28 Jul 2025

Predicting Frozen Ground and Thaw Risk from Standard Land Model Output: Data, Algorithms, and GeoWATCH Implementation

Abstract: The Geospatial Weather Affected Terrain Conditions and Hazards (GeoWATCH) tool provides real-time mobility predictions at 30 m resolution on demand for any location on the globe. This tool combines dynamic weather data provided by the Air Force 557 Weather Wing (557WW) with static terrain data to downscale soil moisture from global and regional scales to resolutions better suited for terrain analysis applications. Frozen and thawing ground data layers were recently incorporated into the GeoWATCH framework to better support terrain assessment for Warfighter functions in cold regions. This report documents our approach for diagnosing the frozen and thawing ground data layers and provides examples. First, using data from controlled land-surface model simulations, we established simple curve-fitting formulas relating soil temperature to frozen water content. We then added the new formulas to the GeoWATCH code so that end users can generate frozen soil products on demand. Finally, GeoWATCH uses the resultant frozen soil product with a series of soil layers to determine the risk of actively thawing soil and springtime mud conditions. While the new overlays are not integrated into the GeoWATCH mobility diagnostic calculations, they provide insight into soil state conditions critical for operations and weather-based risk assessment in cold regions.

25 Jul 2025

Brandon Road Lock and Dam, Des Plaines River: Navigation Approach Physical Model

Abstract: This physical model study of the Brandon Road Lock and Dam was conducted to evaluate the navigation conditions associated with the implementation of two proposed engineered channels and associated features in the downstream approach channel. A 1:100 Froude scale physical model was constructed to evaluate the navigation conditions for tows entering and exiting the lower approach. Features included in the scaled model include the lock, the gated spillway, roughly 2 mi of the Des Plaines River and surrounding topography, and two NRG Energy generating stations. Data were collected to evaluate tow tracks and current direction and velocity information. Videos and rough estimations were also collected to gain an understanding of the water that displaces upstream when a downbound tow transits through the engineered channels.

23 Jul 2025

Mill Springs Mill: A History of Motion

Abstract: The Mill Springs Mill is found in south-central Kentucky, within Wayne County, a county bordering Tennessee. The mill, spring pools, granary, and recreation area are owned by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The site has run as a grist mill ever since its construction in the 1800s but has also been given other purposes, such as a roadside park starting in 1949 until the late 1970s and then a USACE recreation area. The mill is listed on the NRHP, while the grounds are part of the Mill Springs Battlefield which is on the NRHP and also a National Historic Landmark. This manuscript provides a comprehensive history for the features and buildings at the Mill Springs Mill.

21 Jul 2025

Publications of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center; Appendix I: FY24 (October 2023–September 2024)

Abstract: Each year, the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) publishes more than 200 reports through the Information Technology Laboratory’s Information Science and Knowledge Management (ISKM) Branch, the publishing authority for ERDC. Annually since 2017, ISKM has compiled a list of the last fiscal year’s publications. This Appendix I to the original collection includes ERDC publications issued October 2023 through September 2024. The publications are grouped according to the technical laboratories or technical program for which they were prepared, and the preface includes procedures for obtaining ERDC reports. Through this compilation, online distribution, and physical collections, ISKM continues to support ERDC, the Army, and the nation.

18 Jul 2025

Antecedent Precipitation Tool (APT) Version 3.0 : Technical and User Guide

Abstract: This document provides an overview of the technical components of the Antecedent Precipitation Tool (APT) and a user’s guide for the APT. The APT is an automation tool that the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) developed to facilitate the comparison of antecedent or recent precipitation conditions for a given location to the range of normal precipitation conditions that occurred during the preceding 30 yr.* In addition to providing a standardized methodology to evaluate normal precipitation conditions (precipitation normalcy), the APT queries additional datasets to compute drought condition indices and the approximate dates of the wet and dry seasons for a given location. The latest update to the APT builds upon the precipitation normalcy methodology by generating streamflow normalcy for the United States Geological Survey (USGS) gage and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Water Model (NWM) simulation results. The update also expands the APT’s analysis domain to include Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.

