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  • December

    A three-story red brick building with soldiers in green uniforms lined up in front and a blue sky in the background.

    Cold War-era rolling pin barracks undergo vital renovation

    Soldiers marching in uniform, drill sergeants yelling, muddy obstacle courses – these are often the images the words “basic training” evoke. Hollywood and pop culture have helped ingrain the military’s grueling boot camp experience in the minds of the average person. Whether Hollywood’s depictions of basic training are based in truth or not, one thing is for sure: the soldiers who complete Army basic combat training are some of the toughest in the world. Tucked away amongst the dense forests and scenic lakes of central Missouri lies Fort Leonard Wood, one of four installations home to the Army’s basic combat training course. Originally built in 1940 as a small World War II training site, Fort Leonard Wood is now a premier training installation within the Army, the U.S. military and the world.
  • A brown rusted metal sign that says Public Land, Walk In Access Only with brown vegetation, trees, and grey sky in the background.

    Kanopolis Lake: Go for the water, stay for the land

    This is a story about a lake. But before you read any further, you should know this won’t be a story about water. Sure, I could tell you Kanopolis Lake has a normal pool surface of 3,460 acres and has prevented an estimated $100 million in flood damages since its construction. I could also tell you nearly 400,000 people visit the lake annually, many of whom fish, swim, boat and partake in other water-based recreation. But if I only told you about the water, you’d be missing out on what makes Kanopolis Lake truly special: the land. Stick your finger in the center of a map of the U.S. and chances are you will come within a few centimeters, or map miles, of Kanopolis Lake. Located in central Kansas, it’s about as close to the middle of the lower 48 states as you can get. Despite its location in the center of the country, Kanopolis Lake feels quite remote.
  • Floating Plant and its operator, Brian McKown.

    Missouri River Navigation Structure repairs continue with Cora Island flow control structures after severe damage from 2019 Flood

    Missouri River navigation is a critical mission of the Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to support both the American public and regional commerce. That’s why a massive construction project on the Missouri River was recently completed to repair and improve navigation support, while protecting a valuable ecosystem managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
  • A large barge with two brown smokestacks sits in water with rock in the foreground, vegetation and blue sky in the background.

    Ad astra per aspera: Kansas a global leader in solving sediment challenges

    The year was 1952. The world’s first rock and roll concert was held in Cleveland, Ohio, Mr. Potato Head was the first toy advertised on TV, Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected president and Elizabeth II was proclaimed Queen of England. Post-WWII America was rife with invention and innovation. New technologies and scientific advances included development of the Polio vaccine, the first commercial computer and the first airbag for cars. In the heart of America, however, communities were recovering from devastating flooding from the previous year. The Great Flood of 1951 destroyed thousands of homes, farms and businesses in the Kansas River Basin, causing over $725 million of damage. Despite the destruction it caused, the historic flood set in motion the final piece needed for the construction of one of Kansas’s most vital water resources – Tuttle Creek Dam and Reservoir.
  • A woman in a grey shirt and baseball hat stands in front of a white fence and green trees and smiles.

    Trot lines, and trammel nets and trawls, oh my! Trying to catch the elusive age-one pallid sturgeon

    It’s said beauty is in the eye of the beholder. To some, a long-snouted, murky white, boneless bottom feeder native to the Missouri and Mississippi rivers – known as the pallid sturgeon – might not sound very beautiful. To others, the endangered fish is an essential part of the river ecosystem – making it a beautiful creature worth saving. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, pallid sturgeon can live up to 40 years and weigh upwards of 100 pounds. Once harvested commercially, the pallid sturgeon is now listed as endangered, in part due to alterations to the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. However, efforts aimed at restoring the population like captive breeding, juvenile stocking and habitat restoration, have made meaningful progress over the past few decades. Still, much remains to be learned, and continued research is essential to fully recover this ancient species.

  • September

    A man in a red had and yellow safety vest speaks in front of a group of people in yellow safety vests.

    Blue-sky day training helps responders prepare for future flood events

    Natural disasters don’t care about chain of command or what roles and responsibilities lie with which local, state or federal government agency. The destruction caused by natural disasters can happen anytime and anywhere. So, having coordinated preparedness plans at all levels of government is vital for effective response when these events inevitably occur. On a sunny, temperate day in middle Missouri, dozens of emergency management personnel convened for a two-day event aimed at doing just this – discussing policy, operations, recovery and hands-on training for a variety of disaster scenarios. The Missouri State Emergency Management Agency hosted a regional coordinator meeting on Sept. 23 and 24 in Jefferson City, Missouri, during National Preparedness Month.
  • Man working at desk.

    Mentorship made simple: New app helps connect employees across Kansas City District

    When thinking about professional development within the Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Leadership Development Program is the gold standard. That’s why fiscal year 2024 LDP graduate, security specialist Jason Smith, took his year two LDP project to the next level — developing an internal mentorship application that focuses on leveraging the principles he and other district senior leadership learned in LDP and throughout their careers in federal service.
  • Two men, one with a green shirt and glasses and one with a brown shirt, stand and smile at the camera.

    ‘Like a detective looking for evidence in a crime scene’: How collecting high-water marks helps flood risk reduction efforts

    If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to see it, does it make a sound? Similarly, if a heavy rain event causes flooding overnight and no one is awake to see it, did it happen? Of course it did. But, how do you know how high the water got if no one was there to witness it? This was the scenario facing the City of Merriam, Kansas, after a significant rainfall event occurred overnight and into the early morning of July 17, 2025. Turkey Creek, which runs through the city, is prone to flash flooding during heavy rain events. On July 17, the creek flooded, impacting parts of the city, but it all occurred overnight when most people were asleep. The flood waters receded almost as quickly as they rose, posing the question: how high did the water get?

  • August

    Screenshot of AI scanning the road for defects from tasks order one.

    The Kansas City District tests AI and GoPro technology to improve roadway and campground maintenance with new pilot program

    The Kansas City District has long played a significant role in testing and implementing new approaches to conducting work across its sprawling footprint in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa. Now, a new pilot program that leverages GoPro cameras and Artificial Intelligence technology reflects a broader commitment to using these tools for smarter, more efficient ways to serve the needs of the public it serves across the region.
  • A black sign with gold lettering hangs on a grey concrete post with white headstones, grass and trees in the background.

    Fort Scott National Cemetery Lodge: Standing watch over our nation’s fallen heroes

    There is something awe-inspiring about seeing thousands of white marble headstones uniformly lined up throughout pristinely manicured grounds. Entering the iron gates of the Fort Scott National Cemetery, a quiet somberness descends as you take in the graves nestled into the hillside. While the cemetery has existed since the 1840s, it wasn’t designated as a national cemetery until 1862 by President Abraham Lincoln—making it one of the first to be dedicated to American military personnel. Back then, it was common for cemeteries to have caretakers responsible for maintaining the grounds. These caretakers and their families often lived in houses built inside the cemeteries, and at the Fort Scott National Cemetery, the caretaker’s lodge is still standing. Not only is it still standing, but it’s currently used as administrative offices, dressing rooms and storage for today’s staff.