US Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District, Vol. 3, Issue 2, June 2012

Hurricane prep in PittsburghEngineers & welders team for new liftHigh tech: Monitoring the headwaters

Yough celebrates 40th Special Rec Day!

During these difficult times, we sometimes get so consumed dealing with the challenges that we face that we fail to properly reflect on all that we’ve accom-

plished. So, for this quarter’s “State of the District” note, I’d like everyone to take a minute or two and read about all of the magnificent accomplishments that you, working together, accom-plished for the citizens of the Upper Ohio River Basin in 2011. With a total of $177,710,000 of taxpayers’ money, you delivered the following:

Reducing the risk of flooding The district invested $23.9 million to operate its 16 reservoirs in the head-waters of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Beaver Rivers. These reservoirs prevented an estimated $746 million in flood damages in FY2011. During the record setting spring floods, the three reservoirs in the Beaver River Basin around Youngstown, Ohio, reduced the crest on the Mahoning River by 10 feet, preventing a flood greater than the 1913 flood of record. In one day alone, these three projects prevented an estimated $3.5 million in property damages. The Corps used $1.3 million inspecting 43 of its 83 federal and non-federal local flood protection projects -- levees, flood walls, pump stations and channels -- as part of its recurring inspection and assessment program. These funds also helped repair storm-damaged projects in Jeanette and Turtle Creek, Pa., near Pittsburgh. In total, the 83 local proj-ects prevented nearly $2.3 million in damages for local communities.

Keeping the rivers clean and flowing The district’s $23.9 million invest-ment in its reservoirs also provided water quality benefits. During the late summer, early fall period, 50 to 70 percent of the water flowing past the Point in Pittsburgh came from our reservoirs. This augmented water enabled local municipalities and industries within the upper Ohio River Basin to draw an estimated 5.8 bil-lion gallons of water valued at $202 million. Additional flows from our res-ervoirs helped dramatically improve water quality by diluting pollutants from various sources. District reser-voirs significantly reduced concentra-tions of contaminants from 20 to 90 percent, depending on flow conditions along 1,000 river and stream miles within the basin. In particular, Stone-wall Jackson Lake, W.Va., reduced the impacts of acid mine drainage and municipal pollution along more than 100 miles of the lower West Fork and upper Monongahela Rivers by more than 50 percent; Allegheny Reservoir (Kinzua) operations improved water quality along more than 200 river miles -- reducing mine drainage, mu-nicipal, industrial, and thermal pollu-tion on average, by about 20 percent. This equates to healthier water for consumption, recreation, flora and fauna.

Providing a reliable Inland Marine Transportation System The district invested $54.4 million to operate its 23 locks and dams on the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers. Operation of these facilities enabled the efficient transportation of coal to power plants and other vital industries. The district’s repair fleet spent $15 million performing critical maintenance on navigation structures to keep them reliable and to prevent

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On the Cover

US Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District

COL William GrahamDistrict Commander

Public Affairs Chief

Jeffrey Hawk

Editor/Design/LayoutSheila Tunney

Layout Margaret Luzier, ACE-IT

Public Affairs Office412-395-7500

www.lrp.usace.army.mil

Headwaters Update is a quar-terly publication of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pitts-burgh District. It is produced for electronic distribution by the Public Affairs Office. Views and opinions expressed in the Head-waters Update are not necessar-ily those of the Department of the Army or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Submissions may be sent to CELRP-PA@ usace.army.mil for consideration in upcoming editions. Stories sub-mitted should be in a Word doc-ument format. All photographs should include a caption and be high resolution (at least 4x6 inches and 300 dpi).

In this Issue

State of the District: Value to the nation demonstrated in our civil missions

Bobber the Water Safety Dog greets one of the guests at Youghiogheny River Lake’s 40th Annual Special Recreation Day in May. (Photo by Sean McCann, ACE-IT)

Con’t on page 3

Page 4 – District prepares for Hurricane SeasonPage 10 – Risk Management Center opens Pittsburgh OfficePage 12 – Yough celebrates 40th Annual Special Recreation DayPage 19 – Engineers and Welders team for lifting devicePage 20 – Pittsburgh leads river monitoring tech

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State of the District: Value to the nation demonstrated in our civil missionsunscheduled delays. According to the Corps’ recently completed Greenmont Study, a one-year closure of Monon-gahela River locks would create a $1-billion impact to the regional electricity generation industry. Additionally, the more than 140,000 loaded barges carrying more than 203 million tons of material passing through district locks in FY2011 took the equivalent of 8 million semi-trucks off the region’s roads. This also helped reduce traffic congestion, damage to local roads, and air pollution.

Protecting wetlands while fos-tering development The district’s execution of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the River and Harbors Act focuses on bal-ancing environmental protection with fostering the region’s economic health by permit-ting development that creates jobs and new opportunities. In FY2011, the district invested $2.2 million processing 3,010 permits while requiring applicants to avoid, mini-mize and finally mitigate impacts to wetlands and streams. The district required permit holders to mitigate 57 acres of wetlands for the 28 acres where impacts could not be avoided. The district’s Regulatory Program experienced a large increase in workload related to permitting and unauthorized activities associated with the rapidly advanc-ing shale gas extraction industry. Pittsburgh is in the heart of the Marcellus and Utica Shale plays and continues to work with industry and environmental concerns to address project specific, overall, and cumulative impacts associated with this development. The district also continues to focus permitting efforts on other critical energy development activities such as coal mining, wind farms, and hydropower activities.

Removing a stigma from the community The small neighborhood named Kiskimere in Parks Township, Pa., has endured the impacts of coal-mining, steel manufacturing, and nuclear production and waste disposal. The district is helping to relieve some of this burden by removing radiological waste from the Shallow Land Disposal Area adjacent to this neighborhood. The end goal of this 10-year effort is to clean up the site so that the land can be used for agricultural or developmental use. In FY2011, the Corps invested $18.8 million to excavate, package and safely transport 160 truckloads of radiological material from the community.