17 Jul 2025

Overview of the Coastal STORM (CSTORM) Model Development for the Swan Island Restoration Study

Abstract: This document summarizes the numerical model development and validation approach used to simulate the winds, waves, and water levels observed at Swan Island during two prominent historical storm events in the region: Hurricane Sandy and Hurricane Isabel. Using the Coastal STORM (CSTORM) Modeling System, which couples the Advanced Circulation (ADCIRC) and Steady-State Spectral WAVE (STWAVE) models, the North Atlantic Coast Comprehensive Study mesh and grid were refined in the area surrounding Swan Island. The nodal attributes of the ADCIRC mesh in the area surrounding Swan Island were updated to reflect the location of submerged aquatic vegetation around the island. ADCIRC-modeled water levels were in acceptable agreement with observed water levels during both storms, though peak water levels were slightly underpredicted. Similarly, STWAVE captured the phase and trends of the significant wave heights during the storm, while slightly underpredicting both significant wave height and peak period. The validated model will be used to investigate the effect of the restoration of Swan Island on the surrounding area. The results will help to develop guidelines for best practices in island restoration within the Chesapeake Bay and beyond.

17 Jul 2025

Regulatory Considerations in the Development and Implementation of Biological Control for Invasive Mussels and Other Nontraditional Targets in the United States

Abstract: Ongoing research within the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, the Department of Defense, and the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), in partnership with Molloy & Associates, aims to discover and develop biological controls to mitigate the negative effects of non-native dreissenid mussels on natural and human-made environments in the US. Although biological control technologies have been employed for decades to manage arthropod and plant pests, the workflow required to successfully develop and permit an agent for invasive bivalves has been unclear. Since 2020, the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) has been collaborating with the project team to compile the information needed to permit biological control agents for Dreissena spp. (i.e., zebra and quagga mussels) in the US. Permitting should cover (1) collection in the native or source country and export to the US, (2) importation (nonrelease) into the US, and (3) field (environmental) release of agents. Because Dreissena are nontraditional targets for biological control, the regulatory issues surrounding their management will differ from other common targets, such as invasive plants and arthropods. This document provides background information on biological control, describes how this project is different from most programs implemented in the US, speculates on what invasive mussel biological controls might be, and provides a road map for successful permitting of Dreissena biological controls. Additionally, other nontraditional, but good, targets for biological control may exist and have been overlooked. These other opportunities are briefly discussed. This report is the result of conversations between the project team and federal regulators, and it represents the best possible information needed to permit agents for invasive mussels in the US.

17 Jul 2025

The Profile Feature Extraction Toolbox User’s Guide

Abstract: The Profile Feature Extraction Toolbox was created by the Joint Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Technical Center of Expertise (JALBTCX) to extract profile features from high-resolution topobathymetric lidar datasets using a transect methodology. This user’s guide details the JALBTCX Toolbox framework, the Profile Feature Extraction Toolbox, and then walks the user through each step within the toolbox to be used alongside example data from Golovin, Alaska. Best practices and example data figures are included for additional assistance to new users. For the full documentation of the JALBTCX Toolbox framework, please see https://cirpwiki.info/wiki/JALBTCX.

14 Jul 2025

Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Monitoring for Process-Based Model Development

Purpose: Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) habitat conservation and restoration are necessary actions to counteract the loss of these critical habitats and their associated ecosystem services, such as habitat provisioning and water quality improvements. Process-based numerical models are essential for planning effective and enduring SAV management strategies but require robust datasets to realistically represent processes at high spatial and temporal resolutions. This technical note (TN), developed by the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center–Environmental Laboratory (ERDC-EL), describes an SAV data collection framework that is being applied at freshwater pond mesocosms to better capture intra-annual SAV growth and mortality processes needed to parameterize process-based models.

11 Jul 2025

Lower Mississippi River Resource Assessment: Library of Aquatic Habitat Models

Abstract: Six ecosystem models were developed to evaluate restoration measures for the Lower Mississippi River Resource Assessment that considered connectivity between river and floodplain, substrate quality in riverine habitats, and targeted species of special interest including Paddlefish and wetland fish assemblages. A total of 85 restoration measures in the Hatchie to Loosahatchie reach were identified by the Project Delivery Team that had different modeling requirements. Field data collected by the Engineer Research and Development Center–Environmental Laboratory in the Lower Mississippi River and floodplain identified ecological guilds of fish and aquatic invertebrates representative of different fluvial habitats. Regression and frequency bar chart models developed from this database predicts a biotic response as a function of habitat quality. Six models applicable to either riverine (unidirectional flow) or floodplain (bidirectional flow) environments were used to evaluate measures for enhancing benthic substrates, reestablishing woody debris, and formation of eddies to diversify habitat. Outputs were normalized as a Habitat Suitability Index on a 0–1 scale and a spreadsheet developed to calculate and annualize Habitat Units for selected restoration measures. Models were certified by US Army Corps of Engineers National Ecosystem Restoration Planning Center of Expertise for regional use in the Lower Mississippi River.