Memphis District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

This project, led by Project Manager Tyler Johnson, P.E., and his Project Delivery Team, will enlarge a section of the 15 Mile Bayou Channel System located in the St. Francis Basin southwest of West Memphis, Arkansas. The $1.6M project contract, funded by the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (DRSAA), was awarded to VuCon, LLC. This is the first DRSAA funded contract for the St. Francis Basin. Memphis District Commander Col. Brian Sawser and Deputy Engineer for Programs and Project Management Donny Davidson joined Project Manager Johnson and our non-federal partners, St. Francis Levee District of Arkansas and Drainage District No. 2 of Crittenden County, Arkansas, in a celebratory groundbreaking. The scope of work includes enlarging the channel from a 20-foot bottom width to a 40-foot bottom width which provides increased flood-risk reduction by improving conveyance and increasing drainage capacity. Additionally, included is a 5000-foot environmental bench to provide environmental enhancements for existing habitat. Riparian chutes and sediment control drainage structures are also included to enhance water quality where needed. This project is a part of the complex St. Francis Basin system—a drainage basin in northeastern Arkansas and southeastern Missouri—with a footprint of over 7,200 square miles. This basin’s federally authorized features include 440 miles of levees, 1,265 miles of channels, 38 floodgates or culverts, two pumping plants (one of which is the W.G. Huxtable Pumping Plant—the world’s second largest stormwater pumping plant), five control structures, and one siphon. The goal of channel maintenance and projects like this is to ensure that the channels retain their original design capacity and function. Drainage channels deteriorate overtime and often become obstructed by silt bars, accumulations of brush, logs, or other debris, and by jutting banks covered with clumps of bushes and trees, all of which reduce their carrying capacity. #memphisdistrictwinning

Safely delivering quality projects on time and within budget is one way the Memphis District delivers value for our neighbors in the region. Project Manager Jairus Stroupe, P.E. and his outstanding Project Delivery Team delivered great value by successfully completing the $2.9M Mid-Lake Culvert Replacement Project located at Big Lake, Manilla, Arkansas. Memphis District Commander Col. Brian Sawser and Deputy Engineer for Programs and Project Management Donny Davidson joined Project Manager Stroupe and our partners U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to celebrate the project’s completion with a ribbon cutting. This project funded by the FY22 President’s Budget, replaced three 48” corrugated metal pipes that extend through the spoil bank between Ditch 81 and Big Lake. This culvert system helps with preserving water levels in Big Lake by permitting flows into the lake from Ditch 81. The three pipes were replaced with reinforced concrete pipes. In addition,  a trash rack was installed at the inlet and new gate actuators were installed. Culverts are a type of tunnel that is built beneath a road or railway to allow water to flow below these paths. Culverts are typically embedded to be surrounded by soil and may be made from a pipe, reinforced concrete, or other material. Our contractor partner on this important project was Graylee Construction and Demolition, LLC. #memphisdistrictwinning

An exciting milestone on the path to WINNING—safely delivering a quality project on time and within budget—is the Groundbreaking. The Ditch 19 Channel Cleanout Project Manager McKenzie Gabaldon, P.E., and her Project Delivery Team are very happy to reach this milestone with our non-federal partners Consolidated Drainage District No. 1, Consolidated Drainage District 2, and the Little River Drainage District, and contractor partner Dynamic Wallcovering, LLC. The base contract, including options total $8.8M, which is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and covers a length of 35 miles, crossing all three of our project non-federal partners’ districts. The ditch channel cleanout consists of restoring the channel to specified dimension and design grade. Ditch channel cleanouts are necessary to maintain the drainage capacity of the channel.  Overtime, channels naturally fill in with sediment and other debris that reduce its drainage capacity and can cause flooding. The flooding then creates a risk to nearby property and communities. The flood risk is reduced by enabling efficient channel flow and drainage. #memphisdistrictwinning

#HappyThanksgiving2024 In preparation for this coming Thanksgiving, the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Troop Support has shipped nearly 700,000 pounds of food across the globe in time for troops overseas to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal.  DLA started gathering the ingredients for traditional holiday meals in April.  The amount of food shipped this year is an increase from the 360,000 pounds of food shipped for last year's Thanksgiving meals due to an increased military presence in Europe.   America has much to be thankful for—unprecedented prosperity, enduring freedom, security, and liberty made possible by the brave men and women who are deployed, defending all that we cherish.   This Thanksgiving the Memphis District thanks our troops deployed around the world for their sacrifices, and their families’ sacrifices, that allow us to remain safe, free, and secure. #memphisdistrictwinning

