The Pittsburgh District has developed expertise to accomplish its varied civil works missions in the areas of navigation, flood-damage reduction, recreation, environmental restoration, hydropower, storm-damage reduction, regulatory, water supply and emergency response with more than 140 years of experience. Our jurisdiction includes more than 328 miles of navigable waterways, 23 navigation locks and dams, 16 multi-purpose flood-damage reduction reservoirs, 42 local-flood damage-reduction projects and other projects to protect and enhance water resources and wetlands.
Like all corps' civil works districts, the Pittsburgh District’s boundaries are defined by the watershed basins for which we are responsible. Pittsburgh’s 26,000 square miles include portions of western Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia, eastern Ohio, western Maryland and southwestern New York.
The Pittsburgh District is known as the Headwaters District because it includes the upper 127 miles of the Ohio River and the drainage basins of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers which join at the Point in Pittsburgh to form the Ohio River. Additionally, “headwaters” acknowledges Pittsburgh’s role as a district of 'engineering firsts' within the Corps of Engineers.
Environmental Restoration
Our region’s strong industrial past has served the nation well but has extracted a high environmental cost. Congress has given the Corps of Engineers legislative authorities to carry out environmental missions.
Environmental Stewardship
Environmental stewardship has become an integral part of the Corps’ work ethic and its roots extend back into history. The Corps of Engineers was the first federal agency to exercise environmental management over the areas that became Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks. While this tradition may have been overshadowed by the national pro-development push of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, today’s Corps takes a strong approach to protect the environment.
The district’s responsibilities in this area are to maintain technical and professional expertise to assist the nation in fulfilling the objectives of the National Environmental Policy Act and other laws protecting environmental, cultural, historic, and wildlife resources. District efforts include water quality monitoring at all Corps projects; participation with other agencies in fish sampling on the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio Rivers; cultural, historical, biological and archeological surveys at proposed construction sites and existing projects; wildlife and natural resource management plans at the reservoirs; and a variety of public education programs.
Infrastructure Rehabilitation
It is possible you have noticed the Corps of Engineers logo while boating on one of the Pittsburgh District’s three rivers, or during a picnic at a nearby lake. The Pittsburgh District not only builds, but operates and maintains the infrastructure of locks and dams and multi-purpose reservoirs that provide local flood protection, navigation corridors, recreation and water quality improvement to our region.
Section 14 of the Flood Control Act of 1946 enables the Corps of Engineers to restore and protect eroded stream banks and shorelines that threaten the structural integrity of public works or non-profit public facilities. Examples of these works include highways, municipal water supply systems, treatment plants, sewer and water lines, hospitals, schools, fire companies, churches and libraries.
The Corps can also play a role in helping local communities to construct new, improve existing, or expand water-related environmental infrastructure. Section 313 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1992 authorizes the Corps of Engineers to provide support to communities for projects like waste water treatment and related facilities; water supply; storage, treatment, and distribution facilities; and surface water resource projection and development in 21 counties of South Central Pennsylvania.
Section 219 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1992, as amended, authorizes the Corps to provide environmental infrastructure assistance to other areas of southwestern Pennsylvania. Funding under this program has been received each year since 2002 for work in Allegheny County.
Section 594 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1999 authorizes an Environmental Infrastructure and Resource Protection and Development Program for the State of Ohio. Funding has been received under this program to prepare a program management plan, to develop model project cooperation agreements and to initiate a number of projects.
Local Protection
In additional to its reservoirs, the Pittsburgh District has constructed 42 local flood protection projects. These projects are designed to provide protection for heavily developed residential, business and industrial areas with a history of flood problems.
Such projects typically consist of stream bank protection, dredging, flood walls, drop structures, debris basins and levees. Once construction is completed, these projects are generally turned over to a local sponsor for operation and maintenance. The District and the local sponsor periodically inspect the project to insure it is still capable of providing the protection for which it was designed.
Three local protection projects within the Pittsburgh District hold a unique status in that the Corps retains responsibility for their operation and maintenance. These unique projects are located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania; Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania; and Elkins, West Virginia.
Flood damages within the Pittsburgh District are controlled by both structural and non-structural methods. Non-structural flood warning systems with the Cheat and Tygart River basins in West Virginia are innovative early-warning systems designed to save lives and protect property by providing advance warning of flood crests. Ice jam related flooding is being controlled at Oil City, Pennsylvania with uniquely designed ice control structures on Oil Creek and the Allegheny River.
Support for Others
The District’s Support for Others program provides technical and management services to federal, state and local agencies who do not have the in-house capability to meet their needs for specified activities, or who are interested in combining their resources with the Corps – creating a partnership to support various needs/projects.
Current/Previous Support for Others work provided to: Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Housing & Urban Development, Military, National Energy Technology Laboratory, National Park Service, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Office of Surface Mining, Panama Canal Commission and the Tennessee Valley Authority.