Improving the Inland Marine Transportation System to meet future needs In FY2011, the district invested $24.1 million of Ameri-can Recovery and Reinvestment Act and general construc-tion funds to continue building new locks as part of the Lower Monongahela River Project. Once completed, the Lower Mon Project benefits are estimated to be more than $220 million per year. Benefits are generated by ship-

ping bulk goods via barge as opposed to shipping by rail or truck. By reducing the transportation costs of coal, for example, power suppliers that use coal to produce electric-ity are able to provide it at a lower rate, thus reducing the cost to customers. At Emsworth Locks and Dams -- the Ohio River gateway to Pittsburgh -- the Corps invested $19.2 million in FY2011 general construction and ARRA

funds to improve the facility’s two dams. The Emsworth navigation facility not only provides a constant pool for navigation, it sustains Pitts-burgh’s riverfront and provides water supply for municipal, industrial and sanitary uses. River commerce through Emsworth provides an esti-mated $300 million in annual savings over other modes of transportation.

Planning for the future In FY2011, the district invested $1.2 million

in planning funds to further the Upper Ohio River Naviga-tion Study. The study considers long-term solutions for maintaining safe, reliable, efficient and environmentally sustainable navigation on the upper Ohio River at Ems-worth, Dashields and Montgomery locks and dams. These three facilities are the smallest locks remaining on the Ohio River and all are showing significant signs of structural and operational degradation, increasing the risk of failure which could halt navigation. The study also looks at opportunities to improve upper Ohio River aquatic ecosystems.

Boosting the economy by providing quality recreation The district invested $6.4 million in FY2011 to operate 65 recreation areas and to administer leases to state and local governments for an additional 38 park and recre-ation areas surrounding the district’s 16 reservoirs. These lakes and facilities hosted a combined 5.5 million visits in FY2011, generating $149.8 million in benefits to the regional economy.The Bottom Line: As the phenomenal numbers above dem-onstrate, in 2011 each of you truly delivered for the citizens of this basin!!

Thanks again for all that you do! --Col. William “Butch” Graham

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Pittsburgh District prepares for Hurricane Season…Huh?

By T.J. Fichera, Readiness Office Yes, you read that correctly. The Pittsburgh District, re-ferred to as the “Headwaters District,” which encompasses 26,000 square land-locked miles among western Pennsyl-vania, eastern Ohio, southwest New York, both panhandles of West Virginia and a small piece of western Maryland, is readying for hurricane season. Although the district is primarily focused on inland navigation, flood damage reduction, environmental en-hancements and regulatory functions, Pittsburgh is the lead district for mobilization and execution of all emergency power missions tasked by the Federal Emergency Manage-ment Agency (FEMA) to support U.S. states and territories after disasters. Each year, the district’s Emergency Management staff participates in pre-hurricane landfall planning discussions with FEMA, supported states, U.S. Army Corps of Engi-neers (USACE) Headquarters and the Dept. of Energy to “right-size” the emergency power response. Each mobiliza-tion typically includes one of our seven emergency power Planning and Response Teams (PRT), soldiers from the

249th Engineer Battalion, and personnel and equipment from one of our two Advance Contract Initiative (ACI) contractors, operating from one of the Corps’ Deployable Tactical Operating System (DTOS) communications unit. Tasked by USACE’s “All Hazards OPORD” (Opera-tions Order), the Pittsburgh District executes all initial pow-er missions from a FEMA tasker, and essentially mobilizes each of these assets to staging areas throughout the fore-casted impacted states. The district’s seamless and efficient mobilization of assets into affected areas prior to hurricane landfall ensures the teams can install generators at critical public facilities until commercial power systems can be restored, initially saving life, and then assist in restoring normalcy to impacted residents and businesses. The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasted a near-normal 2012 hurricane sea-son. For the entire six-month season, which begins June 1, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center said there’s a 70 percent chance of nine to 15 named storms (with top winds of 39 mph or higher). Of these, four to eight will strengthen to a hurricane (with top winds of 74 mph or higher) and one

Corps’ Deployable Tactical Operating System (DTOS) communications units are used for emergency power missions.

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Pittsburgh District prepares for Hurricane Season…Huh? to three of those will become major hurricanes (with top winds of 111 mph or higher, ranking Category 3, 4 or 5). Due to the results of this forecast, as well as previous disaster response activities, the Corps anticipates and plans for anywhere from three to six hur-ricanes from which FEMA may issue Emergency Mission Assignments tasking USACE to support our state partners. However, just one hurricane could require the mobilization of one to six different power response teams. During Hur-ricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, we mobilized each of our seven Emergency Power PRT’s and ACI assets in six states and four FEMA Regions. Since 2007, the Pittsburgh District has supported more than 25 named events with 51 emergency power mission assignments, initially valued at more than $30 million, to ensure critical public facilities have power after disasters. Although the Pittsburgh District and USACE are prepar-ing for hurricane season, our emergency power response is for all hazards, as we have responded to ice storms, flood-ing, fires, earthquakes, tornados and hurricanes.

TJ Fichera is Pittsburgh District’s Readiness Chief and an emergency power subject matter expert.

Seven emergency power response teams were mobilized for Hurricane Irene, shown in this aerial image.

