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  • March

    Mary Spencer, former Small Business Program manager, is inducted into the Los Angeles District's Gallery of Distinguished Civilian Employees in a ceremony at the District headquarters in Los Angeles March 23. The induction was held in conjunction with the District's annual Retiree Recognition Day.

    District names latest distinguished civilian employees

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District inducted two retired employees into its Gallery of Distinguished Civilian Employees in a ceremony at the District headquarters in Los Angeles March 23.

  • Division commander visits coastal damage reduction project

    Col. Peter Helmlinger, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Pacific Division, met with the mayors and other public officials of two coastal communities on March 15 to discuss a proposed $174 million coastal storm damage reduction project.
  • In previous years, sand across the mouth of the San Luis Rey River blocked its connection to the Pacific Ocean, providing a continuous shoreline. Recent rains have opened the river to the ocean, requiring the contractor to develop a means to span the flowing water in order to replenish the beach to the south.

    Corps awards Oceanside dredging contract, Division Commander visits

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District awarded a $10.77 million contract to Manson Construction Company from Seattle, Washington, on March 13 to conduct maintenance dredging at Oceanside Harbor.
  • Eric Ravelli, deputy for the Small Business Program, welcomes an attendee to the Los Angeles District Arizona-Nevada Area Office's Business Opportunities Open House March 9 in Phoenix. The event attracted more than 160 attendees from throughout the region. The open house featured morning and afternoon sessions with a contractor training opportunity; successful bid proposal.

    Open house for business opportunities

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District Arizona-Nevada Area Office in Phoenix hosted a Business Opportunities Open House March 9.
  • The hydraulic cutter-head suction dredge H.R. Morris digs up sediment from the Channel Islands Harbor sand trap Feb. 14. Seattle-based Manson Construction, the Corps' contractor for the project, piped the material to nearby Hueneme Beach to replenish sand lost to erosion.

    Corps completes CI Harbor dredging

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District completed maintenance dredging at Channel Islands Harbor here Feb. 27 after beginning work in late December 2016.
  • Following the March 1 Malibu Creek Ecosystem Restoration public meeting held at the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District office in Calabasas, representatives from the Corps and the California Department of Parks and Recreation, Angeles District, discuss specifics of the alternative plans with meeting attendees.

    Corps holds Malibu Creek ecosystem restoration public meeting

    The Los Angeles District held a public hearing March 1 at the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District office in Calabasas to present the National Environmental Restoration and Likely Locally Preferred Plan for ecosystem restoration along Malibu Creek and to take comments from the public about their concerns regarding the project.
  • Joshua Ramirez, a student at the STEM Academy of Hollywood, had presented his project to Maj. Scotty Autin during Senior Defense on Feb. 23. “I had to find artifacts from all four years of my attendance and based on four major principles show what we learned.”

    USACE participates in National Engineers Week

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District participated in several National Engineers Week activities, held Feb. 19 through 25, aimed at helping high school students become more aware of the opportunities available in the engineering profession and the educational knowledge and skills it takes to be successful there.

  • February

    Officials cut the ribbon Feb. 8 ceremonially opening the newly renovated dormitory 2424 that introduces modern apartment style living for Airmen assigned to the second largest base in the Air Force. The dorm features updated amenities that includes 61 bedrooms arranged into 20 suites. The living area in each suite is furnished with a sofa, table and television stand with connections for a television and the internet. The kitchenettes include Corian counters with a breakfast bar, cooktop, over-the-range microwave/convection oven, refrigerator, dishwasher and sink with a garbage disposal.

    Edwards dorm opens

    Officials cut the ribbon Feb. 8 ceremonially opening the newly renovated dormitory 2424 that introduces modern apartment style living for Airmen assigned to the second largest base in the Air Force.
  • Col. Paul Murray, 99th Air Base Wing commander, Nellis Air Force Base speaks to future residents of Dormitory 781 Feb. 3. Murray cut the ribbon officially opening the 85,250-square-foot facility. The complex features an energy efficient heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system that allows for each room to have individual temperature control.

    Dormitory 781, new home for Airmen

    Col. Paul Murray, 99th Air Base Wing commander, cut the ribbon to welcome future residents of Dormitory 781 on Feb. 3. The 99th ABW provides installation support to more than 10,000 personnel assigned to Nellis AFB, Creech AFB, and the Nevada Test and Training Range.

  • January

    Louis Munoz (center), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District's dam tender supervisor, discusses Alamo Dam operation with Col. Kirk Gibbs, District commander Jan. 25. The dam provides flood risk reduction, water supply and conservation, recreation, and fish and wildlife enhancement on the Bill Williams River.

    Remote sites, key projects

    When your area of operation covers roughly 226,000 square miles... expect to spend a lot time on the road.
  • Louis Munoz, dam tender supervisor for the Corps' Los Angeles District, describes the operation of Prado Dam's upgraded regulating outlet gates to South Pacific Division Commander Col. Pete Helmlinger during a Jan. 18 visit to the dam's control tower in Corona, California.

    Division commander visits Prado Dam, Santa Ana River

    Col. Peter Helmlinger, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Pacific Division, visited the Prado Dam Visitor Center in Corona, California, Jan. 18 for an update on the Santa Ana River Mainstem project and a tour of the dam’s recently modified embankment and outlet works.
  • Piles of debris line the side of the roads in flood affected areas one week after the 2016 severe flooding in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

    District supports FEMA during Louisiana flood recovery

    Water reached a 500-year event level... a storm with only a .2 percent chance of occurring in any given year. In all, 12 of 64 parishes in Louisiana were declared major federal disaster areas.

