Institute for Water Resources

In addition to its National Capital Region, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Institute for Water Resources (IWR) has several designated centers of expertise and technical centers:

HEC - Hydrologic Engineering Center

Hydrologic Engineering Center (HEC), an organization within the Institute for Water Resources (IWR), is the designated Center of  Expertise for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in the technical areas of  surface and groundwater hydrology, river hydraulics  and sediment transport, hydrologic statistics and risk  analysis, reservoir system analysis, planning analysis, real-time water control management and a number of other  closely associated technical subjects. HEC supports USACE's field offices, headquarters, and laboratories by providing technical methods and guidance, water resources models and associated utilities, training and workshops,  accomplishing research and development, and performing technical assistance and special projects. The products that are developed from these activities are for the Corps but are available to the public and may be freely downloaded from the HEC web site.

NDC - Navigation and Civil Works Decision Support Center

The USACE is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Nation's waterway system to insure efficient and safe passage of commercial and recreational vessels. IWR's Navigation and Civil Works Decision Support Center (NDC) exercises its Federal responsibility for establishing and maintaining a variety of water transportation information systems.

The primary function of the Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center (WCSC), under the authority of the Rivers & Harbors Act of 1922, is to collect, process, distribute, and archive vessel trip and cargo data. The WCSC standard publications, Waterborne Commerce of the United States, is issued in five parts (one to cover each coast and a national summary).

RMC - Risk Management Center

The Risk Management Center (RMC) is a center of expertise under IWR. The mission of the RMC is to support Civil Works by managing and assessing risks for dams and levee systems across the Corps, to support dam and levee safety activities throughout the Corps, and to develop policies, methods, tools, and systems to enhance those activities.

CPCX - Collaboration and Public Participation Center of Expertise

The Collaboration and Public Participation Center of Expertise is (CPCX) is a center of expertise on conflict resolution and public participation. CPCX’s mission is to help Corps staff anticipate, prevent, and manage water conflicts, ensuring that the interests of the public are addressed in Corps decision making. The Center believes that alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and collaborative planning tools and techniques can and should be used to avoid and minimize conflicts, rather than just employed once conflict emerges.

ICIWaRM - International Center for Integrated Water Resource Management

The International Center for Integrated Water Resources Management (ICIWaRM) is a UNESCO Category 2 water centre headquartered at the IWR in Alexandria, Virginia, USA. The mission of ICIWaRM is the advancement of the science and practice of integrated water resources management (IWRM) to address water security and other water-related challenges by regional and global action, through new knowledge, innovative technologies, collaborative interdisciplinary scientific research, networking, training and capacity development.

PIANC USA

PIANC USA is a national section of PIANC, a worldwide non-political and non-profit technical and scientific organization established to promote both inland and maritime navigation by fostering progress in the planning, design, construction, improvement, maintenance and operation of inland and maritime waterways and ports and of coastal areas for general use. PIANC USA was organized in 1902 with USACE serving as the Secretariat.