Omaha District News

A unified front: federal and state agencies partner to secure Hayden Park

Makenzie Leonard — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:18:02 GMT

William F. Hayden Park is a scenic public park on the side of Green Mountain in Lakewood, Colorado, attracting nearly 500,000 visitors annually. Prior to its existence as a public park, this stretch of Green Mountain was known by the Army National Guard as the Camp George West Artillery Range.

Tributary dams help provide flood risk reduction, saving millions in damages

Delanie Stafford — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 14:57:02 GMT

Many people will visit popular lakes across the Midwest this summer for recreation without ever knowing the reservoirs provide several other benefits. These benefits include irrigation, water supply for domestic use, and habitats for fish and wildlife. One of their primary purposes, however, is to provide critical flood risk reduction. Each year, the reservoir systems help save downstream communities from the potential loss of life and millions of dollars in flood damage. The reservoirs work together to collect and store water during high-water events and then release it once downstream flood risks have subsided. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, currently manages 35 tributary reservoirs with federally authorized flood control storage across several Upper Midwest and western states, including projects owned by USACE, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and local authorities.

Fort Peck Interpretive Center director honored for public communication, outreach

Delanie Stafford — Thu, 28 May 2026 12:13:00 GMT

Sue Dalbey, director of the Fort Peck Interpretive Center, has been selected as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2025 Honorary Communicator of the Year for her leadership and outreach efforts in communicating USACE missions and programs.

District completes Pipestem Dam spillway modification project

Makenzie Leonard — Wed, 27 May 2026 20:09:00 GMT

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Omaha District has completed the $250 million Pipestem Dam Spillway Modification Project, fulfilling a three-year commitment to residents of Jamestown, North Dakota, and communities downstream of the dam. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held May 19 to celebrate the milestone.

District employee set to retire after 43-year career of safeguarding buildings, people

Delanie Stafford — Mon, 11 May 2026 17:38:47 GMT

A longtime U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District employee will retire this summer after more than four decades shaping how military and federal buildings withstand threats and conserve energy.

District revives Brainstorm the Castle innovation initiative

Pentagon News — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:28:30 GMT

Innovation often starts with a simple idea, like an observation from someone doing the work every day who sees a better way to accomplish the mission. A program known as Brainstorm the Castle is giving employees across the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District a platform to turn those ideas into real improvements that strengthen operations, streamline processes and support the district’s mission.

Secretary Telle, Senator Ricketts tour Missouri River, discuss future of flood protection in Nebraska

Andrew Nystrom — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 18:56:57 GMT

Federal leaders toured the Missouri River corridor April 9 to assess power generation and flood protection infrastructure and discuss future risk reduction efforts in Nebraska. Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle joined Nebraska Sen. Pete Ricketts and Maj. Gen. Jason E. Kelly, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers deputy commanding general for civil and emergency operations, during the visit, which included project briefings, a river tour and meetings with regional stakeholders hosted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District.

Williston flood preparedness put to the test as agencies, stakeholders rehearse levee emergency response

Andrew Nystrom — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 15:35:26 GMT

A tabletop exercise simulating a catastrophic levee failure and flooding emergency affecting the Williston, North Dakota area was held April 7, 2026, at the Williams County Emergency Operations Center. The exercise, planned and hosted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District's Dam and Levee Safety Branch, brought together local, state and federal emergency managers along with law enforcement, public works officials, and stakeholders from the Williston area, to meet critical goals in emergency preparedness and flood response.

EIS underway for proposed Perkins County Canal project

Delanie Stafford — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 16:33:00 GMT

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, is serving as the lead federal agency responsible for preparing an Environmental Impact Statement and evaluating a federal permit application for the proposed Perkins County Canal project. A Section 404 permit application was submitted by the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy and Environment and was determined complete by USACE, along with a formal determination that an EIS is required due to the project’s potential to significantly affect the environment.

