Pittsburgh District Year in Review: 2024

Graphic for Pittsburgh District's 2024 Year in Review.

Brian Trzaska, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District's senior civilian, poses for a portrait during a video interview at Emsworth Locks and Dam in Pittsburgh Nov. 8, 2024. Trzaska is responsible for the district's planniing and program management. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

The Conemaugh Dam, operated and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, holds back water to form a reservoir used for flood risk management in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania, Oct. 17, 2024. The Pittsburgh District manages 16 flood-risk reduction reservoirs to reduce the damage of floods in the region. When a storm hits, multi-purpose flood-control reservoirs built and maintained by the Corps of Engineers retain excess water upstream of the dam. Controlled releases of this excess water prevent or reduce downstream flooding. Without the corps' reservoirs, the Flood of January 1996 would have raised the crest at the Point in Pittsburgh by 9.7 feet, and during the September 2004 flooding from Hurricane Ivan, the crest at the Point of 31.1 feet would have been 7.7 feet higher. As the Headwaters District, Pittsburgh has played a key role in the evolvement of the Corps of Engineers’ flood damage reduction mission. Part of that role is directly related to the region’s history of major floods. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Water from the Loyalhanna Creek flows from the Loyalhanna Dam, operated and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania, Oct. 17, 2024. The Pittsburgh District manages 16 flood-risk reduction reservoirs to reduce the damage of floods in the region. When a storm hits, multi-purpose flood-control reservoirs built and maintained by the Corps of Engineers retain excess water upstream of the dam. Controlled releases of this excess water prevent or reduce downstream flooding. Without the corps' reservoirs, the Flood of January 1996 would have raised the crest at the Point in Pittsburgh by 9.7 feet, and during the September 2004 flooding from Hurricane Ivan, the crest at the Point of 31.1 feet would have been 7.7 feet higher. As the Headwaters District, Pittsburgh has played a key role in the evolvement of the Corps of Engineers’ flood damage reduction mission. Part of that role is directly related to the region’s history of major floods. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

The Conemaugh Dam, operated and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, holds back water to form a reservoir used for flood risk management in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania, Oct. 17, 2024. The Pittsburgh District manages 16 flood-risk reduction reservoirs to reduce the damage of floods in the region. When a storm hits, multi-purpose flood-control reservoirs built and maintained by the Corps of Engineers retain excess water upstream of the dam. Controlled releases of this excess water prevent or reduce downstream flooding. Without the corps' reservoirs, the Flood of January 1996 would have raised the crest at the Point in Pittsburgh by 9.7 feet, and during the September 2004 flooding from Hurricane Ivan, the crest at the Point of 31.1 feet would have been 7.7 feet higher. As the Headwaters District, Pittsburgh has played a key role in the evolvement of the Corps of Engineers’ flood damage reduction mission. Part of that role is directly related to the region’s history of major floods. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

