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

Page 35

GREAT LAKES AND OHIO RIVER DIVISION Buffalo District

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District constructed a novel fish passage structure along the seawall at Broderick Park in Buffalo, New York in February 2022, to help the small but critically important emerald shiners overcome obstacles and complete their journey as they swim upstream. USACE PHOTO BY SHAINA SOUDER

USACE Buffalo District Constructs Emerald Shiner Passage Structure The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has completed construction of a novel fish passage structure along the Niagara River at Broderick Park in Buffalo, New York, and early monitoring results indicate preliminary project success in helping emerald shiner move upstream.

T

he project, known as the Emerald Shiner Demonstration project, was built between November 2021 and February 2022 to overcome an obstacle to the passage of emerald shiner, a very small but critically important preyfish.

BY SHAINA SOUDER

Pre- and post-construction monitoring was conducted to document the change in emerald shiner passage and will extend through the early winter of 2022, but the preliminary results are very positive. In May 2022, the USACE monitoring team noted significant numbers of emerald shiner, where few-to-none were noted in the

pre-construction monitoring, and underwater video footage readily shows schools of emerald shiner moving throughout the constructed fish passage structures. As monitoring continues, the potential groundwork has been established to look at extending the project along the remaining ~700 feet of seawall at Broderick Park. The emerald shiner is a keystone species in the Niagara River and Lake Erie food web, serving as an important food source for larger fish and birds that make up this complex, local ecosystem. Through a century of industrialization, the Niagara River channel has narrowed, and the current vertical sheet pile seawalls create water velocities that differ from historic natural conditions and exceed the swim capacity of emerald shiners. In addition, the Niagara River is designated as one of 26 Areas of Concern across the Great Lakes, with an identified fish population Beneficial Use Impairment. The identification of this fish passage barrier follows an early phase of study in partnership between the USACE-Buffalo District, the City of Buffalo, SUNY at Buffalo, Great Lakes Center of SUNY Buffalo State, the Niagara Greenway Commission, and Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper. Engineers and biologists from USACE Buffalo District worked with our partners at the University at Buffalo to design the novel fish passage structure for the purpose of allowing emerald shiner passage upstream. It was built at a cost of $1.6M under the authority of the Economy Act, on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). Utilizing innovative partnerships and novel designs, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to restore areas of concern and improve waterways and ecosystems of binational importance. AE

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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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