Rapid Response team supports Potomac Interceptor collapse remediation efforts

Lisa Crawford — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 19:37:51 GMT

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District’s Rapid Response Technical Center of Expertise recently supported the Baltimore District, March 7-19, 2026, during emergency operations in response to the collapse of the Potomac Interceptor in Washington, D.C.

A Modern Home for Future Leaders: USAFA Builds New Prep School Dorm

Makenzie Leonard — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 19:32:00 GMT

Work is underway at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado to construct a new preparatory school dorm building on campus. The new dorm will consolidate three existing dorms into one building, housing all three squadrons of preparatory school cadet candidates in one location.

Blast from the past: Omaha District supports emergency response in Blizzard of 1949

Delanie Stafford — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 16:36:08 GMT

The winter of 1948-49 brought a series of powerful storms that blanketed much of Nebraska, Wyoming and the Dakotas with heavy snow, extreme cold and blinding winds. Snowdrifts reached as high as 30 feet in places, isolating towns, ranches and farms. Millions of livestock were at risk of being lost to starvation and dangerously cold temperatures. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, alongside the Fifth Army and 10th Air Force, led a massive disaster response known as Operation Snowbound, mobilizing more than 6,200 personnel and 1,665 pieces of heavy equipment, including bulldozers, snowplows, graders and Army M-29 cargo carriers, known as Weasels.

Workshop emphasizes budget-driven design-build project delivery

Delanie Stafford — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 18:14:00 GMT

A three-day workshop was held at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District headquarters building, Jan. 21–23, that brought together more than 40 professionals from across the USACE Northwestern Division to strengthen collaboration and understanding of the design-build to budget project delivery method.

Fort Peck breathes new life into two butterfly valves

Lisa Crawford — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 20:10:42 GMT

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, is overseeing the rehabilitation of two 65-year-old, 216-inch diameter, 135,000-pound butterfly valves inside Powerhouse 2 at the Fort Peck Dam in Montana.

Herd Highlight: Scott Sterling, natural resources specialist and piping plover preservationist

Delanie Stafford — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 19:15:00 GMT

Meet Scott Sterling, a natural resources specialist at the Garrison Project in North Dakota, and one of only two Omaha District specialists trained to capture and relocate piping plover chicks and their adult parents from flood-prone islands to higher ground during adverse environmental conditions.

Hydraulic models guide design of Garrison Dam spillway, mega dam safety project

Delanie Stafford — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 16:30:00 GMT

Engineers from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Omaha and Huntington districts and Risk Management Center are advancing the Garrison Dam Spillway Modification Project using scale models to enhance safety and improve the performance of the dam’s spillway near Riverdale, North Dakota.

Walking the line: USACE team ensures safe terrain for future soldiers

Makenzie Leonard — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 14:45:00 GMT

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Military Munition Response Program is working to clear a 416-acre swath of property for the Oregon National Guard at the former Umatilla Army Ammunition Depot that had been identified in 2023 as potentially containing unexploded ordnance derived from the destruction of stockpiled munitions at the adjacent demolition range.

Omaha District towboats set to power up with new engines for 2026

Delanie Stafford — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 13:59:00 GMT

Two Missouri River towboats operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, are undergoing major engine overhauls to ensure reliable navigation and river maintenance operations ahead of the 2026 season.

District employee charts final course toward master boat pilot license

Delanie Stafford — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 15:12:47 GMT

Larry Morgan Jr. has worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District since 2000. He has served at the Missouri River Project Office and on the Missouri River most of his career as a deckhand, equipment operator and maintenance supervisor. One title that has eluded him is master towboat pilot. Inspired by an early mentor, and with the help of an accomplished towboat pilot, that will soon change, as he nears completion of an unrestricted master of towing vessel license.

Ellsworth runway reopens, strengthening U.S. long-range strike readiness

Pentagon News — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 18:21:58 GMT

Ellsworth Air Force Base marked a major milestone Dec. 3 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of its $129.5 million runway reconstruction project, a critical upgrade that strengthens the nation’s long-range strike readiness as the installation prepares for the B-21 Raider.