Huntington District

The annual “Fall into the New River” cleanup was held by the “Renew the New” Committee on Aug. 29, 2015. Volunteers teamed up with Park Rangers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to clean up four miles of river just upstream of the West Virginia border, which generated 32 bags of trash and three tires.

Over the years the “Renew the New” Committee has taken on the task of providing stewardship on 37 miles of the New River that flows thru Giles County, Va. The group has divided the New River into sections to cover that stretch of water.

This year’s efforts included hundreds of volunteers from Virginia Tech, “Renew the New” committee members and several agencies, including the Giles County Administration, the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Town of Pearisburg, Giles Sheriff’s Department, and the U.S Army Corps of Engineers.

For more information, call the Resource Manager’s office at 304-466-1234 or Public Affairs at 304-399-5353.

Recent heavy rainfall raised both Summersville and Sutton Lakes in West Virginia above the normal summer pool elevation, forcing the temporary closure of some of the campgrounds and recreation areas at each location. As both lakes return to their normal summer pool levels, those sites are being opened.

At Sutton Lake, the Bee Run Day Use Area is open. The access road has some minor damage, so visitors are urged to use caution and watch for warning signs. Bakers Run Campground remains closed while conditions at the campground and the access road are assessed. Freeman Campground is still closed.

Summersville Lake will be back to normal summer pool later today. All boat ramps and areas are open. Battle Run Campground is also open, and the 21 individual campsites that were flooded are being restored to service and should be open later this weekend.

For more information, call Public Affairs at 304-399-5353.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will welcome the public to tours of four Locks and Dams from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on May 22, 2015.

The sites included are the Captain Meldahl Locks and Dam in Felicity, Ohio, the Robert C. Byrd Locks and Dam in Gallipolis Ferry, W.Va., the Willow Island Locks and Dam in Newport, Ohio, and the Marmet Locks and Dam in Belle, W.Va.

Tours will allow the public to view the operation of the locks on the Ohio River and Kanawha River. Corps team members will be on hand to answer questions, explain the role of the Corps in the community, and to help educate the public about the Corps mission.

Cameras are not permitted on the tours.

For more information, contact Public Affairs at 304-399-5353.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Yatesville Lake in Louisa, Ky., is planning to fill two on-site volunteer positions available for the spring and summer seasons.

Volunteers should be capable of performing work assignments in both indoor and outdoor work environments. At Yatesville Lake volunteers perform a variety of tasks, including office work and light maintenance duties such as painting, weeding, trail maintenance, and litter pick-up, as well as assisting park rangers with planning and coordinating water safety programs and other events. Dependent upon their skills, preference or training, volunteers may also be assigned other duties.

On-site volunteers are provided with a designated campsite with full hookups including electric, water, and sewer in exchange for a minimum of 25 hours of volunteer work per week. Campers and recreational vehicles must be approved by the Resource Manager in advance. All volunteers must complete a volunteer application and a background investigation.

Volunteering is a rewarding experience that provides the opportunity to contribute to the success of managing our Federal lands. It is an excellent opportunity to travel, make new friends, and learn new skills.

For more information contact the Yatesville Lake Volunteer Coordinator at 708 Yatesville Dam Road, Louisa, KY 41230 or phone 606-686-2412. The Corps of Engineers Volunteer Clearinghouse is available online at www.lrn.usace.army.mil/volunteer.

The Columbus Dispatch carried a story recently about work that may affect the city’s floodwall – here’s an excerpt:

It’s going to take months longer than officials first said and more than double the expected cost to demolish Franklin County Veterans Memorial.

The county commissioners learned that the building’s foundation is supporting part of a miles-long floodwall that protects the neighborhood west of there from potential Scioto River floods.

The commissioners were asked to extend contracts with two companies hired to oversee post-demolition site work before the property is turned over to the Columbus Downtown Development Corp., which will build the Ohio Veterans Memorial and Museum in Vets’ place.

The commissioners are expected to approve those contracts next week at a cost of about $500,000. The unexpected additional underground work is estimated to cost $2.8 million and take several more months to complete. That would bring the total cost for the county to clear the land to about $4.8 million.

You can read the full story here: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/02/06/razing-veterans-memorial-to-cost-more-take-longer.html

   The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announces that Col. Leon Parrott will take command of the Huntington District in a ceremony to take place at the Huntington City Hall Auditorium on Oct. 11, 2013 at 11 a.m. The ceremony will be presided over by Brig. Gen. Margaret Burcham, Commanding General of the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division.

    Col. Parrott comes to Huntington from Ft. Bragg, N.C. where he served as the Corps Engineer for the XVIII^th Airborne Corps. He has held a variety of command and staff assignments including: Platoon Leader, Company Executive Officer and Construction Officer with the 94^th Engineer Battalion, 18^th Engineer Brigade and 249^th Engineer Battalion; Battalion Maintenance Officer and Company Commander with the 37^th Engineer Battalion, 20^th Engineer Brigade; Assistant Construction and Operations Officer with the 416^th Engineering Command; Environmental Project Officer and District Executive Officer, Europe District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Battalion Operations and Executive Officer with the 1^st Battalion, 395^th Engineer Regiment; Group Engineer with the 5^th Special Forces Group, Deputy and then Chief of the Emergency Operations Center for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Commander of the 326^th Engineer Battalion; Deputy Engineer for Installations, Environment and Civil/Military Operations, U.S. European Command; Chief of Engineering at the Defense Intelligence Agency; and, most recently as Corps Engineer of the XVIII ^th  Airborne Corps.

   As the Huntington District Commander, he will be responsible for carrying out the District’s mission within the Ohio River Basin, which includes more than 300 navigable miles of the Ohio River in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio, plus nine major tributaries.  This area encompasses 45,000 square miles in five states – West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, and North Carolina.  His staff of more than 800 employees supports the District’s mission to operate and maintain 35 multi-purpose reservoirs and nine locks and dams, providing flood damage reduction, commercial navigation, recreation, and water supply while protecting the environment. The District is involved in significant planning, design, and construction efforts that address replacement of outdated navigation structures on the Ohio and Kanawha Rivers, dam safety measures at operating projects in central Ohio and southern West Virginia, other significant water resource challenges, as well as emergency management.  His staff performs the Corps’ regulatory mission in West Virginia and Ohio.

Today is Patriot’s Day. Always remember.

   The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District announces the immediate closure of the hiking/ bicycling trail in the vicinity of Dover Dam to Rt. 416 during working hours due to ongoing Dam Safety Assurace work on the dam and its new access road.

   The trail follows the access road to the dam and the current work poses a potential safety risk to the public. This requires the Corps to close the trail in the immediate vicinity of Dover Dam. The closure is expected to remain in effect until the end of the calendar year.

   The closed portion of the trail is marked by standard construction signs. Although the access road is closed to hikers and bikers during working hours, the road is always closed to vehicular traffic.

   For further questions please contact the Muskingum Resident Office at 330-343-9472.