A generator installed at a pump station by members of a Corps Power Response Team provides temporary power for residents affected by a hurricane. (Images courtesy of TJ Fichera)

By Nicole Layfield, Stonewall On June 9, Stonewall Jackson Lake hosted their first “Public Safety Day” event. The event was a great opportunity for Stonewall to celebrate safety awareness with their First Responder partners from Lewis County, State of West Virginia agencies and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The event provided a wide variety of safety awareness and information, while offering fun hands on demonstrations and activities to all. The event also showcased a number of new emergency vehicles and equipment, while allowing the public an opportunity to meet and greet their local fire, police and other public servants. Agencies that participated in the event included the Weston Volunteer Fire Department (VFD), Lew-is County Sheriff Office, West Virginia State Police, Lewis County EMS, West Virginia Department of Natural Resources-Wildlife Section, USDA Animal Control Section, and many more. It is estimated more than 100 people enjoyed the afternoon. A few of the highlights from the event included Weston VFD’s Smoke House, Lewis County Sherriff’s DUI Police Go-Cart, water safety programs and tours of Stonewall Jackson Dam. Also, a Boater Safety Course was offered by volunteer Kit Tressler. Stonewall Jackson Lake’s Jeff Toler, Nicole Layfield, Amanda Rexrode and Alyssa Houck, along with and Christina Fox, Tygart Lake and Rick Miller, Southern Area teamed up to represent the Corps of Engineers to provide a wonderful day of fun for all who visited the event.(Photos by Alyssa Houck, Stonewall Jackson)

Stonewall hosts Public Safety Day

Student Ranger Christina Fox, Tygart (right), and Alyssa Houck, Stonewall, provide water safety information and giveaways to visitors

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School’s Out...side

Dayton Elementary Day held at Mahoning Dam

Third-grade students from Dayton Elementary School raise their water safety beach balls while visiting Mahoning Creek Lake.

Above: Dayton Volunteer Fire

Department displays rescue equipment and

truck. Right: Students got

an explanation about how the

dam works and a terrific view

of the lake atop Mahoning Dam.

St. Vincent students visit Conemaugh

Undergraduate students from St. Vincent College spend a day at Conemaugh River Lake performing tests in their sci-entific discipline and touring the dam.

Dr. Cynthia Walter, Associate Professor of Biology at St. Vincent College, led an applied classroom exercise in water quality testing on March 22 at Conemaugh River Lake.

Undergraduate students in a variety of science disciplines traveled from Latrobe, Pa., to get their hands wet in measuring pH, conductivity, metals and nutrients. Samples were collected from the West Penn Trail on the lakeside of Bow Ridge, as well as from the outflow area at Tunnelton Park.

Students also participated in a brief discussion on the unique wa-ter quality attributes of the Conem-augh River watershed and a tour of Conemaugh Dam.

By Josh Bridge, Conemaugh

By Grover Pegg, Mahoning Eighty-eight third-graders and

teachers from Dayton Elementary School travelled to Mahoning Dam in June for a dam tour, water safety demonstrations and two interpretive programs.

The Dayton, Pa., Volunteer Fire Department demonstrated water safety rescues to the children and displayed equipment from their gear truck at the Outflow Area.

Summer Ranger AJ McCrea led groups on a trail hike with tree identi-fication.

The students also toured the visi-tor center to see and interpret animal mounts and skulls.

At the end of the tour and programs, Bobber the Water Safety Dog visited, and the rangers talked about water safety and gave each student a water safety beach ball.

Later, the third graders and Bobber had a picnic at the Creek Bend Camp-ground.

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School’s Out...side

By Nicole Layfield, Stonewall Jackson On June 6, 92 high school students from the Upward Bound Program located on the campus of Davis & Elkins College, participated in a community service project at Stonewall Jackson Lake.

The students engaged in a variety of beautification projects, including litter pickup, maintenance of the Friend-ship Hiking Trail and beautification of flower beds around the administrative office. “The kids worked very hard and enjoyed their day at Stonewall Jackson Lake,” said Stonewall Ranger Nicole Layfield, who also provided water safety programming to the participants.

Upward Bound students volunteer at Stonewall

Upward Bound students pick up litter around the shore line at Stonewall Jackson Lake. (Photos by Alyssa Houck and Kit Tressler, Stonewall Jackson)

East Branch Lake’s Resource Manager Mike Setlock eagerly stepped to the plate to accommodate a visit from Ridgway, Pa.’s parochial school. The first and second grade students were presented with a guided tour across the dam, a look at an active osprey nest, a nature trail hike and an overview of the Corps of Engineers’ mission. (Photo by Diane Fisher, East Branch)

Pinch Hitter

By Grover Pegg, Mahoning Shannock Valley Elementary

sixth graders recently came to Mahon-ing Creek Lake for a tour of the dam and two other onsite program activi-ties. The Dayton Volunteer Fire Depart-ment demonstrated shore line water safety rescues, and provided hands on

Shannock Valley Day held at MahoningStudents and teachers from Shannock Valley Elementary school recently visited Mahoning Creek Lake for a dam tour, participated in a shore line water rescue demonstration and enjoyed an interpretive program.

The students participate in a hands on shore line rescue exercise with the Dayton Volun-teer Fire Department.

Sixth-graders watch as their teachers dig a hole for a tree planting.

experiences for the children through a mock rescue of a diver in the water. The other program lead by Mahon-ing Resource Manager Patrick Kline, included an interpretive trail hike along with animal mount identification at the Overlook Shelter. At the end of the programs the students helped in planting an 8 ft. red

bud tree at the Oufflow Area. The students said they enjoyed watching their teachers help dig a hole for the tree planting. In all, 87 students and teachers (Mrs. Rosencrance, Mrs. Zelenski and Mrs. Laslo), participated.

(Photos by Elizabeth Pegg, Mahon-ing Volunteer)

Microburst hits Loyalhanna campground

Loyalhanna and Conemaugh staff, evacuated and closed Loyalhanna’s Bush Recreation Area after a micro-burst storm hit the area on May 27. Clean up efforts of damaged trees at the campground was completed by June 1.

By Vanessa Chaney, Loyalhanna, and Mark Keppler, Conemaugh

On May 27, a severe micro-burst storm hit Loyalhanna Lake and the surrounding area.

