U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wilmington District

What's a caterpillar's favorite weapon?

A caterpolt!

To conclude this series Kerr Reservoir Operations Project Manager tells us why he wears a life jacket. Responding and assisting with water-related incidents at Kerr Reservoir can sometimes be a tough part of a ranger's job. This often motivates us to work even harder to promote water safety. Special shout out to the emergency responders, law enforcement officers, fire departments, and more that also assist with incidents at Kerr Reservoir.

Over the past year, 1,300 volunteers from across the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers enterprise have deployed to support the Aug. 8, 2023 wildires.

We have removed debris from 98% of residential properties and nearly 50% of commercial properties across Lahaina. We've built a 38-building, 30-classroom school campus in 95 days. And we're on track to complete site preparation for a 169-unit temporary housing site. We've awarded $408 million to local and Native-Hawiian owned businesses. We've done this all side-by-side with our federal, state, and local partners and with our contractors.

Check out where all our USACE volunteers have come from!

A big thank you to everyone who has volunteered, and to all their organizations and families, for supporting and enabling them to! We are honored to be one piece of the larger federal, state, and local team that is supporting Maui to recover.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Headquarters Pacific Ocean Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Fort Worth District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Paul District Huntington District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District U.S. Army Pacific U.S. Indo-Pacific Command FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency County of Maui Maui County Emergency Management Agency |

Sharing is caring and teamwork makes the dream work! The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Dredge MURDEN is currently scheduled to conduct dredging operations within the Manasquan Inlet in Ocean County, N.J later this month and recently conducted some operations earlier this week.

Cliché's aside, we love seeing the great work that the USACE shallow draft fleet does for district's from Maine to Texas covering 1500+ miles of navigable waterways, harbors, and inlets.

The USACE Philadelphia District shared an update regarding navigation at the Manasquan Inlet in Ocean County, N.J. Check it out here:

https://www.nap.usace.army.mil/Media/News-Releases/Article/3861552/usace-shares-update-on-manasquan-inlet/

*Photo by Eric Nilsen*

What do you call a snake that is 3.14 meters long?

A pi-thon!

**Photo by Ranger Emily Jones**

We are so proud of Ranger Emily!!! A very distinguished and well earned award for a wonderful person.

Congrats to Ranger Emily Jones!

It is a great honor to announce on World Ranger Day that park ranger Emily Jones has been selected as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2024 Hiram M. Chittenden Award for Interpretive Excellence recipient. Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Headquarters commanding general, had this to say about Emily, "Your dedication to John H. Kerr Reservoir and the Wilmington District during this past year is evident in your ability to make meaningful connections with everyone you meet in the community to spread the messages of environmental stewardship, recreation, and flood risk management. I congratulate you on your achievement and a being a champion of the Corps."

Check out Ranger Emily in action:
https://fb.watch/tFVz2Kxayd/

The Hiram Chittenden Award marks the pinnacle of excellence within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer's park ranger community. We are incredibly proud of Ranger Emily. We have one more surprise for you this evening, so stay tuned as we continue to celebrate the park rangers of the South Atlantic Division!

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Headquarters U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wilmington District John H. Kerr Reservoir (Buggs Island Lake), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

While in a No Wake Zone please be courteous to others and your surroundings by slowing your vessel down so your wake doesn’t do any harm. When operating your vessel at idle or no wake speed, take precautions to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning and make sure everyone onboard stays on the vessel and keeps their life jackets on.

If you’re planning on going to your favorite lake or river, please keep these simple rules in mind to help ensure that you and your loved ones have the best experience possible. Please Wear It

Riding on an inflatable raft can be fun until you fall off and you’re fighting to stay alive. Even if you know how to swim, please wear a life jacket when in, on, or near open water (lakes, rivers, ponds, etc.) because the conditions are a lot different than they are in a pool. Please Wear It

What’s an eagle’s favorite holiday?

Talon-tine’s Day ❤️

**Photo by Ranger Johnny Jones**

Safety shouldn’t be an afterthought! Before heading out on the water make sure that safety always comes first. Please Wear It

Get somebody new up on the water! Be sure the person(s) being towed and all those watching them know these communication hand signals. It’s the watcher’s responsibility to convey messages to the boat operator so they know what to do.

