26 May 2026

Albeni Falls Dam: Cutting Red Tape to Rebuild Infrastructure

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' $20,395,700 contract award for the 11-gate replacement project at Albeni Falls Dam, in Oldtown, Idaho, signals a shift in how federal infrastructure projects are delivered: prioritizing efficiency and community transparency over bureaucratic hurdles, working as a regional team to efficiently deliver the design, hosting Industry Day events to incorporate input from industry experts and delivering a 'Hybrid contract,' a unique type of contract.

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.

17 Jun 2025

From delamination to durability: How Fiber-Reinforced Polymer is fortifying Albeni Falls Dam's Gate 3

Discovered in April 2024 during routine maintenance, Gate 3, one of Albeni Falls Dam’s 10 spillway gates revealed defective steel, likely a consequence of the original 1950s fabrication process. While a long-term plan for complete gate replacement is underway, the immediate need was for a robust, interim solution to bring Gate 3 back into service and restore the dam's full operational flexibility. Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) offers a technically superior Band-Aid, providing significant structural enhancement, a glimpse into the future of dam maintenance and a testament to modern engineering ingenuity.