5 Jun 2026

Beyond the desk: A week aboard a USACE dredging vessel to protect an ancient, elusive fish

For Jacqui Bergner, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers aquatic biologist, the rumble of a dredging vessel's engine wasn't just noise—it was the sound of her office. For one week, she called the massive hopper dredge Essayons home, working 12-hour shifts sifting through thousands of pounds of sand and mud. Her mission: to monitor for the accidental “take” of threatened green sturgeon.

23 Mar 2026

Building Infrastructure: Inside the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Hydropower Mission

Hydropower remains one of the most reliable and cost-effective energy sources in the U.S., and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) continues to lead the nation in its production. As the country’s largest operator of hydropower, USACE manages 75 facilities with a combined installed capacity of more than 20,000 megawatts (MW), generating nearly 100 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) annually, almost one-third of the nation’s total hydropower output. That energy supports approximately 10 million households each year while strengthening grid reliability and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

20 Dec 2023

Scraping barnacles gives salmon a fighting chance

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 survival, by reducing their potential for injury or death.