Navigation channels that support international trade and produce one-third of U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP), almost 14 million jobs, flood-risk reduction that prevents .3 billion in average annual damages, 0 million in clean hydropower, water supply storage for 55 million households and water-based recreation opportunities, which one out of every 10 Americans enjoy annually, are examples of the value the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) brings to the Nati...

Scientific research estimates that more than one-half of U.S. wetlands have been drained, dredged, flooded or filled since the beginning of colonial America with 45 percent of this loss due to urban development (NOAA, 2004). These numbers were documented following passage of the 1972 Clean Water Act (Federal Water Pollution Control Act, Public Law 92-500) when other regulations were being set-in-motion to protect this natural resource. Despite an increase in public awa...

Think about it; rarely does a perfectly straight line occur in nature. When men bend or straighten elements of nature to suit human purposes, it can result in unforeseen circumstances. Throughout history, humans have intentionally influenced the path of rivers and waterways worldwide. The engineering term for this activity is “river engineering” – the process of planned human intervention in the course or flow of a river with the intention of producing a benefit,...