123 years of record. The...
Spring Spill begins facilitating fish passage at Snake and Columbia river dams
4/21/2021
Federal water managers have begun the annual spill of water past hydroelectric dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers to help juvenile salmon and steelhead migrate to the ocean this spring. The spill...
2021 runoff forecast remains below average; Virtual spring public meetings April 6
4/6/2021
Reservoir inflows in the Missouri River basin above Sioux City, Iowa (upper Basin) were well-below average in March. The updated 2021 upper Basin runoff forecast is 21.3 million acre-feet (MAF), 83%...
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NWD District - News Releases

Fort Peck campgrounds, Interpretive Center now open
6/14/2021
Fort Peck, Mont. -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District announces that all Fort Peck area campgrounds and the Interpretive Center are open for the 2021 season...
Unscheduled release from Cherry Creek Dam
6/11/2021
An unscheduled, inadvertent release from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District’s Cherry Creek Dam southeast of Denver occurred 9:30 MDT Friday morning...
Kansas City District holds change of command ceremony
6/11/2021
- In historic military tradition, command of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District transferred today from Col. William C. Hannan, Jr., to Col. Travis J. Rayfield. In a ceremony at the...
Corps Finds No Significant Environmental Impact Reducing Detroit Dam’s Maximum Elevation Pool
6/11/2021
The Portland District found no significant environmental impacts associated with reducing Detroit Dam’s Reservoir maximum pool elevation by five feet to curb the risk of a large earthquake causing the...
The Dalles Dam Visitor Center reopens for summer after extended closure
6/10/2021
The Dalles Dam Visitor Center reopened to the public, June 4th, 2021 with capacity limits, face covering requirements, physical distancing, and extra cleaning. Visitor Center operating hours are 9...
Draft EA available for comment on Ramberg to Mandan, Berthold pipeline system maintenance project on Little Missouri River near Lake Sakakawea, North Dakota
6/8/2021
OMAHA, Neb. – A draft environmental assessment (EA) for a proposal to perform maintenance activities to prevent scour on two existing Tesoro High Plains Pipeline Company, LLC crude oil pipelines...
Kansas City District invites public to Virtual Change of Command ceremony June 11th
6/7/2021
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District, will conduct a change of command ceremony to recognize the arrival of Col. Travis J. Rayfield as its new commander. The ceremony will be...
Transmission line work to close part of Giles French Park
6/4/2021
Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) will replace transmission lines (area outlined in yellow in attached image) from John Day Lock and Dam to the substation located on top of the hill south of...
21-032 Dworshak Dam continues to refill as flow augmentation season approaches
6/4/2021
AHSAHKA, Idaho –Dworshak Dam releases will remain at 1,600 cubic feet per second (cfs) as the reservoir continues to refill throughout the month. This operation is intended to capture as much water as...
Upper basin runoff forecast continues to be below average
6/3/2021 UPDATED
After our June communication materials were sent, we received a few calls from the public seeking clarification on planned releases from Gavins Point Dam. The press release has been updated to...

NWD - News Stories

John Day Dam park ranger embraced her calling in nature
5/21/2021
"When I said no and that I was going to college, it broke her heart,” says Gentilcore. “She thought that I was always going to take over the family business.”Gentilcore left for college anyway.For...
Building dams and, we hope, public trust
5/18/2021
I take pride in knowing my organization, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Portland District, has played an important role in the story of how our country taps into our water resources like the...
Kansas City employee saves life of boater in distress
5/13/2021
In the blink of an eye the unexpected can happen, especially on the water. Imagine heading out to go fishing at sunrise to be the first to hit that honey hole in the calm of the morning. Fog gently...
Aquatic Botany journal features Walla Walla biologist
5/5/2021
U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center Environmental Laboratory Research Biologist Dr. Nathan Harms co-authored a journal article as one of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Walla Walla...
KC Levees Provides Safety Improvements for Aged System
4/21/2021
The Kansas Citys Levees Project stands out as one of the largest and most complex ever undertaken by the Kansas City District, with life-safety and economic benefits to match...
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NWD District - News Stories

That sounds fishy: twisting traps troll tributaries in the Willamette
6/17/2021
The bulky contraptions float listlessly downstream of three dams in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The buoyant, metal devices hold large screws that the water flow turns. This twist of the screw –...
Essential to the Mission
6/17/2021
Volunteers are an invaluable part of the Corps of Engineers team. The Walla Walla District Corps of Engineers is responsible for thousands of acres of land in Washington, Idaho and Oregon. Proper...
Keeping water safety a high priority
6/16/2021
Boating season is upon us, and more people are taking the opportunity for fun and leisure out on the water. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District knows that the need for vigilance and...
USACE, Omaha District conducts employee safety perception survey through National Safety Council
6/3/2021
Earlier this year U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District employees participated in a safety perception survey designed to provide a comprehensive, sensitive leading indicator metrics that assess...
District parks, recreation staff urge visitors to recreate safely amid dry weather, COVID-19 pandemic
5/28/2021
As summer approaches, more people are heading out to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District parks and recreation areas. However, this year brings new safety concerns to keep in mind when...
John Day Dam park ranger embraced her calling in nature
5/21/2021
"When I said no and that I was going to college, it broke her heart,” says Gentilcore. “She thought that I was always going to take over the family business.”Gentilcore left for college anyway.For...
From Park Aide to Park Ranger
5/19/2021
For Jake Cordtz, it was never a question.The best place to work was the outside, and it was only a matter of time before he became a park ranger for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers...
Building dams and, we hope, public trust
5/18/2021
I take pride in knowing my organization, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Portland District, has played an important role in the story of how our country taps into our water resources like the...
Corps employee saves life of boater in distress
5/13/2021
In the blink of an eye the unexpected can happen, especially on the water. Imagine heading out to go fishing at sunrise to be the first to hit that honey hole in the calm of the morning. Fog gently...
N2W attracts diverse group of professionals for $1.7 billion construction project
5/11/2021
The challenges and complexities of any Mega-Project are great, and the Next NGA West – known as N2W – project is no different. From the beginning of this military construction program for the National...