  • December

    LA Unified School District and STEM Academy educators and administrators took a field trip to the Whittier Narrows Dam on Dec. 6. Dam operations supervisor Louie Munoz (far left), escorted visitors through the dam to the machinery used to lower and raise the flood control gates. U.S. Army Corps of Engineer Los Angeles District, which operates and maintains the dam, promotes STEM by hosting visits to their sites.

    Educators learn ABCs of dam operations

    LOS ANGELES – LA Unified School District and STEM Academy educators and administrators took a field
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District Commander Col. Kirk Gibbs (r) and USACE South Pacific Division's Programs Director and the senior executive project manager for the Fort Irwin Weed Army Hospital replacement construction project Cheree Peterson, discussed future construction scheduling during the project’s Senior Executive Review Group quarterly briefing at Fort Irwin Dec. 1. Peterson also met representatives from the U.S. Army Garrison Fort Irwin, U.S. Army Medical Command, U.S. Army Health Facility Planning Agency, RLF Engineering and Turner Construction Company.

    Senior leaders visit Fort Irwin hospital project

    Cheree Peterson, Programs Directordirector of programs, U.S. Army Corps Engineers South Pacific Division, and the senior executive project manager for the Fort Irwin Weed Army Hospital replacement construction project, hosted the project’s Senior Executive Review Group quarterly briefing onhere Dec. 1

  • November

    On Nov.11, over 10 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District staff employees and family members marched in “America’s Parade” on the VA West Los Angeles Medical Center campus. The parade was coordinated through the County of Los Angeles, City of Los Angeles and the American Legion, partnered with the United War Veterans Council, organizers of the New York Veterans Day Parade. Prior to the start of the parade, District Commander, Col. Kirk Gibbs, attended the Wreath Laying Ceremony at the National Ceremony attended by California State Secretary of Veteran Affairs Vito Imbasciani and LA County Board Supervisor Hilda Solis. The ceremony and parade honors America's Veterans for their patriotism, love of country and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

    Honoring our local Vets

    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District employees and family members participate in the Los Angeles “America’s Parade” on Veterans Day, Nov. 11 to celebrate the service of our local Veterans.
  • Lillian Doherty, chief of Operations and Maintenance USACE Los Angeles District, discusses the LA River flood zone hazard areas and non-native vegetation removal with attendees at the Glendale Narrows Workshop on Nov. 7. The Corps conducts non-native vegetation growth removal in the channel to improve LAR capacity.

    LA River workshop engages public in open dialogue

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District held a public workshop on Nov. 7 at the Friendship Auditorium to discuss the Corps’ flood risk management activities, safety, non-native vegetation removal, river access and other topics relevant to the Los Angeles River within the area referred to as “Glendale Narrow.”
  • Upon conclusion of the Oceanside Harbor navigational dredging project that placed nearly 260,000 cubic yards of material along the city's shoreline, the contractor removed the discharge pipe and other equipment and graded the beach.

    Oceanside Harbor dredging comes to a close

    The Oceanside Harbor navigational dredging project concluded Monday, October 31, with the contractor reporting having dredged close to the 260,000 cubic yards identified in the contract. The Corps will conduct a post-dredging survey to more accurately determine how much material the contractor dredged within the designated dredge area.

  • October

    Exterior photo of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations Center at March Air Reserve Base, Riverside County, California, Oct. 26. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations and March Air Reserve Base officials broke ground, on a new CBP AMOC expansion construction project here, Oct. 26.

    Corps and CBP break ground on AMOC construction project

    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations and March Air Reserve Base officials broke ground on a new CBP Air and Marine Operations Center expansion project here Oct. 26.
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Pacific Division Commander Col. Pete Helmlinger visited various project sites during his week-long visit to the Los Angeles District. Here, District Commander Col. Kirk Gibbs (center) briefs the complexity of the Los Angeles River Ecosystem Restoration as they stand in the river where it's joined by the Arroyo Seco Confluence Oct. 12.

    Division Commander visits LA District

    New South Pacific Division Commander Col. Peter Helmlinger, tours LA District projects including stops at the planned restoration along the LA River, Whittier Narrows Dam, Ft. Irwin water treatment facility and Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
  • Christopher Woodruff, water resources manager, Fort Irwin Department of Public works (center), briefs Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy, and Environment Katherine Hammack (right), and South Pacific Division Commander Col. Pete Helmlinger (left) on the Irwin Water Works water treatment process during a tour of the IWW facility at Fort Irwin, California Oct. 13. Hammack joined Helmlinger, Los Angeles District Commander Col. Kirk Gibbs and Fort Irwin and the National Training Center senior leaders in a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the completion and operation of the new Fort Irwin water treatment plant, also known as the Irwin Water Works.

    Corps completes Fort Irwin water treatment plant

    Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment Katherine Hammack joined U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Pacific Division Commander Col. Pete Helmlinger, Los Angeles District Commander Col. Kirk Gibbs and Fort Irwin and the National Training Center senior leaders in a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the completion and operation of the new Fort Irwin water treatment plant, also known as the Irwin Water Works. The ceremony was held in front of the IWW Control Building at Fort Irwin, California Oct. 13.