The sun rises over the Pittsburgh skyline Oct. 19, 2023. Pittsburgh has been nominated multiple times as the most livable city in America, making it a great place to begin a new career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District ensures safe navigation on the riverways in the region. The district's footprint covers 328 miles of navigable waterways, 23 navigational locks and dams, 16 reservoirs, and more than 80 local-flood damage-reduction projects across five states: Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District performs a controlled explosion to breach the fixed-crest dam at the Monongahela River Locks and Dam 3 near Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, July 10, 2024. Removing the dam will create a continuous pool of riverway stretching 30 miles from Charleroi to Braddock, Pennsylvania, improving navigation on the Lower Monongahela River. The dam’s removal work will continue through December. Until the Corps removes the entire dam and verifies the navigation channel is safe, all traffic must pass through the landside lock. After the initial demolition, contractors will perform additional demolitions once per week, requiring the locks to close for three hours or less. The demolition will require 13 more controlled explosions, taking down the rest of the dam in 50-foot sections. The contractor will use excavators on barges to remove the rubble from the river. After the dam is removed and the riverway is cleared, waterway users can navigate through the area without using the lock chambers. The river is anticipated to reopen by the end of 2024. The Pittsburgh District will then move onto the next phase of removing the lock walls in 2025, with work expected to last until 2027. The demolition is part of the Lower Monongahela River Project. Once complete, the project is expected to bring an economic benefit of $200 million annually, including cost-time savings in transporting commodities through the region using inland navigation and reduced maintenance costs. The Monongahela River Locks and Dam 3 has been operating since 1907, but the facility is prone to flooding and shuts down operations during high-water events, resulting in navigation delays. The U.S. Coast Guard supported by establishing restriction zone 1,500 feet up and downstream of the dam. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Scott Bartholomew, a mission commander for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Temporary Emergency Power Team, walks past an Emergency Command and Control Vehicle (ECCV) staged at location awaiting generators provided by FEMA for disaster relief efforts in North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Oct. 12, 2024. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been coordinating with a contractor to deliver generators provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency at critical facilities, such as temporary shelters and water resource stations. The Pittsburgh District is the lead office for USACE to coordinate the emergency power program. They coordinate Planning Response Teams from across the nation to deploy to disaster areas within 48 hours to communities in need. USACE is working in partnership with the local, state, and federal response to the Hurricane Helene. 261 USACE personnel are deployed, coordinating with partners in the affected areas. Additionally, 65 USACE personnel are supporting response efforts via reach-back and has 218 contractor personnel deployed. The Temporary Emergency Power Planning and Response Team in North Carolina consists of employees from the Pittsburgh and Honolulu districts as well as Soldiers from the 249th Prime Power Engineer Battalion, and contractors. So far the team has installed 17 generators and more than 40 assessments to determine further emergency power needs. The Wilmington District oversees the disaster response and relief effort on behalf of USACE in North Carolina. The district provides support to western North Carolina through execution of FEMA mission assignments. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Kristen Day, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District primary contracting officer for the Temporary Emergency Power Team, prepares for a video interview to discuss the generators installed to help communities devastated by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina, Oct. 11, 2024. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been coordinating with a contractor to deliver generators provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency at critical facilities, such as temporary shelters and water resource stations. The Pittsburgh District is the lead office for USACE to coordinate the emergency power program. They coordinate Planning Response Teams from across the nation to deploy to disaster areas within 48 hours to communities in need. USACE is working in partnership with the local, state, and federal response to the Hurricane Helene. 261 USACE personnel are deployed, coordinating with partners in the affected areas. Additionally, 65 USACE personnel are supporting response efforts via reach-back and has 218 contractor personnel deployed. The Temporary Emergency Power Planning and Response Team in North Carolina consists of employees from the Pittsburgh and Honolulu districts as well as Soldiers from the 249th Prime Power Engineer Battalion, and contractors. So far the team has installed 17 generators and more than 40 assessments to determine further emergency power needs. The Wilmington District oversees the disaster response and relief effort on behalf of USACE in North Carolina. The district provides support to western North Carolina through execution of FEMA mission assignments. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Ellie Cox, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District emergency management specialist from the Pittsburgh District, poses for a portrait at a generator staging base in Charlotte, North Carolina, Oct. 11, 2024. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been coordinating with a contractor to deliver generators provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency at critical facilities, such as temporary shelters and water resource stations. The Pittsburgh District is the lead office for USACE to coordinate the emergency power program. They coordinate Planning Response Teams from across the nation to deploy to disaster areas within 48 hours to communities in need. USACE is working in partnership with the local, state, and federal response to the Hurricane Helene. 261 USACE personnel are deployed, coordinating with partners in the affected areas. Additionally, 65 USACE personnel are supporting response efforts via reach-back and has 218 contractor personnel deployed. The Temporary Emergency Power Planning and Response Team in North Carolina consists of employees from the Pittsburgh and Honolulu districts as well as Soldiers from the 249th Prime Power Engineer Battalion, and contractors. So far the team has installed 17 generators and more than 40 assessments to determine further emergency power needs. The Wilmington District oversees the disaster response and relief effort on behalf of USACE in North Carolina. The district provides support to western North Carolina through execution of FEMA mission assignments. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Chimney Rock, North Carolina, a river community along the Broad River devastated by Hurricane Helene and currently undergoing recovery, Oct. 10, 2024. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been coordinating with a contractor to deliver generators provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency at critical facilities, such as temporary shelters and water resource stations. The Pittsburgh District is the lead office for USACE to coordinate the emergency power program. They coordinate Planning Response Teams from across the nation to deploy to disaster areas within 48 hours to communities in need. USACE is working in partnership with the local, state, and federal response to the Hurricane Helene. 261 USACE personnel are deployed, coordinating with partners in the affected areas. Additionally, 65 USACE personnel are supporting response efforts via reach-back and has 218 contractor personnel deployed. The Temporary Emergency Power Planning and Response Team in North Carolina consists of employees from the Pittsburgh and Honolulu districts as well as Soldiers from the 249th Prime Power Engineer Battalion, and contractors. So far the team has installed 17 generators and more than 40 assessments to determine further emergency power needs. The Wilmington District oversees the disaster response and relief effort on behalf of USACE in North Carolina. The district provides support to western North Carolina through execution of FEMA mission assignments. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