The storm occurred between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m., and produced intense lightning, hail and 60-plus mph winds.

In addition to the camping area being 80 percent full, ap-proximately 35 boaters were also caught in the storm.

Fortunately, no one was injured during the event. How-ever, there was significant damage at the Bush Recreation Area campground, including numerous downed trees and tree limbs on camping equipment.

After the storm subsided, Loyalhanna and Conemaugh Park Rangers Vanessa Chaney, Garrett Murphy, Tom McAfoose and Mark Keppler checked with campers and boaters to assure everyone was safe and accounted for.

Power lines were down, resulting in a complete power outage and the loss of run-ning water at the campground. With so many trees down and large branches suspended in the surrounding trees, downed power lines and power out at the campground, visitor safety was of primary concern. Loyalhanna and Conemaugh Resource Manager Paul Toman, aided by a site inspection by Main-tenance Leader, Donald Bucco, determined that there were too many hazards, so park visitors were evacuated until the hazards were removed and power was restored. The

campground was closed at approximately 9:30 p.m. and all campers were safely evacuated.

Excellent public safety efforts were enacted by the Loyalhanna and Conemaugh Lake Staff and the Volunteer Camping Area Host. Following staff clean-up efforts and utility power restoration, the camping area reopened on June 1.

(Photos by Vanessa Chaney, Loyalhanna, and Mark Kep-pler and Garrett Murphy, Conemaugh)

Several trees in Loyalhanna Lake’s Bush Run Recreation Area were uprooted during a microburst storm on May 27.

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By Rachel Fay Haring, PAO “To understand what the Risk Management Center is, you have to understand risk,” said Dave Carlson, senior program manager of the Eastern Division Corps of Engi-neers Risk Management Center (RMC). In the most basic definition, Carlson explained, risk is the probability of failure and the associated conse-quences. The RMC, established in 2009, is a center of ex-pertise under the Corps’ Institute for Water Resources (IWR) for managing and assessing risks for dam and levee safety. The first office stood up in Golden, Colo., was shortly followed by the eastern office here in Pitts-burgh, Pa. While technical teams can work on any project, the Mississippi River serves as the boundary between the two divisions from a programs perspec-tive. The centers’ mission includes providing support to dam and levee safety activities throughout the Corps as well as developing policies, methods, tools and systems to enhance those activities. The RMC is working to reduce risk across the Corps in the most efficient manner possible by assess-ing the risk associated with a particular dam or levee; determining appropriate risk reduction measures; and advising senior leadership of possible corrective ac-tions. As an advisor for infrastructure decisions, the RMC strives for consistent and independent assessments of dams and levees. To obtain these requirements, the RMC performs the assessment with their own qualita-

tive and quantitative methods, as well as provides a technical team from a district other than the location of the assessment. Once the assessment is complete, risk reduction measures are considered and a screening takes place to combine the measures into a plan. The plan is then formed into a safety modification study and sent to Corps of Engineers Headquarters. While pending ap-proval by headquarters, the project is prioritized in the national portfolio based on risk and placed in a fund-ing queue. The Corps is actively working on 10 high risk proj-ects as of Spring 2012. “This is a brand new organization,” said Carlson. “One of our biggest accomplishments so far is that we have changed the culture of the Corps in regards to safety programs by suggesting corrective actions based on risk-informed decisions.” As the RMC continues to grow, a new initiative is being developed which will incorporate district cadres. By training and providing senior technical guidance to Corps employees from districts with past risk assess-ment experience, the bench of competency as well as technical knowledge and experience will continue to mature, said Carlson. The new cadres will travel to other districts during a two or three year commit-ment to perform risk assessments on various dams and levees. (For more info visit the Institute for Water Resources’ web site at http://www.iwr.usace.army.mil/index.php.)

Risk Management Center provides expertise for dams, levees

The Risk Management Center is currently provid-ing support to the Pitts-burgh District’s for its East Branch Clarion River Dam Safety Initiative. The district has begun site prepara-tion for the construction of a 4-foot cutoff wall to remedy seepage issues of the 60-year-old dam near Wilcox, Pa. (Photo by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

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C.J. Mahan Construction Co. installs the first precast concrete wall panel for the new Lower Guard Wall at Charleroi Locks and Dam. (Photo by Ronnie Schoedel, Lower Mon Area Office)

Charleroi Locks reaches milestone as wall goes up

Women’s history event highlights education, empowerment

On June 13, workers from C.J. Ma-han Construction Co. and River Sal-vage successfully installed the first of 10 precast concrete wall panels for the new Lower Guard Wall at Charleroi Locks and Dam.

This panel weighs approximately 150 tons and comprises the face of the new guard wall being constructed. Once it is surveyed for proper posi-tioning and alignment, the panel is mounted to the precast concrete drilled shaft enclosure behind it with a series of bolts and tie-back threaded rods.

The work is part of the ongoing Guard Walls Contract at Charleroi awarded in 2009, and is being admin-istered by the Lower Mon Area Office.

By Kirk McWilliams, Lower Mon Area Office

By Rachel Fay Haring, PAO Pittsburgh District employees gath-ered in March for a special presenta-tion from Patricia DeMarco, Ph.D., to celebrate Women’s History Month. DeMarco, the Director of the Rachel Carson Institute at Chatham University, gave an informative presentation focusing on Carson’s legacy and current environmental issues.

Carson, a Pittsburgh native, is noted for her work as a writer, scientist and ecologist. DeMarco focused on Carson’s impressive ed-ucation, notable publi-cations, crusade against the pesticide DDT, and her impact from testify-ing in 1963 congressio-nal hearings on the use and regulation of pesti-cides. DeMarco praised Carson for her credibil-

ity, passion and eloquence and for the standards in environmental protection established after the hearings.