Sun, glare, wind, noise, and motion from riding in a boat are things that can slow your reaction time almost as if you were legally intoxicated. Boat sober to help ensure you and others return home safely.

Leaders from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Atlantic Division traveled to the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s Coastal Engineering Program during their Regional Governance meeting.

In addition to receiving an overview of the Coastal Engineering Program, leaders had the opportunity to interact with the program’s wave flume. This state of the art wave flume which spans nearly 80 feet and holds 9,500 gallons of water, allows students to study different wave phenomena.

The visit to UNCW also gave leaders the opportunity to discuss continued partnership opportunities with the faculty.

Leaders from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Atlantic Division traveled to the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s Coastal Engineering Program during their Regional Governance meeting.

In addition to receiving an overview of the Coastal Engineering Program, leaders had the opportunity to interact with the program’s wave flume. This state of the art wave flume which spans nearly 80 feet and holds 9,500 gallons of water, allows students to study different wave phenomena.

The visit to UNCW also gave leaders the opportunity to discuss continued partnership opportunities with the faculty.



UNCW College of Science and Engineering
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Headquarters
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, South Atlantic Division
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District
Savannah District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Antilles Office

Wear It

As rangers, your safety is our concern. All rules and regulations are in place to keep both visitors/recreators and the natural resources at Kerr Reservoir safe. Please remember to follow these tips below to ensure your safety while visiting Kerr Reservoir. If you have any questions please call the Visitor Assistance Center at 434.738.6143.
🛟 Always wear a life jacket when near water
🛟 Always swim with a buddy
🛟 Plan ahead and prepare - always tell someone else your recreation plans and when you expect to return
🛟 Check weather forecasts frequently
🛟 Know your limits when swimming and recreating
🛟 Stay hydrated and cool
🛟 Learn how to swim and float well

What do you call turtles who are only awake at nighttime?

Noc-turtles.

**Photo by Ranger Emily Jones**

Today the US Army Corps of Engineers leaders from across the South Atlantic Division gathered in Wilmington for the quarterly Regional Governance Meeting.

During the visit they got to tour the dredge Merritt which is a part of the only shallow draft fleet in the nation. The fleet maintains projects from Maine to Texas, covering 1500+ miles of navigable Waterways, Harbors, and Inlets.

Today the US Army Corps of Engineers leaders from across the South Atlantic Division gathered in Wilmington for the quarterly Regional Governance Meeting.

During the visit they got to tour the dredge MERRITT which is a part of the only shallow draft fleet in the nation. The fleet maintains projects from Maine to Texas, covering 1500+ miles of navigable Waterways, Harbors, and Inlets.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Headquarters
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, South Atlantic Division
Rep. David Rouzer
Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works
Savannah District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District

‎Rangers to the Corps on Apple Podcasts ‎News · 2024

Water can be fun to recreate in, but respect it because if you don’t play it safe it can take your life, so Please Wear It

Why don't butterflies have daily schedules?

They usually just wing it!

Water will NOT cushion your fall. Most people that decide to jump think it will, but it won’t. Hitting the water can be like hitting concrete. Cliff jumping can kill and hurt parts of your body that you value most due to the force of water or from underwater debris.

Cliff Jumping - Is it worth the risk? This video is a dramatization of what can and does happen when people make the poor choice to cliff jump. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reminds you to mak...

Operation Dry Water is July 4-6, 2024. Sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols will be conducted on many waterways across the country this weekend. Sun, glare, wind, noise, and motion from riding in a boat are things that can slow your reaction time almost as if you were legally intoxicated. and wear your life jacket!

What’s a moth’s favorite workout?

Just some light cardio

**Photo by Ranger Emily Jones**

Follow these simple tips to help ensure that you have a great Fourth of July weekend. Historically, this is one of the riskiest times of the year for boating and water-related activities and many fatalities occur. Remember Life Jackets Worn…Nobody Mourns and Please Wear It

When operating a personal watercraft (PWC) don’t cut in front of someone else and remember when you let off the throttle you lose all steering capability. Drive responsibly, keep a constant lookout for other boaters, and wear a USCG-approved life jacket for PWC use.