The sun rises over the icy waters of the Allegheny River in Harmarville, Pennsylvania, Jan. 23, 2024. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District is responsible of operating 23 navigable locks and dams on the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers year-round regardless of weather, including in subfreezing icy conditions. The district is responsible for keeping navigation flowing through Pittsburgh, known as the Headwaters District, to and from the rest of the nation. Transporting commodities on the waterways is four times less expensive than by trucks and 33 percent cheaper than by rail. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

A camera captures a time lapse video of Pittsburgh, March 1, 2024. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District is known as the “Headwaters District” because the city’s point is where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers converge to form the Ohio River, which connects the region to many of the inland waterways for the rest of the nation. The district manages the waterways and watersheds that flow throughout significant parts of the northeastern United States. The district operates 23 locks and dams, saving shippers and consumers approximately $4 billion in transportation costs annually compared to using other means, such as trucks or rails. Transporting commodities on the waterways is four times less expensive than trucks and 33 percent cheaper than using rail. Towboats can push up to 15 barges on the river at once. A single barge can hold the same amount of material as 70 large semi-trucks or 16 rail cars. A 15-barge tow would be equivalent to more than a thousand semi-trucks on the road, causing 13.9 miles of bumper-to-bumper traffic. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Towboats stage barges of commodities such as coal and aggregates on the Ohio River at sunrise in Pittsburgh, March 1, 2024. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District is known as the “Headwaters District” because the city’s point is where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers converge to form the Ohio River, which connects the region to many of the inland waterways for the rest of the nation. The district manages the waterways and watersheds that flow throughout significant parts of the northeastern United States. The district operates 23 locks and dams, saving shippers and consumers approximately $4 billion in transportation costs annually compared to using other means, such as trucks or rails. Transporting commodities on the waterways is four times less expensive than trucks and 33 percent cheaper than using rail. Towboats can push up to 15 barges on the river at once. A single barge can hold the same amount of material as 70 large semi-trucks or 16 rail cars. A 15-barge tow would be equivalent to more than a thousand semi-trucks on the road, causing 13.9 miles of bumper-to-bumper traffic. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

A total solar eclipse shines in the sky viewed from the Michael J. Kirwan Dam in Ravenna, Ohio, April 8, 2024. The Michael J. Kirwan Dam is one of 16 reservoirs managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. The Pittsburgh District has a total of seven reservoirs located within the solar eclipse’s path of totality in 2024. Hundreds of visitors came to the reservoirs at various locations, watching from near the dams or at campgrounds. Some visitors lived locally and did not have to travel far, while others drove hours to the nearest reservoir to watch the historic event. Seven reservoirs across the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District were located beneath the path of the solar eclipse’s totality. The locations included Michael J. Kirwan Dam in Ravenna, Ohio; Berlin Lake Dam in Deerfield Township, Ohio; Mosquito Creek Lake in Cortland, Ohio; Shenango River Lake in Hermitage, Pennsylvania; Woodcock Creek Lake in Saegertown, Pennsylvania; Union City Dam in Waterford, Pennsylvania; and the Allegheny Reservoir which stretches across northwestern Pennsylvania into New York. Since the founding of the United States in 1776, there have been 21 total solar eclipses visible from the continental U.S. The next total solar eclipse visible from North America will be Aug. 22, 2044, over North Dakota and Montana. Pittsburgh District’s reservoirs are designed for flood risk reduction and provide waterflow to navigable waterways, but they are also popular recreational destinations for fishing, water sports and enjoying the outdoors. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Bobber, the water safety dog mascot for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chelsea Jones, the river ranger for the Pittsburgh District, and Pirate Parrot, the mascot for the Pittsburgh Pirates, pose for a photo after filming a water safety promotional video at PNC Park, April 17, 2024. The water safety promotional video will play on PNC Park’s scoreboard during games throughout May. The Pittsburgh District is partnering with the Pittsburgh Pirates to host a water safety night at PNC Park, May 11, 2024. Before the game, members from the Pittsburgh District and other waterway partners will set up display booths and games on Federal Street to promote life jackets, water safety and safe boating practices to the public. The Pittsburgh District will participate in the first pitch and provide a color guard team to present the colors during the national anthem. Bobber the water safety dog will race in the Great Pierogi Race during in-game entertainment. The first 20,000 fans to enter the stadium will receive a free shirt promoting the “Wear It” Safe Boating Campaign. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Andi Fitzgibbon, a water quality biologist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, works alongside Jamie Detweiler, an aquatic biologist with he Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, to collect water and biological samples to test water quality in a creek downstream from the Loyalhanna Dam in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania, April 10, 2024. The Pittsburgh District manages 16 dams for reservoirs designed to reduce floods and to provide water flow to navigation. It also operates 23 locks and dams on the three major navigable rivers surrounding Pittsburgh: the Allegheny, Ohio and Monongahela rivers. The Water Quality team is an essential part of the district’s mission. The team travels weekly across the district’s 26,000-square-mile span to collect samples to assess “bio-indicators” that represent ecological quality. The water quality team keeps a rigorous field schedule from the end of March until mid-November with stream macroinvertebrate collections and buoy deployments in the spring coupled with visiting every reservoir once per season to complete an annual water quality survey while visiting at least one reservoir each month from April through November. Their work entails surveying each reservoir’s inflows, the reservoir itself and the downstream river flowing out of the reservoir. The team also surveys every navigable river within the district. The collected data is used to make reservoir-management decisions, such as how much water to release to improve downstream water quality and to keep the waterways clean. The Pittsburgh District often partners with agencies at the federal, state and local levels for either sampling or other environmental concerns to fulfill missions of mutual interests. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

