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. 

Division - News Releases

Gavins Point Dam releases to be reduced to winter release rate
Missouri River Water Management Division
11/6/2025
Releases from Gavins Point Dam will be reduced in late November as flow support to navigation ends. Releases are currently 25,500 cubic feet per second (cfs). “We will continue to make releases from...
Virtual Missouri River fall public meeting in-lieu of canceled meetings
Missouri River Water Management Division
10/22/2025
In-person public meetings on Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir system operations, which were scheduled for Monday, Oct. 27; Monday, Nov. 3; and Tuesday, Nov. 4 have been canceled. A virtual meeting...
September runoff above average; Fall public meetings set
Missouri River Water Management Division
10/6/2025
Although overall runoff for September 2025 in the upper Missouri River Basin was above average, runoff in the Fort Peck and Garrison reaches continues to be well-below average. “Beneficial rainfall...
USACE introduces new Regulatory Request System module
Army Corps of Engineers
9/22/2025
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced today the launch of a new “No Permit Required” module on its Regulatory Request System (RRS), an innovative online application portal designed to enhance...
Army Corps of Engineers begins implementing policy to increase America’s energy generation efficiency
Army Corps of Engineers
9/22/2025
Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle today directed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to weigh whether energy projects that might impact America’s navigable waters would actually...

District - News Releases

Notice of prescribed burns: Missouri River Recovery Program mitigation sites, Nebraska
USACE OMAHA DISTRICT
11/18/2025
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, in contract with Cloud Mountain Forestry, will conduct prescribed burns from Nov. 20, 2025, to April 15, 2026, at nine individual mitigation sites...
Yakima Delta Leadership Team Advances Bateman Island Causeway Removal, Construction Anticipated to Begin This Winter
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District
11/14/2025
RICHLAND, Wash. – In a major milestone, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Walla Walla District, in partnership with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), the Yakama Nation, the...
Public invited to comment on draft study of Detroit Reservoir deep drawdown, potential end to hydropower production
Portland District
11/14/2025
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Portland District is seeking public input on a draft study that considers changes to how the agency operates its Willamette Valley dams. This study – referred...
Public meetings to be held on Water Control Manual updates for Clinton, Milford, Perry and Tuttle Creek lakes
Kansas City District
11/13/2025
The Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers invites the public to attend a series of meetings to discuss updates to the Water Control Manuals for Clinton, Milford, Perry and Tuttle Creek...
Corps of Engineers to explain current reservoir drawdowns at virtual public meeting
Portland District
11/7/2025 UPDATED
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will host a virtual public information session Thursday, Nov. 13, 5:30-6:30 p.m. to discuss plans to lower reservoir levels this fall at Cougar, Green Peter, Lookout...
Army Corps begins dredging at Everett Harbor, Snohomish River, Nov. 4, 2025
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers/Seattle District
11/3/2025
Maintenance dredging of the Everett Harbor and Snohomish River, in Snohomish River, Everett, Washington, begins Nov. 4, 2025. Operations will run 24/7 and are expected to be completed Feb. 14, 2026...
Public meeting for Smoky Hill River ecosystem restoration feasibility study cancelled
Kansas City District
10/6/2025
The Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has cancelled a public meeting scheduled for October 7, 2025, for the Smoky Hill River Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study and...
Public comment sought on draft Smoky Hill River ecosystem restoration feasibility study
Kansas City District
10/1/2025
The Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has prepared a draft Public Notice, along with a draft Feasibility Report and a draft Finding of No Significant Impact for the Smoky Hill River...
UPDATE: USACE Seattle District critical infrastructures open during government shutdown
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District
10/1/2025 UPDATED
Critical activities, including maintaining flood control infrastructure, operating hydroelectric dams, and ensuring safe vessel navigation, will continue without interruption. All dams and locks will...
Albeni Falls Dam open house postponed due to government shutdown
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District
10/1/2025
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Seattle District and the Bonneville Power Administration are postponing the Albeni Falls Dam community open house originally scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 7, in...
Kanopolis Lake announces updated trout fishing access for upcoming season
Kansas City District
9/30/2025
Due to an ongoing construction project at the Kanopolis Lake stilling basin, trout stocking and public fishing access at Sand Creek will be modified for the upcoming 2025–2026 fishing season. The...
Limited boat ramp availability at Willamette Valley reservoirs this fall and winter
Portland District
9/30/2025
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Portland District, urges boaters to confirm boat ramp availability this fall and winter before heading to Willamette Valley reservoirs.Lack of spring rainfall...
USACE’s Charbonneau Park to receive septic system overhaul, enhancing campground services and sustainability
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District
9/26/2025
BURBANK, Wash. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District has awarded a $926,800 construction contract to Civil Built, LLC, to upgrade the Large Onsite Septic System (LOSS) at...
Partners celebrate Parkville Bottoms Wetland Restoration Project completion with ribbon cutting
Kansas City District
9/26/2025
The Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in partnership with the City of Parkville, is pleased to announce the completion of the Parkville Bottoms Wetland Restoration Project. A...
Coos Bay North Jetty repairs complete after three years
Portland District
9/24/2025
The Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), has completed repairs to the Coos Bay North Jetty, which will be commemorated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday...
Reservoir drawdowns coming to Willamette Valley this fall, Detroit drawdown planned for 2026
Portland District
9/24/2025
This fall and winter, residents living near Cougar, Green Peter, Lookout Point, and Fall Creek reservoirs should expect lower water levels as part of an effort by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers...
Dworshak Dam to Clear Out Lost and Found
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District
9/16/2025
AHSAHKA, Idaho – As the summer recreation season ends, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Dworshak Dam and Reservoir is clearing out lost and found items from the past year...
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and partners announce public meeting for Little Blue River Basin Study
Kansas City District
9/15/2025
The Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its partners will hold a public meeting on Sept. 23, 2025, to share findings and gather public input on the Little Blue River Basin Flood...
Innovative Water Injection Dredging pilot project set to begin Sept. 17 at Tuttle Creek Lake
Kansas City District
9/11/2025
The Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in partnership with the Kansas Water Office, is pleased to announce the start of the first demonstration period for the innovative Water...
USACE awards contract for Mill Creek maintenance yard expansion, security upgrades
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District
9/9/2025
WALLA WALLA, Wash. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District, has awarded a $349,000 construction contract to Paragon Native LLC for improvements to the maintenance yard at Mill Creek...

