7 Jan 2025

Geomorphic Assessment of the St. Francis River Phase II

Abstract: Significant sedimentation issues persist within the St. Francis Basin as a result of extensive drainage alterations. The objective of this study is to characterize the bed and bank sediment throughout the study reach and identify potential sources of sediment contributing to the sanding issues below Holly Island. The sedimentation below Holly Island increases the Memphis District’s maintenance needs in the St. Francis River Basin by requiring millions of dollars for channel cleanout and bank stabilization projects. This effort synthesizes prior geomorphic studies and existing survey data to break the study reach into seven geomorphic reaches of interest. Simultaneously, 151 bed samples and 137 bank samples were collected to characterize the sediments within the study reach to develop a data dictionary for future sediment budget development. Results show the St. Francis River is a poorly sorted, sand-bed river overlain by 10 to 20 feet of silts and clays along the banks. Iron Bridge to Highway U (Reach 1-3) may reach pseudo-stability so long as existing grade-control structures and bank stabilization features remain. Reach 6, between St. Francis and Brown’s Ferry, is evolving with one cutoff forming and one cutoff recently complete. This reach may be a source of sediment to downstream reaches.

7 Jan 2025

Applying the Ecosystem Goods and Services (EGS) Framework: Meramec Case Study

Abstract: This technical report explores ecosystem goods and services (EGS) assessment to support US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) decision-making by applying the recently published proposed EGS framework (Wainger et al. 2020) to a case study. A joint effort of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and USACE, the Meramec River Basin Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study provides an opportunity to investigate the practicality of EGS analysis and how it might determine complementarity or antagonism among study partner goals. The EPA seeks primarily to protect human health, while USACE aims to restore aquatic ecosystems. Subjected to elevated heavy metals from upstream mining, altered hydrology, and other degrading factors, the river system nevertheless supports high aquatic biodiversity and numerous rare species. The project team developed an EGS conceptual model to document the potential ecological features and processes changes, ecological outcomes, and social benefits or harms of proposed management actions. Nonmonetary EGS benefit indicators illustrated concordance of the project goals with national restoration priorities. Overall, this initial analysis indicates that EGS analysis is feasible with the types of models and data available for the project, promotes explicit analysis of synergies and conflicts, and helps communicate effects and trade-offs during planning.

7 Jan 2025

Incorporating Ecosystem Goods and Services (EGS) into US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Project Planning: A Retrospective Analysis

Abstract: Ecosystem goods and services (EGS) have been promoted as a way to effectively examine trade-offs and improve communication of project-related environmental outcomes in terms of human well-being. Notably, EGS provide a construct that seems capable of enhancing the capacity to communicate with stakeholders about how ecosystem restoration and rehabilitation activities can affect them—and in ways that are more meaningful to the public than the habitat metrics currently employed. The concept of EGS is not new to the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Civil Works Program. This document presents a review of past attempts to apply EGS assessment techniques in the context of USACE project planning and then identifies obstacles met in those efforts that could be avoided in the future. This report is not intended to showcase approaches to consider EGS in planning studies. Rather, this paper uses case studies to illustrate the challenges of considering ecosystem services in the context of planning studies. These challenges will need to be addressed in any future applications of EGS assessments to USACE Civil Works Program decision-making.

2 Jan 2025

Inventory and Evaluation of 12 Miscellaneous Buildings for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) at Custer Hill Area, Fort Riley, Kansas: Volume 1

Abstract: The US Congress codified the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA), the nation’s most effective cultural resources legislation to date, mostly through establishing the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The NHPA requires federal agencies to address their cultural resources, which are defined as any prehistoric or historic district, site, building, structure, or object. Section 110 of the NHPA requires federal agencies to inventory and evaluate their cultural resources, and Section 106 requires them to determine the effect of federal undertakings on those potentially eligible for the NRHP. This two-volume report documents an architectural survey of 12 miscellaneous buildings and structures constructed from 1960 through 1976 in the Custer Hill area at Fort Riley, Kansas. Volume 1 includes an analysis of the eligibility of these buildings and structures to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and satisfies Section 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended. Volume 2 contains individual building inventory forms, and its access is controlled by Fort Riley for security reasons. During the covered period, Fort Riley’s primary mission was training recruits for deployment to South Vietnam. As a result, the relevant theme developed for determining historical significance for these 12 buildings at Fort Riley is Recruit Training for Ground Combat in Vietnam. Of the facilities inventoried, none achieved significance under this theme for Criterion A. These buildings do not embody a distinctive characteristic of a type, period, or method of construction, do not represent the work of a master, and do not possess high artistic value under Criterion C. Therefore, no buildings were determined to be eligible to the NRHP. This work fulfills Section 110 requirements for these buildings.

2 Jan 2025

Assessing the Validity and Accuracy of Wetland Indicator Status Ratings for Eight Species in Alaska Subregions

Abstract: Preexisting ecological information and plant species occurrence data were used to determine the accuracy and validity of the present regional and subregional wetland indicator status ratings for eight species: Andromeda polifolia, Arctous rubra, Carex canescens, Rhododendron tomentosum, Rubus arcticus, Salix arctica, Salix pulchra, and Viola palustris. Technical documentation was developed to either (1) support the current National Wetland Plant List (NWPL) subregion boundaries and wetland indicator status ratings for the NWPL Alaska Region or (2) support a proposed change to the subregions or wetland indicator status ratings for the NWPL Alaska Region, for inclusion into the next NWPL update. The project developed repeatable, quantitative methods for assignment of wetland indicator status rating. Analyses included multiple correspondence analysis (MCA), analysis of similarities (ANOSIM), nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), and principal component analysis (PCA). Prevalence index (PI) was used as a numeric approximation of wetland status for comparing observations across subregions. A pilot study on S. pulchra data evaluated regional assignments by machine learning and assessed the feasibility of correlation network analysis and Louvain clustering for wetland indicator status rating assignment as dictated by co-occurring species. The methods developed for this Alaska-specific study may be applied to any future regional or subregional updates to the NWPL.

