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  • May

    Natural Resource Specialist Cameron Bishop shows off an area near Fern Ridge Reservoir west of Eugene, Ore., that was treated with prescribed fire last fall and now is bursting with camas and other plants. The Willamette Valley was once dominated by prairies with a rich diversity of grasses and wildflowers. This ecosystem requires regular disturbance – historically provided by native people through regular intentional burning – to maintain these native species, prevent forest encroachment and reduce wildfire risks to the surrounding communities.

    April showers bring May flowers? Yes, but so do September fires

    Prescribed burns provide necessary maintenance of areas like this one at Fern Ridge Reservoir, west of Eugene, Ore. The results can be surprisingly beautiful.

  • April

    Getting ready to travel?

    Are you planning to travel overseas? Before you step foot on foreign soil, don't forget to follow these planning essentials.
  • The Portland District and city of Portland are partnering to restore fish passage through the cool, clear waters of Crystal Springs Creek flowing through Westmoreland Park. Construction begins in June to replace small culverts and create wetland habitat for native waterfowl, amphibians and mammals. When work is complete, the park will be a place to experience and enjoy nature in the city.

    Restoring salmon to an urban park

    Crystal Springs Creek is one of thousands of small streams flowing through the Pacific Northwest. Most provide ideal habitat for fish, but this creek has not supported fish passage for about 40 years.
  • Members of the Upper Rogue Watershed Association and the Oregon Hunters Association worked diligently to pull the invasive species Scotch broom from important fish and big game habitat in the fields and banks of Elk Creek.

    Corps recognizes partnership excellence of Upper Rogue Watershed Association

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Northwestern Division recognized the Upper Rogue Watershed Association as its nominee for the Corps’ 2012 Excellence in Partnerships Award in a ceremony April 1 in Shady Cove, Ore.

  • March

    Fall Creek -- minus the Reservoir -- drawn down to 680 feet above sea level in November 2011. Those are 1970s-era fish horns in the foreground.

    Corps sends Fall Creek Reservoir to the bottom to make fish passage the tops

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has usually held Fall Creek Reservoir at a minimum elevation of 728 feet above sea level for flood damage reduction during the rainy winter season. Unfortunately, juvenile fish prefer to swim near the surface, and at that elevation they have a hard time finding a route through the dam due to the depth they must dive.

  • February

    High school students from a dozen Portland-area schools visited Bonneville Lock and Dam Feb. 21 to celebrate Engineer Day. Students created their own power sources from magnets and pieces of copper wire.

    Corps welcomes future engineers to Bonneville Dam to celebrate Engineer Day

    As part of National Engineers Week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers welcomed more than 100 high school students from a dozen Portland-area high schools to Bonneville Lock and Dam Feb 21, 2013.
  • Corps of Engineers and Wash. Department of Fish and Wildlife employes dewater The Dalles Dam fish ladder. As water levels decrease, employees guide fish toward the downstream exit of the fish ladder.

    Precious cargo at The Dalles Dam

    This article explains the process of dewatering the east fish ladder at The Dalles Lock and Dam on Dec. 3, 2013.

  • December

    Marines and sailors with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit and USS Bataan Amphibious Ready Group, visited hotspots such as Teatro Massimo, the largest theatre in Italy, during a port visit to the Sicilian city of Palermo, Italy, May 27-30, 2011. During the recent port visit to Palermo, considered to be "the world's most conquered city,"Morale, Welfare and Recreation officials coordinated several tours within the city and across the Sicilian landscape. The Marines and sailors of the 22nd MEU are currently deployed with Amphibious Squadron 6 aboard USS Bataan Amphibious Ready Group and will continue to train::r::::n::and improve the MEU's ability to operate as a cohesive and effective Marine Air Ground Task Force. The 22nd MEU is a multi-mission, capable force comprised of an Aviation Combat Element, Marine Tilt Rotor Squadron 263 (Reinforced); a Logistics Combat Element, Combat Logistics Battalion 22; a Ground Combat Element, Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment; and its Command Element.

    Precious cargo at The Dalles Dam

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife employees dewatered the east fish ladder at The Dalles Lock and Dam Dec. 3. Dewatering is done during the winter months so the fish ladders can be inspected and workers can perform needed maintenance or repairs when fish are not migrating.
  • Corporals Brandon S. Mettlen, left, and James J. McNeely, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear defense specialists with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, construct wooden braces, or shores, to secure a compromised structure during a technical rescue certification exercise, Feb. 5, 2011. Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear defense Marines with the 22nd Marine MEU participated in specialized classes on technical rescue during a two-week training evolution aboard the Center for National Response, in Gallagher, W.V. The Marines and sailors of the 22nd MEU are in the early stages of their pre-deployment training program, which is a series of progressively complex exercises designed to train and test the MEU's ability to operate as a cohesive and effective fighting force.

    Corps sends Fall Creek Reservoir to the bottom to make fish passage the tops

    Each year, juvenile spring Chinook salmon protected under the Endangered Species Act must travel through Fall Creek Dam east of Eugene, Ore., on their way to the Pacific Ocean, where they eventually mature into adults and return inland to spawn in their natal streams.
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers botanists discovered a new site for the rare Pruitt’s Amanita mushroom at Fern Ridge Reservoir west of Eugene, Ore., Nov. 20, 2012.

    Rare mushrooms discovered after prescribed burn at Fern Ridge Reservoir

    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers botanists discovered a new site for the rare Pruitt’s Amanita mushroom at Fern Ridge Reservoir west of Eugene, Ore., Nov. 20, 2012.