26 Apr 2023

As unique as they come: Big Piney Weir Project at Fort Leonard Wood

What do hellbenders, water supply and construction all have in common? It’s the Piney Weir Project at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri! The $5.8 million project in the woods of Fort Leonard Wood will repair a roughly 80-year-old weir in the Big Piney River. A weir is a low dam built across a river to raise water levels upstream. At Fort Leonard Wood, the weir does just that, but serves a special purpose to the military community living and working on the installation.

14 Apr 2023

Lasting Impressions: Kansas City District establishes district-wide Summer Student Intern Program

As the school year winds down, many college students will be focused on finals and making plans for the summer. For those looking for professional experience in the form of a summer internship, there are seemingly endless options available. The difficult choice may not be if they should do a summer internship, but where and with whom. The Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hopes to attract some of these students with its newly established Summer Student Intern Program. There are separate intern programs within the Kansas City District, and although there have been summer interns in the past, 2023 will be the first year the program is district-wide. Previously, each division or section in the district oversaw their own summer intern program. Now, the program will be standardized so that all student interns have a similar experience.

3 Apr 2023

Creating the foundation for lasting change

In 2006, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Natural Resource Section gained a new partner, the Corps Foundation. The Corps Foundation was founded by retired USACE employees and partners who volunteer their time to support recreation at USACE lake and river projects. During their time as employees or contractors, the foundation’s board of directors were able to see the needs within the organization and created the non-profit foundation. The Corps Foundation has provided over $2.93 million in support of recreation, education and advocacy at USACE lake and river projects across the nation.

31 Mar 2023

Technology Management Office: improving USACE partnerships through innovation

Imagine if you were told that a new software platform could save you 40% of the time you currently spend on administrative tasks at work. What could you do with that extra time? That is the exciting question that many within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers might be asking themselves when a new construction management platform is released to the enterprise. The Technology Management Office, or TMO, a branch of the Construction Management Innovation Office within USACE Headquarters, is working hard to develop and deliver a new construction management platform. The new platform will be designed to foster a more efficient, collaborative working environment by streamlining and modernizing current construction management processes.

22 Mar 2023

Setting the standard: Kansas City District recommits to delivering quality

Since its inception, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, or USACE, has worked hard to solidify itself as a trusted federal partner who engineers quality projects for the nation. Within the organization, a select few districts have taken the commitment to quality a step further. The Kansas City District is one district that puts quality above all else. One way the Kansas City District ensures quality remains at the forefront is by providing district-wide training. Leadership at the district required all Kansas City District employees to attend the Project Delivery Business Program, or PDBP, training during the first quarter of 2023.

16 Mar 2023

Leading the way: Kansas Citys Levees Program

Unless you work or live near the Missouri and Kansas Rivers, the significance of the rivers may not be at the forefront of your mind. It is, however, at the forefront of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District’s mind. The Kansas City District supports flood risk reduction on the Missouri and Kansas Rivers by delivering sustainable solutions to meet the ever-growing water resource needs of the Heartland and the nation.

2 Feb 2023

Kansas City District announces 2022 Ranger of the Year Award

Ask a park ranger with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers what they like most about their job and you will likely get a response about being outdoors in nature and the freedom of not being stuck behind a desk every day. One of the more unique positions within USACE Kansas City District, park rangers, or Natural Resource Specialists as they are officially known, are responsible for developing wildlife conservation activities, managing environmental programs and supporting recreation through public safety, much of which is done in the great outdoors.

1 Feb 2023

250 miles in 24 hours: Lt. Gen. Spellmon visits the Kansas City District

From Kansas City to St. Louis – Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon, 55th Chief of Engineers and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers commanding general, covered over 250 miles while he visited the Heartland last week. Lt. Gen. Spellmon visited the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District, to see the district’s projects and the people behind the great work supporting our nation on Jan. 26, 2023.

31 Jan 2023

Annual Natural Resource Workshop: a chance for education and collaboration

For the first time since 2019, the rangers and natural resource specialists from all 18 Kansas City District lake projects and the Kansas City District Headquarters management were able to gather in person for the annual Natural Resource Management Workshop in Bolivar, Missouri. The Kansas City District has lake and river projects in four states: Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa. With such a widespread area of responsibility, it is not always easy for park managers and rangers to meet one another. This four-day annual workshop allowed for the rangers to have their required continuing education on natural resource management, visitor assistance, visit projects close to the workshop and network with other rangers

27 Jan 2023

Gillette retires from federal career, not from hammer dulcimer

When records manager Don Gillette retired from the Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, at the end of 2022, he did not stop playing his beloved hammer dulcimer.