DeMarco, who holds a doctorate in biology, said unintended consequences of air pollution, water pollution and man-made chemicals are still preva-lent, and only 200 of the approximate-

ly 80,000 chemicals in common use have been tested for health effects.

By focusing efforts on pollution prevention, renewable energy and organic agriculture, DeMarco feels we can slowly become a “greener” society.

“We should be eliminating the haz-ard, rather than the exposure,” DeMarco said.

With profession-als, such as De-Marco, continuing to strive for envi-ronmental reform, Carson’s goals to preserve and learn from nature and to minimize the impact of man-made chemi-cals on the natural world continue to advance.

Following her presentation, Dr. Patricia DeMarco was presented with a Pittsburgh Dis-trict mug and command coin by Deputy District Engineer Lt. Col. Christopher Riemer.

Yough celebrates 40th Special Recreation Day

By Emily Potter, Youghiogheny On May 10, Youghiogheny Lake and the Li-ons Club hosted their 40th Annual Special Rec-reation Day. The event provides an opportunity for people with special needs to get away from their normal routine, be it home, school or work, and enjoy outdoor recreation, food and games. There were 452 people in attendance, which included 236 participants, 113 leaders and assis-tants, 75 volunteers and 28 Corps of Engineers employees. Also in attendance were former Corps of En-gineers employees Pete Colangelo (former Chief of Natural Resources Management Branch, Pitts-burgh District), Clyde Braun (former Resource Manager of Youghiogheny River Lake), and Bob Oslick (former Outdoor Recreation Planner).

In addition to the Lions Club, 16 local busi-nesses and volunteers from around the community assisted in making the event a success. The day consisted of fishing, boat rides, hay-rides, crafts and face painting. After a brief awards ceremony, a representative from the Lions Club, District Engineer Col. Wil-liam Graham and current Youghiogheny Manager Brian Luprek had their picture taken with a pink dogwood tree planted to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Special Recreation Day. A special thanks to all the Corps of Engineers employees who came to support our event! We truly appreciate your time and effort. (Photos by Sean McCann, ACE-IT. View You-Tube video by McCann at ACE-IT at http://youtu.be/hbHHR_FQmo0.)

Yough celebrates 40th Special Recreation DayClockwise from page 12: Many young participants took advantage of facepainting; Mahoning Ranger Pat Kline helps unload the bus and welcome visitors. Col. William Graham thanks and congratulates Yough Ranger Emily Potter for her event coordination. Bill Frechionne, Planning Section, brought his son, Michael, to enjoy the event. Volunteers helped Corps staff with teaching some kids to fish. One boy takes a short rest after the day’s activities.

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Shenango Campground hosts given orientation

Lead Park Ranger Rich Egger (seated) and Park Ranger Kyle Kraynak train campground volunteers for the upcoming recreation season at Shenango River Lake.

Trail enthusiast enjoys ergonomic bikeStory and photo by Mark Keppler, Conemaugh Meredith Miller, an 84-year-old veteran, enjoyed a ride on the West Penn Trail at Conemaugh Dam dur-ing Memorial Day weekend. Miller, with his ergonomically designed bicycle, said he covered 14 miles from Saltsburg, Pa., to the dam and back when this picture was taken. The trail has several challeng-ing hills--even for the avid cyclist. He said he relies on the specially equipped battery-operated peddle assist mounted over the back drive wheel to help him climb the steep grades along the trail. Miller said he tries to ride the trail two to three times a week and has taken his bike on 50-mile-long rides. He also takes his video camera (mounted on his hat) to document his journeys. Miller, when asked, said his favor-ite trail is the one at Youghiogheny River Lake.

Story and photo by John J. Kolodziejski, Shenango Shenango River Lake Park Ranger Kyle Kraynak and Lead Park Ranger Rich Egger held an orientation training for campground volunteer hosts on May 15. The session’s purpose was to provide training on the duties, responsibilites, expections and conduct of the hosts while working and living in the Shenango Campground. All relevant campground rules and regulations were also discussed. Kraynak successfully recruited or retained nine retired couples to assist in the operation of the 330-site camp-ground this season. Each host must pass a background check by the district’s Office of Security and Law En-forcement. Host duties include collecting fees, recording reservations, handing out passes, responding to questions, directing traffic, litter pick up, raking sites, painting, cleaning fire rings, minor maintenance, interim restroom cleaning, and maintaining Tent-for-Rent sites. Each person volunteers for approximately 20 hours per

week; in turn, the Corps provides a free camp site to each couple for the season. The highly successful host program provides a valuable service to our customers, to the Corps and to the hosts who throughly enjoy summer at Shenango Lake.

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By Amy Keitzer-Wallace, Tionesta A Clean-up Day was held April 28 at Tionesta Lake that drew a total of 171 volunteers--154 of whom were Boy Scouts from Tionesta and the Col. Drake District of the French Creek Boy Scout Coun-cil. In true Boy Scout fashion, the youngsters braved the cold weekend temperatures and camped at Tionesta Lake both Friday and Saturday nights. The event also drew participants from the U.S. Forest Service, Forest County Sheriff’s Office, Forest County Probation Office, other concerned local citizens, and the sponsoring agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Tionesta Lake. At least 200 bags of garbage were hauled off of the lake and surrounding park areas, along with numerous tires, gas tanks, barrels, old lawn chairs and

Scouts brave cold to clean Tionesta shoreline

Most of Tionesta Lake Clean-up Day’s 171 participants gather at the boat launch for a group picture before heading out in search of garbage. (Photo courtesy of Boy Scouts) Below: Coordinators help unload a boatful of debris collected along Tionesta’s shore. (Photo by Amy Keitzer-Wallace, Tionesta)

all manner of other debris. The less than ideal weather did not deter the vol-unteers, said Jason Quinn, Tionesta Lake Ranger and coordinator of the event, who proclaimed the day a huge success!

