7 Nov 2023

Headwaters Highlights: Shenango River Lake team works year-round to improve federal lands

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District constructed Shenango River Lake to reduce flooding, save lives and protect property. However, in the years since, the dam, reservoir and federal lands have become a major hotspot for outdoor recreation.

20 Oct 2023

From Classroom to Conemaugh: Pittsburgh Students Dive into Dam Engineering

Park Ranger April Richard's sturdy boots crunched on the gravel path as she led the tour group up a hillside to an overlook platform. Richards, the ranger at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District’s Conemaugh River Lake, welcomed a group of students and began their guided tour. She started by discussing the fundamental nature of the dam.

18 Oct 2023

Year in Review: Pittsburgh District reflects on FY23 accomplishments

The Pittsburgh District had an unprecedented fiscal year in 2023, and we accomplished a tremendous amount of work for the region and the nation, thanks to our employees.

11 Oct 2023

From analog machines to machines learning: the Pittsburgh District’s nascent relationship with artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) took the world by storm in 2023 when various rapidly-improving text-language models became publicly available. Since then, the human race has delved into the wacky, wild world of AI and faced some pressing questions: how do I trust the content I find online? Is my self-driving car plotting world domination? Will my toaster have a midlife crisis?

3 Oct 2023

Digging deeper: Geotechnical team drills down for purpose and discovery in their ‘boring’ jobs

The geotechnical team boarded the barge before sunrise during a shift change. As they climbed aboard, the drilling crew met them with good news. “Looks like we’re ready to drill this morning,” the crew leader said.

28 Sep 2023

Volunteers bridge generations through conservation during National Public Lands Day

On a crisp autumn day, volunteers gathered at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District sites to honor National Public Lands Day (NPLD). Spearheading this collaborative endeavor for our public lands, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District was pivotal fostering connections among community members and organizations.

9 Sep 2023

Pittsburgh District’s Nakita Smith selected for ERDC University

Researchers from 10 U.S. Army Corps of Engineer Districts have been selected for the 2023 session of the Engineer Research and Development Center University (ERDC-U). Nakita Smith, lead realty specialist with the Pittsburgh District, was chosen to participate in the detail program, now in its eighth year.

8 Sep 2023

Headwaters Highlights: Stonewall Jackson team keeps it ‘in-house’ to benefit public, wildlife

Most people who picture a lake think of a unified body of calm water. Yet, from the sky, Stonewall Jackson Lake resembles a series of lightning bolts striking in different directions than a traditional lake.

18 Aug 2023

When trees fly: Pittsburgh District delivers new fish habitats on Ohio River

The Pittsburgh District used a helicopter to lift 29 trees bundles and concrete blocks to create a new fish habitat in a water basin on the Ohio River.

11 Aug 2023

Pittsburgh District breaks ground on first step in updating aging navigation system on upper Ohio River

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District welcomed industry, community and political leaders for the ceremony, digging shovels into a pile of dirt at the Montgomery Locks and Dam facility Aug. 11. The event marked the start of a construction project with benefits that will flow into the nation’s economy.

4 Aug 2023

New commander assumes mission responsibility of Pittsburgh District

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District welcomed a new commander with the symbolic passing of the engineer flag during a ceremony at the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, Aug. 4, 2023.

28 Jul 2023

Headwater Highlights: Environmental stewards clear the path for construction and community projects while safeguarding resources

The Environmental and Cultural Resources Section includes biologists, environmental specialists, physical scientists, environmental engineers, archaeologists, a tribal liaison, and a historian. Their mission includes protecting natural resources, wetlands, waterways, and locations of archaeological value.

26 Jul 2023

Woodcock Creek Lake celebrates Golden Jubilee

“We lived with floods, pretty much every year.” That was the reality for Saegertown Borough Manager Charles Lawrence and many others living in the wake of the frequently flooding French Creek before the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District built Woodcock Creek Lake Dam.

25 Jul 2023

Pittsburgh District researcher flexes her ‘mussels’ toward doctorate degree

Kristi Dobra is a recipient of the Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation scholarship. The Department of Defense funds the SMART program to provide education and workforce development opportunities for students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering. or math. So far, the program has awarded more than 3,800 scholarships at more than 400 universities, from bachelor’s up to doctoral degrees.

3 Jul 2023

Headwaters Highlights: Regulators ‘mount up’ to defend waterways and wetlands in Pittsburgh’s watersheds

Unlike the gun-slinging outlaws of the 1870s bringing violence to the Western frontier in New Mexico, or the Warren G rappers of the 1990s cruising to the Eastside Motel in Los Angeles, today’s regulators “mount up” for a very different reason in the Pittsburgh District.

22 Jun 2023

Warning signs on the horizon bring visibility to an invisible danger

Inexperienced boaters face hidden dangers on the Allegheny River that could result in severe injury or death if they don’t pay attention.

15 Jun 2023

Is Union City Dam broken? The dry bed reservoir functions just right

By definition, a dam is “a barrier preventing the flow of water or of loose solid materials such as soil or snow”…so why does Union City Dam sometimes look like there’s no water in it? That contradiction is by design: Union City Dam is the only “dry” reservoir in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District.

5 Jun 2023

Headwater Highlights: Nation’s temporary emergency power mission surges through Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh District is the only U.S. Army Corps of Engineers district to oversee all temporary emergency power missions supporting FEMA. The emergency team serves communities in the aftermath of a natural disaster. They focus specifically on providing generators to critical public facilities such as hospitals, emergency rooms, shelters, and emergency response centers.

2 Jun 2023

Headwaters Highlight: Rangers welcome bird watchers to Berlin Lake as a growing birding hotspot

Park rangers and staff at Berlin Lake want to encourage more bird enthusiasts to visit the reservoir. Berlin Lake is located along the Atlantic Flyway path, considered a migration highway, making the reservoir a hotspot for birds during migration.

2 Jun 2023

Hydropower capabilities set to surge on three rivers in Pittsburgh District

Recently, Rye Development announced they would begin constructing four hydropower plants at lock and dam facilities on the Ohio, Monongahela, and Allegheny rivers. Once construction begins, it can take 24-36 months to complete a facility.