A WINNING Project Delivery Team (PDT) is a group of professionals who are wisely led, motivated to work hard, works together well, and perseveres to WIN—safely deliver a quality project on time and within budget. The Cottonwood Slough Pump Station Renovation PDT, led by Project Manager Marsha Raus, successfully reached the exciting project start milestone and is on track to WIN. Memphis District Commander Col. Brian Sawser and Deputy District Engineer for Programs and Project Management Donny Davidson recently joined Project Manager Raus, our non-federal partner Cairo Drainage District represented by Mike Turner, and our contractor partner Randy Kinder Excavating, Inc. to mark the Project’s start with a celebratory Wrench Turning event. The Cottonwood Slough Pump Station is in Cairo, Illinois (Alexander County) and is part of the Mississippi River Levees Maintenance Project. It is a critical component for managing interior drainage of Cottonwood Slough and the Cache River.   This $790k pump station renovation project is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and is necessary due to aging infrastructure. Work includes replacement of electrical system and controls; structural repair of the building – doors, roof, railings, vents, etc.; and repair of inlet and outlet features.  #memphisdistrictwinning

On November 29th, and during the entire month of November, the Memphis District joins the Nation in recognizing and expressing appreciation for the significant past and present contributions of Native American Servicemembers, Veterans, civilians, and Family members to our Nation. American Indians have a storied legacy, from the Revolutionary War to present-day missions around the world, of contributing greatly to our national defense. The 2024 theme for National American Indian Heritage Month is “Affirming Native Voices: Visibility, Leadership, Service.” This reflects the essential perspective of American Indians and Alaska Natives, their outstanding commitment to service, and the need to elevate their voices.   As of 2020, over 9 million people identified as American Indian and Alaska Native, making up around 2.9 percent of the U.S. population. This number nearly doubled from the 2010 Census.   There are over 574 federally recognized tribes with unique cultures and individuals. Their diverse cultures reflect many ways of life. Some of the largest groups of Native Americans include members of the Navajo Nation, Cherokees, and Choctaws. #memphisdistrictwinning

High-Five to the WINNING Cache River Culver Repair Project Delivery Team, Project Manager Marsha Raus, our non-federal partner, the Cairo Drainage District, and contractor partner Randy Kinder Excavating for reaching the important Project Completion milestone. Memphis District Commander Col. Brian Sawser and Deputy District Engineer for Programs and Project Management Donny Davidson recently joined Project Manager Raus and Cairo Drainage District’s Mike Turner to celebrate the project’s completion with a ceremonial ribbon cutting. This $1.3M project, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is in Alexander County, Illinois, and consisted of replacing three flap gates, calibrating the existing north sluice gate, and replacing the limit switch to ensure full closure on the Cache River Culvert. The culvert flap gates allow drainage during normal river flows but prevents river flood water from backing up the channel. The project is a part of the Mississippi River and Tributaries Project (MR&T) Mississippi River Levees Maintenance program.   #memphisdistrictwinning

See our latest civilian job listing here: https://shorturl.at/fV6Aw #memphisdistrictwinning

As all winners know, WINNING is often the result of a series of small WINS. Winners also know that celebrating even the smallest WINS is important. With that in mind, the Memphis District and its partners recently gathered at the Goose Pond Pump Station Rehab project site to celebrate the project’s start.   Representing our non-federal partner at the Wrench Turning Ceremony was Mike Turner with the Cairo Drainage District and for the Memphis District was Commander and District Engineer Col. Brian Sawser, Deputy District Engineer for Programs and Project Management Donny Davidson, and Project Manager Marsha Raus. Our contractor partner Randy Kinder Excavating was also in attendance.   This $2.8M project, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will rehabilitate the Goose Pond Pump Station in Alexander County, Illinois. Work includes replacing pumps, motors, electrical system, and controls, structural repair of the building—doors, roof, railings, and vents—and repair of inlet and outlet features. The pump station is critical for managing Cache River runoff to prevent flooding in Alexander County. With our contractor and non-federal partners, Project Manager Raus and her Project Delivery Team are on track and determined to WIN by safely delivering a quality project on time and within budget.

Memphis District Commander Col. Brian Sawser and Deputy District Engineer for Programs and Project Management Donny Davidson recently traveled to Dyersburg, Tennessee, to present the Outstanding Maintenance of Flood Control Facilities Award to City of Dyersburg Mayor John Holden. The award is in recognition and appreciation of the outstanding way the city has consistently improved the management of the two levee systems they operate—Bruce Street (since 1962) and Finely Street (since 1976). The city partnered with the Corps to complete the National Flood Insurance Program accreditation package submitted to FEMA in October 2023. With the package, FEMA can update the Flood Insurance Rate Maps for Dyer County, showing that the levees are accredited. Additionally, the risk assessment process highlighted the city’s outstanding work of maintaining the levees. The resulting Levee Safety Action Classification (LSAC) for the systems were LSAC 4 (Low Risk) for Finley Street and LSAC 5 (Very Low Risk) for Bruce Street. The LSAC 5 is the first and only LSAC 5 in the Memphis District portfolio and one of only a handful in the entire country. All portions of the levee system are vital links in the extensive levee network that reduces flooding and the resulting damages within the Lower Mississippi Valley. Partners play a very critical role in maintaining system integrity and functionality. Partnership Matters a great deal! #memphisdistrictwinning