A park ranger from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District welcome guests arriving at the 50th anniversary of the Youghiogheny River Special Recreation Day in Confluence, Pennsylvania, May 2, 2024. The Special Recreation Day is an annual event tailored specifically to provide a range of outdoor activities and games for children and adults with special needs. More than 500 people attended the event, taking part in activities that included fishing at a pond stocked with trout, a tractor hayride with music on board, face painting, carnival games, boat rides on the lake, and more. Community partners also provided snacks and lunch for everyone. The Youghiogheny Lake staff organized the yearly event with the help of the Lions Club International, Friends for the Youghiogheny River Lake, Pennsylvania Game Commission, Pennsylvania Waterways Conservation Officers, Turkeyfoot High School, local volunteers, and staff from across the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Park rangers from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District welcome guests arriving at the 50th anniversary of the Youghiogheny River Special Recreation Day in Confluence, Pennsylvania, May 2, 2024. The Special Recreation Day is an annual event tailored specifically to provide a range of outdoor activities and games for children and adults with special needs. More than 500 people attended the event, taking part in activities that included fishing at a pond stocked with trout, a tractor hayride with music on board, face painting, carnival games, boat rides on the lake, and more. Community partners also provided snacks and lunch for everyone. The Youghiogheny Lake staff organized the yearly event with the help of the Lions Club International, Friends for the Youghiogheny River Lake, Pennsylvania Game Commission, Pennsylvania Waterways Conservation Officers, Turkeyfoot High School, local volunteers, and staff from across the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Shaylin Dresher, the lead organizer, and Nicole Govan, both park rangers for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, share a laugh during the 50th anniversary of the Youghiogheny River Special Recreation Day in Confluence, Pennsylvania, May 2, 2024. The Special Recreation Day is an annual event tailored specifically to provide a range of outdoor activities and games for children and adults with special needs. More than 500 people attended the event, taking part in activities that included fishing at a pond stocked with trout, a tractor hayride with music on board, face painting, carnival games, boat rides on the lake, and more. Community partners also provided snacks and lunch for everyone. The Youghiogheny Lake staff organized the yearly event with the help of the Lions Club International, Friends for the Youghiogheny River Lake, Pennsylvania Game Commission, Pennsylvania Waterways Conservation Officers, Turkeyfoot High School, local volunteers, and staff from across the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Col. Nicholas Melin, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, takes a selfie with his daughter, Rose, Bobber the Water Safety Dog, and Elaine Lisk, the district’s chief of the Strategic Integration Office, during a Water Safety Night celebration at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, May 11, 2024. The Pittsburgh District partnered with the Pittsburgh Pirates to host an evening dedicated to water safety. Before the game, members of the Pittsburgh District and other waterway partners set up display booths and interactive games on Federal Street to promote life jackets, water safety and safe boating practices to the public. The Pittsburgh District participated in the first pitch and provided a color guard team to present the colors during the national anthem. Bobber the Water Safety Dog attended the game and interacted with fans. The first 20,000 fans who entered the stadium received a free shirt promoting the “Wear It” Safe Boating Campaign. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