20 Dec 2024

Smart Sensors to Reduce Installation Solid Waste

Abstract: Sensors were deployed by the research team in interior waste bins at Army installation buildings to collect data on waste generation at the source. The sensors were designed to provide granular data on waste generation that stakeholders can use to make informed decisions about solid waste man-agement. Each sensor costs about $300 to fabricate, but bulk fabrication may bring costs down. Sensors were deployed at dining facilities, offices, and barracks, which typically had higher waste volumes. Dining facilities were deemed to be the most useful application because at the other build-ings, waste management either varies significantly or much of the waste is carried out directly to exterior waste bins. This technology shows promise but could be improved in areas such as sensor fit, sensor robustness, battery life, data storage, and clock accuracy. The highest return on investment would be found in areas with high costs for waste hauling and landfills. In areas with low waste management costs, this technology may not result in costs savings.

20 Dec 2024

Upper Mississippi River Main Channel Sediment Placement: Purpose, Practice, Effects, and Recommendations

Abstract: Dredged-sediment management in the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway is constrained by environmental factors and regulations that limit where sediment can be placed. Regulations regarding in-water sediment placement are not consistent among states. In-water placement should be promoted because it keeps sediment in the system and reduces costs for managing sediment dredged from the river. Studies investigating the environmental effects of in-water placement generally conclude that sand-on-sand placement has minimal effect on aquatic resources in the dynamic riverine environment. This report discusses in-water sediment management techniques, including flow- and sediment-regulating structures (i.e., dikes and wing dams) and a bed-load sediment collector by-pass system.

18 Dec 2024

The Effects of Physical Form, Moisture, Humic Acids, and Mixtures on the Photolysis of Insensitive Munitions Compounds

Abstract: The explosive formulations IMX-101 and IMX-104 are replacing conventional explosives in munitions, making them safer to transport and handle. However, munitions manufacturing and military training can lead to the environmental release of constituent insensitive munitions compounds. These IMCs absorb ultraviolet light and transform photochemically into products with potentially greater toxicity. This study explores the effects of physical form, moisture, humic acids, and compound mixtures on the photolysis of solid and dissolved IMCs under UV-A and UV-B light. Irradiation of dry vs. moist solid IMC crystals yielded few measured products, and while photolysis rates were not significantly different, they were orders of magnitude slower than for aqueous IMCs. There was no significant difference in photolysis rates for aqueous IMCs irradiated with 0, 0.4, and 4 mg L-1 humic acids, but 40 and 400 mg L-1 humic acids inhibited NTO and enhanced NQ photolysis. Although organic and inorganic products were detected in the mixtures, an average of 15–35 % of the theoretical starting IMC masses was not accounted for. Overall, aqueous IMCs transformed 4–48 times faster than the solid IMCs, but the environmentally-relevant conditions tested were found to play a minor role in IMC photolysis.

17 Dec 2024

Full-Scale Demonstration of the Modernized Bridge Supplemental Set

Abstract: The Overhead Cable System (OCS) serves as the main anchorage system of the Bridge Supplemental Set and is used to hold the Improved Ribbon Bridge (IRB) against river flow. Several improvements have been made to OCS components and employment procedures, theoretically allowing the OCS to operate safely within most environments. However, the modernized OCS had yet to be constructed over an actual river, making it necessary to conduct a full-scale capability demonstration. Range W2 of Camp Ripley was selected as the test site because the 200th Multi-Role Bridge Company agreed to support the demonstration during an ongoing training cycle. A site reconnaissance trip revealed environmental obstacles on each bank, which made the site a unique test for the modernized OCS. The OCS model, a software package developed to analyze the loading imposed by river drag force on the OCS, was used to design a unique layout that circumvents Camp Ripley’s environmental challenges. The OCS was successfully deployed over Camp Ripley’s wet gap flowing at a river speed of 3.5 ft/s, and the IRB supported vehicular traffic for 3 hr before safe disassembly. Several lessons were learned regarding system deployment, and data were collected to facilitate technical manual development.

17 Dec 2024

Temperature-Insensitive, High-Density Lithium-Ion Batteries

Abstract: Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are a preferred energy storage solution for their generation capacity and power density; however, their chemical in-stability at high temperature raises major concerns relating to their safety, reliability, and lifespan. Over time, natural temperature cycling of Li-ion batteries degrades the depth of discharge and degree of charge that can be achieved, limiting the cell performance and storage capacity as the micro-structure of the anode and cathode interfaces are altered. To ensure safe, continuous, and high-performance Li-ion batteries, improvements are needed to counteract the degradation of their electrochemically active and inactive chemical components. Using solid-state alternatives to Li-ion components, high performance may be maintained while improving the stability of the ion during charging. The synthesis, characterization, the-ory, simulation, and fabrication of dense high-voltage cathodes, solid elec-trolytes, and metal anodes are detailed in this report to establish the underpinning science and technology required to improve the stability of Li-ion batteries.