4 Jun 2014

Engineering, more than a full-time job

Engineers are needed around-the-world for their knowledge and expertise. Their skills and talents are honed through formal education and job experiences and many choose to share their talents through volunteering. Jennifer Davis, a hydrological engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District is a volunteer with the Nebraska Chapter of Engineers without Borders (EWB-NE). In June 2013, a team from the EWB-NE spent two weeks in Uganda working on rain harvesting projects. Traveling to Uganda were eight representatives of the Nebraska chapter: two students, a student chapter advisor from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and five members of the Nebraska professional chapter, including Davis.

10 Apr 2014

Delicate dance with a dinosaur

There are dozens of elements within the collection including pieces that are at least 5 feet long and take up the length of an entire crate and pieces that are smaller than 5 centimeters, wrapped in foil and paper and stored in sealed plastic bags. Following a checklist that identifies the crate, the box, the body part, and the bone piece; the team photographs and inspects the condition of each fossilized bone.

13 Mar 2014

Greybull Levee performs as designed reducing risks from ice jam flooding

While snowmelt and ice jam flooding can occur at any time, they typically occur during early spring thaw. Any ice jam can cause flooding or rapid increases in water levels within a short time period. Residents living near these rivers are reminded to monitor reports closely for ice jam flooding and be prepared to relocate to higher ground if flooding occurs. The levee in Greybull, Wyo., reduced risks to the town during recent ice jam flooding.

5 Mar 2014

Project maintenance, cavitation repairs and OJT

Among the various projects taking place at Gavins Point Power Plant, generator unit number three was recently dewatered to allow project crews to inspect the draft tube for damage caused by cavitation and make the necessary repairs. Cavitation repairs in the draft tube for unit three will continue through mid-March. Additional maintenance and rehabilitation projects are also underway at the Gavins Point project including replacing three power transformers and rehabilitating the spillway’s tainter gates. Work will move to unit two for annual generator maintenance, to install new un-watering and drain valves, to install a new motor control center, and replace switchgear equipment.

26 Nov 2013

Exercising Safety: Bear Creek, Cherry Creek and Chatfield dams catch floodwaters while reducing flooding risks

A stalled front brings record rainfall to the Front Range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The runoff brings a surge of water through canyons and foothills and into major population centers of central Colorado. But, this surge of water happened only in a virtual environment. During the week of Aug. 19, several employees from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District participated in a safety exercise focused on Cherry Creek Dam and Reservoir near Denver, Colo. – or more to the point, in the middle of the Denver metropolitan area.