River levels rise to flood parts of the North Shore by Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh after heavy rains caused regional flooding, April 3, 2024. The city of Pittsburgh and the surrounding region faced two weeks of back-to-back heavy rain in April that resulted in river levels reaching the Point State Park fountain and submerging streets known as Pittsburgh’s “bathtub.” However, if it had not been for the region’s reservoirs, managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, flood waters would have reached the entire length of Liberty Avenue, a road stretching across more than 25 city blocks. The Pittsburgh District manages 16 reservoirs built over several decades to hold back water and reduce the damage of catastrophic floods. Since 1938 when the first dam was built in the region, the Pittsburgh District prevented more than $14 billion in flood damages to homes, businesses and infrastructure. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

River levels rise to submerge part of the Point State Park fountain in Pittsburgh after heavy rains caused regional flooding, April 3, 2024. The city of Pittsburgh and the surrounding region faced two weeks of back-to-back heavy rain in April that resulted in river levels reaching the Point State Park fountain and submerging streets known as Pittsburgh’s “bathtub.” However, if it had not been for the region’s reservoirs, managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, flood waters would have reached the entire length of Liberty Avenue, a road stretching across more than 25 city blocks. The Pittsburgh District manages 16 reservoirs built over several decades to hold back water and reduce the damage of catastrophic floods. Since 1938 when the first dam was built in the region, the Pittsburgh District prevented more than $14 billion in flood damages to homes, businesses and infrastructure. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

A fan wears a memorabilia shirt promoting the “Wear It” Safe Boating Campaign at a game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, May 11, 2024. The Pittsburgh District partnered with the Pittsburgh Pirates to host an evening dedicated to water safety. Before the game, members of the Pittsburgh District and other waterway partners set up display booths and interactive games on Federal Street to promote life jackets, water safety and safe boating practices to the public. The Pittsburgh District participated in the first pitch and provided a color guard team to present the colors during the national anthem. Bobber the Water Safety Dog attended the game and interacted with fans. The first 20,000 fans who entered the stadium received a free shirt promoting the “Wear It” Safe Boating Campaign. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Stephen Ceriani, right, the Dashields Locks and Dam lockmaster for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, takes Col. Nicholas Melin, district commander, on a tour of the facility that had to shut down due to high water levels on the Ohio River near Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, April 3, 2024. The city of Pittsburgh and the surrounding region faced two weeks of back-to-back heavy rain in April that resulted in river levels reaching the Point State Park fountain and submerging streets known as Pittsburgh’s “bathtub.” However, if it had not been for the region’s reservoirs, managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, flood waters would have reached the entire length of Liberty Avenue, a road stretching across more than 25 city blocks. The Pittsburgh District manages 16 reservoirs built over several decades to hold back water and reduce the damage of catastrophic floods. Since 1938 when the first dam was built in the region, the Pittsburgh District prevented more than $14 billion in flood damages to homes, businesses and infrastructure. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Dan Jones)

River water overtops the miter gates at Dashields Locks and Dam, operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District on the Ohio River near Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, April 4, 2024. The high river levels shut down operations at Dashields as well as at most navigation facilities across the three main rivers in the Pittsburgh District. The city of Pittsburgh and the surrounding region faced two weeks of back-to-back heavy rain in April that resulted in river levels reaching the Point State Park fountain and submerging streets known as Pittsburgh’s “bathtub.” However, if it had not been for the region’s reservoirs, managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, flood waters would have reached the entire length of Liberty Avenue, a road stretching across more than 25 city blocks. The Pittsburgh District manages 16 reservoirs built over several decades to hold back water and reduce the damage of catastrophic floods. Since 1938 when the first dam was built in the region, the Pittsburgh District prevented more than $14 billion in flood damages to homes, businesses and infrastructure. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District opens four crest gates at the Conemaugh Dam from April 4 through April 6, 2024, to release between 9,800 and 19,000 cubic feet of water per second in Clarksburg, Pennsylvania. Although the release included a large amount of water, it was well within the dam’s and downstream channel’s capacity. The downstream channel can handle a water flow of up to 28,000 cubic feet per second. Conducting a crest gate operation does not constitute an emergency. It is a normal part of the Pittsburgh District’s operations during high water events following heavy rain. The city of Pittsburgh and the surrounding region faced two weeks of back-to-back heavy rain in April that resulted in river levels reaching the Point State Park fountain and submerging streets known as Pittsburgh’s “bathtub.” However, if it had not been for the region’s reservoirs, managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, flood waters would have reached the entire length of Liberty Avenue, a road stretching across more than 25 city blocks. The Pittsburgh District manages 16 reservoirs built over several decades to hold back water and reduce the damage of catastrophic floods. Since 1938 when the first dam was built in the region, the Pittsburgh District prevented more than $14 billion in flood damages to homes, businesses and infrastructure. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

