SOUTH PACIFIC DIVISION

SOUTH PACIFIC DIVISION PHOTO

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District Commander Col. James J. Handura watches as crews install a seepage cutoff wall along the Garden Highway Levee in Natomas, California, July 30, 2019. A raised spotter makes sure the excavator does not hit the electrical lines above the roadway. The construction required an extended full closure of the roadway from July 2019 to March 2020.

SACRAMENTO DISTRICT DELIVERS DESPITE COVID-19 CHALLENGES BY SUSAN GUDDE-BARR, Sacramento District

T

he U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Sacramento District has a proven track record of facing challenges head on. When 2020 brought with it the novel coronavirus, the district responded quickly to address the needs of a rapidly changing work environment. The public health emergency necessitated development of new methodologies that would ensure the safety of USACE employees, contractors, and residents, all while continuing crucial construction.

92

Social distancing, teleworking, and additional personal protective equipment requirements, along with the public’s ongoing need for information and input, saw district employees drawing on creativity and technical expertise in new ways. USACE management and employees developed effective and meaningful ways to work together, whether in the field or remotely from home. Col. James J. Handura, commander of the Sacramento District, expanded on the old adage, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way,”