Pittsburgh District Dive Team
Col. Adam Czekanski, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, prepares to join the Pittsburgh District Dive Team on an underwater inspection at the Monongahela River Locks and Dam 2 in Braddock, Pennsylvania, April 25, 2023. Czekanski joined the Pittsburgh Dive Team for an underwater inspection of the locks in the Monongahela River for his own training experience. Czekanski has an Open Water Diver Certification, which made him eligible to go in the water with the team. Pittsburgh’s Dive Team is made up of more than a dozen members who volunteer for the job as a collateral duty in addition to their assigned, full-time jobs with the district. The team conducts periodic inspections every other week on all three major rivers surrounding Pittsburgh, ensuring the lock and dam systems work as designed. They annotate any damage or wear and tear that needs attention. During an inspection, they swim to the dam checking the cutoff wall and assessing the cavity under the dam. They examine the gates for structural stability and ensures gates open and close freely without obstruction. They also assess dams at 16 flood-control reservoirs operated by the district. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)