Story and photos by April Hawkey, Crooked Creek On May 19, the Armstrong County Sportsmen and Conser-vation League held their annual

Crooked Creek holds special fishing day

First responders train for swift water emergencies at Conemaugh Outflow

Special Friends Fishing Day at Crooked Creek Lake’s Ouflow Recreation Area. More than 50 participants came to enjoy the beautiful day and catch

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bluegill and crappie. During the afternoon, the group sat down to a delicious picnic style lunch served by the Armstrong County Sports-men. STEP Park Ranger Travis No-vember handed out water safety stickers and tattoos to all of the participants.

Left: Crooked Creek’s Outflow Recreation Area was the site of Special Friends Fishing Day in May. Below: Participants enjoy lunch courtesy of the Armstrong County Sports-men and Conservation League.

By Paul Toman, Conemaugh/Loyalhanna A PA Fish and Boat Commission swift water rescue class was con-ducted for local emergency rescue responders at the Conemaugh Dam Outflow on March 18. Water Management and Loyalhanna staff coordinated gate operations to provide the desired outflow conditions. Emergency rescue personnel from the PA Fish and Boat Commission, PA Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources, Derry Township Fire De-partment, Blairsville Fire Department, Saltsburg Fire Department and New Alexandria Fire Department partici-pated in mock training exercises in safely extricating victims from swift moving water with boats and safety lines.(Photo by Dominic Basile, Loyalhanna)

By Kyle Kraynak, Shenango On April 27, in coordination with the Habitat Division of the PA Fish & Boat Commission, 15 fish habitat struc-tures were built and placed in Shenango River Lake. These habitats, known as porcupine cribs, are long last-ing, deep water, complex structures designed as a refuge habitat. The design provides protection for juvenile fish and improves recruitment of pan fish and game fish in impoundments lacking abundant deep-water submerged aquatic vegetation. The cribs are made with 50 pieces of green (fresh-cut) hemlock, which are nailed together. Cement blocks are then placed into the base to sink the structures to the lake bottom.

After constructing the structures at the boat ramp, the cribs were loaded by backhoe onto a boat equipped with rollers to be pushed into the lake for placement. Helping with the project were Shenango’s Paul Lewis (Maintenance Leader), Sydney Wolfe (Maintenance Me-chanic), Kyle Kraynak (Park Ranger), Ben Page and Mike Swartz of the PA Fish & Boat Commission, and Marilyn Hahn, a Slippery Rock University volunteer. Information on habitat improvement locations at Shenango Lake can be obtained from the PA Fish & Boat Commission website at http://fishandboat.com/lakeplans.htm, under the Mercer County/Shenango Reservoir section.Photos by Kyle Kraynak, Shenango, and Ben Page, PA Fish & Boat Commission)

Fish habitat improvements made at ShenangoVolunteer Marilyn Hahn and Maintenance Mechanic Sydney Wolfe await confirmation to place the habitat structure.

Sydney Wolfe and Marilyn Hahn push a habitat structure into Shenango Lake to provide cover and protection for fish.

Maintenance Leader Paul Lewis used a backhoe to place the habitat structures on the boat.

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By Rich Egger, Shenango In April, members of the Marine Corps Reserve Landing Support Equipment Co., Youngstown Air Reserve Station, made improvements to the perim-eter emergency access road at Shenango River Lake’s Bayview Off-Road Vehicle Area. This new partnership between Shenango and the Marines pro-vided the unit with training hours on five pieces of heavy equip-ment they deployed to the area. In return, significant improvements were made to the worn and grown-in emergency access road at the site. Some of the Marines who recently returned from a tour in Af-

ghanistan said they enjoyed the opportunity to spend time at Shenango Lake. Members of the ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) Traction Club also provided valuable support in maintaining

the trails, posting riding boundar-ies, litter pick up and providing youth ATV operator training. Bayview is the Pittsburgh District’s only off-road vehicle recreation area. The area is approx-imately 200 acres and has more than 12,000 visitors per year. Future plans with the Marines may include the grading of rec-reational access area roadways around the lake. (Photos by Rich Egger and John Kolodziejski, Shenango)

Shenango partners with ‘The Few, The Proud’ for Bayview road improvements

Marines worked to improve the perimeter emergency access road around the Bayview Off-Road Vehicle Area in April.

Resource Manager John Kolodziejski (right) and ATV Traction Club President Dan Scott discuss operations with Master Gunnery Sgt. Gary Fetterolf (in front loader).

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Story and photos by Kerry Brown, Maintenance Pittsburgh Engineer Warehouse and Repair Shop (PEWARS) employees recently used a new lifting device to load a temporary dam into a barge for use during the upcoming lock chamber dewatering at Lock 4, Monongahela River. Known as “needle” dams, the barriers are used on the majority of the district’s 56-foot lock chambers to hold the river back, so the chamber can be pumped out. The dams consist of 12 steel and timber panels which are installed almost vertically and supported by a horizontal girder (see images on page 2). Loading one of these temporary dams usually re-quires16 separate crane lifts, one for each needle. This new method pairs lifting saddles (gray beams, under-

neath) and a spreader (yellow beam, on top) above two stacks of the needles. This allows all of the needles to be lifted at once. The Structural Design Section completed the foun-dation work to determine the strength of the spreader beam and how much the saddles had to weigh, based on the weight of the dam components. The fabrication and welding work was done by employees of the weld shop at PEWARS. The beam above and the saddles underneath then had to be load tested to 125 percent of the rated capacity. Each time the lifting device is in used, it consoli-dates 16 crane lifts into one and saves several hours of labor for employees.

Welders, engineers partner for dam lift

Employees of the Structural Design Section and Weld Shop at PEWARS designed and fabricated this lifting device for needle dams, which are used during lock chamber dewaterings. The device con-solidates 16 crane lifts into one and saves several hours of labor.