A “power team” made up of Soldiers and civilians from multiple governmental agencies trained together during a two-week exercise May 27 through June 7. The scenario simulated a devastating power outage affecting multiple states. The exercise included training injects to create stress and chaos similar to real-world power blackouts. The teams trained by coordinating emergency generators to critical facilities in need such as hospitals, water treatment facilities and emergency response centers. The training included members from multiple U.S. Army Corps of Engineers districts and offices, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the 249th Engineer Battalion (Prime Power), the New Jersey All Hazard Incident Management Team, contractors and other response partners. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Waters from Crooked Creek Lake reflect colorful clouds at sunrise in Ford City, Pennsylvania, June 12, 2024. A new authorization in the Water Resources Development Act of 2022 grants permission to U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers to work on projects for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as part of their official training plans. Soldiers can perform projects that alight with their military occupational specialty or unit mission tasks to fulfill their military training requirements. The Soldiers must perform work that benefits water resources development projects or programs. The Army Reserve Soldiers benefit from this new authority by putting their skills to work on real-world projects that serve their community. In return, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers benefits by receiving project support without having to pay for labor. The Soldier’s salary is covered by the Army Reserve as part of its annual budget to meet training requirements. For years, state agencies and organizations benefitted from similar partnerships with the U.S. Army National Guard, which is state-funded, but this is the first time congress passed law authorizing a partnership with the U.S. Army Reserve for federal projects. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Col. Nicholas Melin, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, rides a boat with the Elizabeth Borough Volunteer Fire Department to watch the first controlled demolition to breach the fixed-crest dam at the Monongahela River Locks and Dam 3 near Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, July 10, 2024. Removing the dam will create a continuous pool of riverway stretching 30 miles from Charleroi to Braddock, Pennsylvania, improving navigation on the Lower Monongahela River. The dam’s removal work will continue through December. Until the Corps removes the entire dam and verifies the navigation channel is safe, all traffic must pass through the landside lock. After the initial demolition, contractors will perform additional demolitions once per week, requiring the locks to close for three hours or less. The demolition will require 13 more controlled explosions, taking down the rest of the dam in 50-foot sections. The contractor will use excavators on barges to remove the rubble from the river. After the dam is removed and the riverway is cleared, waterway users can navigate through the area without using the lock chambers. The river is anticipated to reopen by the end of 2024. The Pittsburgh District will then move onto the next phase of removing the lock walls in 2025, with work expected to last until 2027. The demolition is part of the Lower Monongahela River Project. Once complete, the project is expected to bring an economic benefit of $200 million annually, including cost-time savings in transporting commodities through the region using inland navigation and reduced maintenance costs. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Stacey G.

Park rangers, lock operators and maintenance mechanics from across the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District attended a multi-day motorboat operator training at Crooked Creek Lake in Ford City, Pennsylvania, June 13, 2024. The 24-hour course included training on watercraft safety, a swim test, inflatable life jacket certification, boat launching, obstacle courses, and a written exam. The training is designed for district employees who would frequently operate motorboat on the waters or assist boaters at federal locks and lakes. The training was packed with information and hands-on training, with topics including: required boat safety equipment, emergency procedures, fire suppression, trailering, boat inspections, docking and other practical boating skills. The obstacle courses included a serpentine, a transition slalom, an emergency stop, and a star, all marked by water buoys. Participants also needed to complete a 100-yard swim while wearing a life jacket, a self-rescue by boarding a motorboat from the water, and respond to a rescue sequence with person-overboard drills using various rescue techniques. The district hosts the motorboat training twice a year, once at Crooked Creek Lake and again at Shenango River Lake. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

A collage of employees from across the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District.