News Stories from across the Division

Conservation programs improve outlook of threatened piping plover
USACE OMAHA DISTRICT
11/14/2025
The Missouri River Recovery Program’s Emergent Sandbar Habitat Program and Tern and Plover Monitoring Program, managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District’s Threatened and Endangered...
Blue-sky day training helps responders prepare for future flood events
Kansas City District
9/26/2025
Natural disasters don’t care about chain of command or what roles and responsibilities lie with which local, state or federal government agency. The destruction caused by natural disasters can happen...
Mentorship made simple: New app helps connect employees across Kansas City District
Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
9/26/2025 UPDATED
When thinking about professional development within the Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Leadership Development Program is the gold standard. That’s why fiscal year 2024 LDP...
Construction on second project under Tribal Partnership Program has begun
USACE OMAHA DISTRICT
9/23/2025
Construction on a second U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District project under the Tribal Partnership Program has begun.The Lower Brule Sioux Tribe North Ecosystem Restoration Project will help...
Vietnam veterans of Bravo Company receive long-overdue Bronze Star Medals
USACE OMAHA DISTRICT
9/19/2025
More than half a century after their service in the jungles of Vietnam, 14 veterans of Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, were formally presented Bronze Star...
USACE Omaha District continues modernization mission at U.S. Air Force Academy
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District
9/18/2025
As the U.S. Air Force celebrates its 78th birthday this year on Sept. 18, 2025, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, continues to play a pivotal role in supporting modernization efforts,...
Remote regulatory team provides local answers for rural Idaho
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District
9/16/2025 UPDATED
In a corner of the Idaho Department of Water Resources office at Idaho Falls, a remote regulatory team from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District, guide Idahoans through the...
‘Like a detective looking for evidence in a crime scene’: How collecting high-water marks helps flood risk reduction efforts
Kansas City District
9/11/2025
If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to see it, does it make a sound? Similarly, if a heavy rain event causes flooding overnight and no one is awake to see it, did it happen? Of course it...
USACE completes South Jetty repairs, concludes decade-long Mouth of Columbia River project

9/5/2025
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Portland District, has completed major rehabilitation to the South Jetty at the mouth of the Columbia River, marking the end of a decade-plus effort to...
USACE, Teton County partnership shields $1 billion in property from floods
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District
9/4/2025
Along the Snake River, the sound of heavy equipment echoes off the Teton and the Gros Ventre mountains as crews place fresh riprap along the Jackson Levees. For the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers...
Walla Walla District-led health initiative scales across USACE to strengthen Workforce readiness
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District
9/4/2025
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District is emphasizing a proactive approach toward workforce readiness by making medical surveillance a key component of its occupational health...
Herd Highlight: Russell Somsen, Oahe Project natural resource specialist
USACE OMAHA DISTRICT
9/3/2025
Meet Russell (Russ) Somsen, a natural resources specialist at the Oahe Project in Fort Pierre, South Dakota.Russ has worked 35 years for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Omaha District in a variety...
Libby Dam 50th Commemoration: Reflections of Legacy
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers/Seattle District
8/28/2025
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District celebrated 50 years of operations at Libby Dam, during its commemoration event at Libby, Montana, Aug. 23, 2025. The event recognized the achievements...
The Kansas City District tests AI and GoPro technology to improve roadway and campground maintenance with new pilot program
Kansas City District
8/27/2025
The Kansas City District has long played a significant role in testing and implementing new approaches to conducting work across its sprawling footprint in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa. Now, a...
Dworshak’s “Skeleton Bay” flooded in key step toward regional energy growth
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District
8/21/2025
On the banks of the North Fork Clearwater River, a new chapter is being written for one of the Pacific Northwest’s most important hydropower resources. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Walla...
Garrison Dam team meets a paddling pal
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District
8/15/2025
Kyle Parker, a Wisconsin native and canoe enthusiast, reached the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District's Lake Sakakawea Marina boat ramp, July 17, 2025. Parker is paddling from the tip of the...
Fort Scott National Cemetery Lodge: Standing watch over our nation’s fallen heroes
Kansas City District
8/6/2025
There is something awe-inspiring about seeing thousands of white marble headstones uniformly lined up throughout pristinely manicured grounds. Entering the iron gates of the Fort Scott National...
Lower Granite Lock and Dam marks 50 years on the Snake River
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District
8/4/2025
On July 10, 2025, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District, celebrated the 3,200-feet-long Lower Granite Lock and Dam’s 50 years of service to the Pacific Northwest along with the...
Herd Highlight: Patricia Gilbert-Ball, natural resource specialist and district’s only beekeeper
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District
7/31/2025
Patricia Gilbert-Ball, a natural resources specialist and park ranger with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District’s Fort Peck Project in Montana, is also the district's only beekeeper...
Washington native finds calling as USACE park ranger
U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS WALLA WALLA DISTRICT
7/30/2025 UPDATED
Kye Carpenter’s love for the outdoors began on the quiet banks of Washington’s rivers, fishing alongside his grandparents near Pasco.This year, as the nation celebrates National Park and Recreation...