America's Engineers: The People, Programs, and Projects of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Page 128

INSTITUTE FOR WATER RESOURCES

Software Wins Innovation Award for Predictive Flooding Capabilities Following Fires The Institute for Water Resources’ (IWR) Hydrologic Engineering Center (HEC), located in Davis, California, took home the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Innovation of the Year Award for adding Post-Wildfire Modeling capabilities to its software. These software capabilities provide prediction tools that engineers can use to anticipate a unique type of flooding that can follow a combination of fire and floods.

T

he software development was led by a USACE project delivery team with collaboration between HEC, the Engineer Research and Development Center’s

BY ANA ALLEN

124 I AMERICA’S ENGINEERS

(ERDC) Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory, and USACE district engineers, who incorporated the post-wildfire modeling capabilities into HEC’s hydrology and hydraulic software. What resulted was award-winning predictive capabilities that advances the nation’s fight

Tim Fairbank, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Los Angeles District, describes the design of a berm and diversion channel constructed to protect residents of the Rainbow Canyon subdivision (near background) following a series of debris flows associated with the 2013 Carpenter One fire in the Spring Mountains, Nevada. Portions of the burn scar are visible on the mountainside in the background. The photo includes the attendees of the first USACE CWMS (Corps Water Management System) Wildfire Workshop held in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 24-27, 2023. The Institute for Water Resources’(IWR) Hydrologic Engineering Center (HEC), located in Davis, California, won the USACE Innovation of the Year Award for adding post-wildfire modeling capabilities to its software. These software capabilities provide prediction tools that engineers can use to anticipate a unique type of flooding that can follow a combination of fire and floods. USACE PHOTO

against floods, and especially post-wildfire flooding. Hydrologic Engineering Center Director Chris Dunn highlighted the significance of the achievement. “The team’s efforts culminated in truly groundbreaking capabilities, which are of great value to the nation and to the engineers who use the tools. The engineers analyze watersheds where wildfires have occurred, and they attempt to predict what could happen in watersheds where wildfires may occur in the future. The incorporation of these capabilities into Hydrologic Engineering Center-Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) and Hydrologic Engineering Center-River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) will better help engineers, emergency planners, and the public understand their risks and appropriately prepare. A big part of our jobs is to understand and help others understand their risks. These capabilities have helped us to do so in a big way.” According to Stanford Gibson, HEC’s sediment transport specialist, the modeling tool is increasingly relevant due to an uptick in wildfires in the western United States and the destructive or deadly nature of wildfires, and the potential for mud and debris flows to follow. “Wildfires are kind of a big deal these days. But after the wildfire, the danger isn’t over. The fire changes the landscape, so subsequent rain can cause sudden mud and


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Articles inside

Interview: Lt. Gen. Scott A. Spellmon, Commanding General and Chief of Engineers

16min
pages 14-16, 18-19

America's Engineers: The People, Programs, and Projects of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

18min
pages 20-21, 24-26, 28

USACE Launches $7.5 Billion Financing Program

6min
pages 30-31

ADVANCING INTERDISCIPLINARY ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS FOR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES

7min
pages 32-34

USACE Buffalo District Constructs Emerald Shiner Passage Structure

3min
page 35

National Roofing Program Inspects Army Reserve Facilities Following Hurricane Ian

5min
pages 36-38

Pittsburgh District Breaks Ground on First Step in Updating Aging Navigation System on Upper Ohio River

5min
pages 39-41

Building Momentum: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

11min
pages 42-45

Corps of Engineers Builds Underwater Sill in Mississippi River to Slow Saltwater Intrusion During Low Water Conditions

5min
pages 46-47

Mississippi River Drought Affects Navigation

4min
pages 48-49

USACE Hosts Reciprocal Mekong River Commission Exchange Visit

5min
pages 50-51

USACE Project Receives National Academy of Construction Award

3min
page 54

USACE Team Fights Floods in New England

5min
pages 56-57

New Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Complex Aims to Save Lives

5min
pages 58-59

PRESERVING INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERS SUSTAINABILITY

10min
pages 60-63

Omaha District Completes First Construction Project Under Tribal Partnership Program

6min
pages 64-67

From a Bogey to Birdies, From Fairway to Flyway – Golf Course Gets a Mulligan, Converts to Habitat

4min
pages 68-69

Military and International Operations: USACE’s Founding Mission

16min
pages 70-75

TECHFLOW’S PIONEERING INNOVATION SHAPES THE FUTURE OF EV CHARGING FOR THE U.S. MILITARY

6min
pages 76-77

America's Engineers: The People, Programs, and Projects of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

11min
pages 78-81

Army Engineers Finalizing the U.S. Military’s $10.7 Billion Relocation Effort in South Korea

5min
pages 82-83

Army Engineers Construct Half a Billion Dollars in Family Housing Towers on Camp Humphreys

5min
pages 84, 86-87

Charleston District Teams up With Other Agencies for Nonstructural Flood Risk Management Project

4min
pages 88-89

New Barricade to Provide Vital Security at Savannah River Site

3min
page 90

America's Engineers: The People, Programs, and Projects of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

4min
pages 93-94

Environmental Remediation: USACE Expertise in High Demand

14min
pages 94-99

RISING HERO OF RESILIENCY

5min
pages 100-101

USACE Lowers Isabella Dam Risk Rating, Lifts Operating Restrictions After Unveiling Dam Improvements

5min
pages 102-103

LA District Preps for Hurricane Hilary, Keeps Public Safe, Captures Water from Storm

7min
pages 104-105

Multiple Agencies Collaborate to Provide Homeless Individuals Shelter Before Tropical Storm

5min
pages 106-107

Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations

16min
pages 108-113

USACE Supports the Fort Cavazos Safety Day Event

4min
pages 114-115

USACE Relies on Strong Partnerships With Its Customers, and Large and Small Businesses, to Deliver Quality Engineering Solutions

4min
pages 116-117

SWF Hosts Emergency Management Public Law 84-99 Outreach Session

2min
page 118

America's Engineers: The People, Programs, and Projects of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

12min
pages 119-120, 122-123

Strong Partnerships a Catalyst for Innovation

8min
pages 123-124

USACE Offers Planning Support to Mission Partners Around the Globe

4min
page 125

Engineering in the Cloud

8min
pages 126-127

Software Wins Innovation Award for Predictive Flooding Capabilities Following Fires

8min
pages 128-130

CRIDA Gets French and Arabic Translations

2min
page 130

Logistics Activity Supports Typhoon Mawar Response

5min
pages 131-132

Logistics Support Team Members Participate in Emergency Response Training

6min
pages 133-134

USACE Researchers Looking for Solutions to Great Lakes Water Quality Issues

5min
pages 135-136

ERDC Assists the New England District in the Management of Hydrilla

4min
pages 137-138

249th Engineer Battalion Powers Through Multiple Recovery Efforts

5min
pages 139-140
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