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The Pittsburgh District’s Repair Party installs a needle dam at Montgomery Locks and Dam on the Ohio River near Monaca, Pa. (Photos courtesy Bob McTighe, Civil Design)

Needle Dams

By Rachel Fay Haring, PAO In 1976, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pitts-burgh District placed the first two Data Collection Platforms (DCPs) on the Ohio River at Martins Fer-ry, W.Va. and Shadyside, Ohio. These DCPs were, and remain, vital to river operations as they provide information on parameters such as river level and precipitation. From 1976 to 2008, the DCPs transmitted river information once every four hours. Now, DCPs across the district have been upgraded and modernized to transmit information once every hour. The upgrade modern-ized all river gauges at the district’s 23 naviga-tion dams and converted all remaining DCPs to the most recent technol-ogy. The upgrade was possible with the use of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. “We’re excited be-cause we were scheduled to replace one DCP ev-ery year, but we were ac-tually able to update all of them in two years,” said Pittsburgh District Water Management Chief Werner Loehlein. When the district be-gan installing the DCPs in the mid-1970s, they were among the leaders in river monitoring technology. Becuase of the recent update, Pittsburgh remains a leader in river moniter-ing technology; the technology has allowed for a more sustainable system, broader distribution of in-formation and a more timely report of river conditions.

“The new technology improves forecasts that would affect property or life on a much more local-ized level,” said Michael Janiszewski, hydrological technician for the Pittsburgh District. “The National Weather Service is even using the Corps models for forecasting on the Ohio River.” Loehlein explained this technology is especially

beneficial for lock and dam operators. The im-proved DCPs allow the operators more time for preparations in a weather event, which is vital be-cause of reduced staffing at some facilities. “The technology also has redundant systems, so if one part is not working another part of the system will still be able to provide the needed information,” said Janiszewski. In addition to the technology, Loehlein said there are few regions in the country more inter-woven with the National Oceanic and Atmo-spheric Administration (NOAA) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) as the Pittsburgh District. “This upgrade was a tri-agency effort,” Loelein said. “We meet with NOAA and USGS

three times a year to form an integrated government network to serve the region.” All of the agencies work in conjunction by ful-filling their individualized missions: NOAA fore-casts; USGS maintains equipment; and the Corps runs the projects.

District still leads in river monitoring tech

A new data collection platform placed on the Ohio River at Martins Ferry, W.V., will transmit river and precipitation data once every hour and allow lock and dam operators more time for preparation in a weather event.

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By Rachel Fay Haring, PAO Has your New Year’s resolution to get in shape fallen by the wayside? If so, here’s your second chance to get in shape for 2012 or tone up for the beach this summer. The Employee Fitness Program has recently been revamped to encourage participation from full-time Pittsburgh District employees. In the past, the program would pay participants a stipend to be used toward gym membership. However, to save on costs and encourage participation, an incentive-based participation requirement has been set. For employees who are already part of the program, and went to the gym at least 50 times in the last year, 50 percent or $200 (whichever is less) of their membership will be paid for by the district. Employees who visited the gym at least 200 times last year will receive a free membership, up to $500, next year. New participants will save 75 percent or $350 (whichever is less) toward their membership. Pittsburgh District employee, John Kinneman who works on the service barge, had the highest gym attendance last year. Kinneman headed to the gym 268 times in 10 months, despite his changing location on the river. “He said he could always find an L.A. Fitness,” said Dolores Marciniak, coordinator of the program. “That’s real dedication.” Employees who went to the gym less than 50 times last year will be ter-minated from the program. However, if they wish to rejoin, they can pay out

of pocket for six months. If they go tothe gym at least 50 times in that six-month period, they will be reinstated. An Excel spread sheet will be avail-able on SharePoint for members to track their participation from their gym. If an employee feels a mistake has been made with their attendance, they have 14 calendar days to appeal. By implementing the tracking pro-cess, employees will be able to keep track of their attendance and avoid surprises when the annual participa-tion incentive is enforced. If an employee were to become ill and unable to attend the gym, docu-mentation from a doctor should be sent to Marciniak. Also, time on TDY will be taken into account when determin-ing participation requirements. “There are 31 gyms that employ-ees can pick and choose from,” said Marciniak. “Everyone should be able to find a good fit.”Most of the approved gym locations are in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, but employeesmay request approval for gyms in

outlying areas by filling out a market research form and submitting it to Marciniak. The approval process takes 60 to 90 days, as it occurs once every quarter. Anyone interested in joining the program is required to complete a certificate of understanding and submit it to Marciniak, as well as completing the registration at an approved gym. Once a new member is officially registered at a gym, they must inform Marciniak. Approved facilities can be joined at anytime throughout the year, except L.A. Fitness, which requires registration during their open season in April. “Going to the gym is something I have to do,” said Robert Turner, EEO Chief. Turner is one of four employees who earned a free membership for next year. “When you consider fitness a life-style, it’s about making time to get to the gym,” said Turner. (Photo by Sheila Tunney, PAO)

Fitness Program revamped

From left to right: Jack Kinneman, Greg Formosa, John Decolati and Robert Turner show off their muscles after earning a free gym membership by attending their gym over 200 times in the past year.

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‘Dam Good Race’ raises funds for lake’s special day

By Rich Egger, Shenango On June 2, the Leslie Sparano Memorial Foundation held the first ever “Dam Good Race” 5K at Shenango Lake, with 78 runners and walk-ers participating. Rod Daum, Resource Manager at Woodcock Lake, finished first among all walkers with a time of 35:58. John Kolodziejski, Resource Manager at Shenango Lake, finished fifth in his age bracket with a time of 30:04. The challenging course included a large hill, crossing Shenango Dam, and the scenic Trout Island Trail. The proceeds from the race will be used to help fund the 9th annual Leslie Sparano “Summerfest” at Shenango on July 27, which is organized and conducted by the Leslie Sparano Memorial Foundation in cooperation with the Corps of Engineers. Summerfest is Shenango’s signature event, which provides day-long outdoor recreational opportunities for area residents with physical and mental disabilities. Shenango staff expects about 1,000 people to attend, including families, volunteers and care providers. (Photos by Dianne P. Kolodziejski, Mosquito)

Rod Daum (right), Woodcock, and John Kolodziejski, Shenango, participated in Shenango’s “Dam Good Race,” which raised funds for Shenango’s Summerfest.

Reynoldsville Borough, Pa., was recognized as the 2012 Most Outstanding Federal Flood Protection Project (FPP) in the Pittsburgh Engineer District. An award was presented at the 2012 Pennsylvania Depart-ment of Environmental Protection Workshop in April. Street Supervisor Jim Horner accepted on behalf of the community. He is pictured with District Engineer Col. William Graham and Rich Oleniacz, Dam Safety. The Pittsburgh District presents local project awards annually. Reynoldsville was recognized for its commitment and dedication to the community’s FPP in 2011 and for the effort and pride taken in the opera-tion and maintenance of the Reynoldsville Federal FPP. Millvale Borough was cited as the most improved federal project. Nonfederal project award winners included Bethel Park, Turtle Creek, Meadville, Brock-way, Confluence and Latrobe.

By Mike Setlock, East Branch On May 1, TAB Construction Co., Canton, Ohio, started site preparations for the widening of East Branch Dam Road and construction of the engineer office building. The preparations include the installation of erosion control measures, the removal of trees, grading of the surface and the addition of base materials for the site. A lay down area located at the project was con-structed to support the work and allow the contractor to store equipment and supplies. (Photo by Art Meyers, East Branch)

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District honors flood project parnter

East Branch site prep begins

KUDOS

Congratulations to the fol-lowing individuals whose nomination for Federal Executive Board (FEB) Excel-lence in Government Awards was submitted to the FEB for review by the Excellence in Government Awards Com-mittee:

Outstanding Professional Employee (All Other Fields) Dana Adipietro (Gold) Sherrie Plonski (Silver)

Outstanding Supervisor/Man-ager in a Professional Series Arlene Bigger (Bronze) Cindy Smith (Bronze)

Outstanding Administrative Employee Mark Ivanisin (Bronze) Patricia Schwirian (Bronze)

Outstanding Supervisor/Manager in an Administrative Series Dave Sneberger (Bronze) Robert Turner (Bronze)

Outstanding Technical Em-ployee Fabiana Burrell (Bronze) Glenn Bush (Bronze)

Outstanding Trades and Crafts Employee Daniel Fry (Silver) Ian McKelvey (Gold)

Outstanding Supervisor/Man-ager in Trades and Crafts John Kinneman (Bronze)

Team Award ERGO Team - Eric Miller, Mary Crawforth-Kaufman, Toby Croyle, Terry Falcon, Josh Bridge, Sam Wagner (Bronze)

Equal Employment Opportu-nity Award Pat Kline (Gold)

Outstanding Contribution to Science (Non-Medical) Tom Maier (Bronze) Greg Formosa (Gold)

Community Service Award Shawn Castro (Gold) John Decolati (Bronze)

Rookie of the Year Josh Shaffer (Bronze) Matthew Mason (Bronze)

Outstanding Service to the Public Scott Hans (Silver)

Chairman’s Award LDP Class of 2011 (Bronze) Bryan Ciccocioppo & Sara Hillegas (Gold)

General Service Tammy Symanowicz Program Manage-

ment

Employees of the Quarter

Wage Grade Kerry Skelley,

Braddock Locks and Dam

From left to right, Maintenance Mechanic Ed Durch, Mainte-nance Leader Paul Lewis, Northern Area Operations Man-ager Evan Skornick, and Maintenance Worker Sid Wolfe.

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Shenango Maintenance Leader Paul Lewis was recently recognized for 40 years of service. Lewis, who has worked at Shenango Lake since high school, has been a top performer his entire career, and received numerous awards for his outstanding efforts. He plans to retire from Shenango in September 2012 in order to spend more time taking care of his family and extended family. He also plans to enjoy more fishing and hunting opportunities on and around Shenango Lake. The prestigious 40-Year plaque and accompanying pin were presented by Northern Area Operations Manager Evan Skornick.-- John J. Kolodziejski, Shenango

Shenango maintenance leader earns Army’s 40-year pin

Headwaters Snapshots

Members of the Engineering & Construction Division’s Mon-Charleroi Team recently celebrated the completion of 60 percent of the Charleroi River Chamber wall. The mile-stone is significant because funding on the project has been piecemeal. (Photo by Jeff Hawk, PAO)

After 30 years of hard work and dedication to the Army Corps of Engineers, Rodger Bowers (seated), a maintenance mechanic at East Branch Lake has retired. Rodger’s corps family celebrates with him. (Photo courtesy Kahla Yetzer, East Branch)

Bouncing Buoys…Kirwan Maintenance Worker Jim Tomazin and Student Ranger Doug Ringer wrangle a wayward buoy from the shoreline. (Photo by Julie Stone, Kirwan)

Maintenance Worker Bob Isler and son, Alex Isler, 13, collect monthly piezometer readings and per-form a dam inspection at Crooked Creek Lake dur-ing “Bring Your Child To Work Day” on April 24. Alex spent the day with his father learning about Crooked Creek Lake and the Corps of Engineers. (Photo by April Hawkey, Crooked Creek)

Bobber the Water Safety Dog greets children with a high five at Kirwan’s Wa-ter Safety Bonanza in June. (Photo by Julie Stone, Kirwan)