Civil Works Overview

Baltimore District provides water resource planning and engineering design and construction support focused on navigation, flood risk management and environmental restoration. Our work includes construction and operation of dams that help reduce flood risks, provide recreation, environmental stewardship, and water supply; dredging of major waterways; and construction of local flood risk management projects.

Our Civil Works boundaries, covering the Chesapeake Bay Basin and the Susquehanna and Potomac river watersheds, extend from Maryland to New York. In total, the District’s responsibilities cover 49,000 square miles in six states and the District of Columbia, two watersheds, and 7,000 miles of coastline. Along these waterways, Baltimore District operates and maintains 290 miles of federal navigation channels, 148 miles of federally constructed levees, and 15 federal flood risk management dams and reservoirs.

As a result, Baltimore District has prevented $16 billion in flood damages, is restoring approximately 600 acres of oyster habitat and is also restoring 1,140 acres of remote islands.

In order for a Corps project to be implemented through the Civil Works program, the Corps must first receive Congressional authorization and then it must receive Congressional funding. Our Technical Service Programs offer federal assistance for technical assistance and analyses and smaller projects without the need for Congressional authorization. 

Some major projects are highlighted in the below sections. To view all of the district's projects, please visit the Baltimore District Fact Sheet portal. 

Navigation

Baltimore District operates and maintains more than 290 miles of federal navigable channels within the Susquehanna River watershed.  This work includes dredging, employing cutting-edge technology to conduct underwater surveys, and applying its fleet of debris removal vessels to clear floating hazards out of the federal channels in the Baltimore Harbor and Potomac and Anacostia rivers. 

Projects

Navigation Maps

Debris Removal and Surveying

Dredged Material Management Plan (DMMP)

Baltimore Harbor & Channels Maintenance Dredging Fact Sheet

Baltimore Harbor and Channels Limited Reevaluation Report

Wicomico River Maintenance Dredging and Deal Island Wetland Restoration

 

Ocean City Navigation (& other) Projects

Dams and Reservoirs

Baltimore District regulates 16 multi-purpose reservoirs in the States of Maryland, West Virginia, and New York as well as the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  The dams at each reservoir were designed and constructed by Baltimore District, and all are currently operated and maintained by the District with the exception of Savage River Dam (operated by the Upper Potomac River Commission).

All 16 dams were built primarily for flood risk management. Other project purposes include recreation, water supply, water quality, hydroelectric power, and low-flow augmentation for downstream environmental benefits. View additional information on recreation opportunities at each reservoir.

Baltimore District hydraulic engineers monitor water levels in the region’s major rivers and regulate Corps-managed dams and reservoirs to minimize downstream impacts. Data from satellite imagery and river gages, as well as real-time reports from its field personnel on the ground, help to make decisions on when to open and close the gates at the dams. District dam operators are on site inspecting and monitoring the performance of the dams, and taking the necessary actions to ensure the safety of the surrounding communities.

 

Projects

Jennings Randolph Lake

Raystown Lake

Tioga-Hammond Lake

Reservoir Data

 

Ecosystem Restoration

Ecosystem restoration is the process of returning damaged ecological systems to a stable, healthy and sustainable state. In Baltimore District, our team of dedicated professionals are protecting and restoring portions of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, including the Anacostia, Potomac, and Susquehanna rivers. Ecosystem restoration projects play a pivotal role in protecting endangered species, preserving shorelines affected by erosion and building new habitat for our region's wildlife.  

 

Project Planning - Studies and Investigations

Baltimore District is authorized to investigate and perform studies related to core mission areas including navigation, flood risk management and ecosystem restoration, to determine if Congressional authorization and implementation are warranted. Civil Works Planning is the start of the “pipeline” for addressing water resources needs. All projects start with Baltimore District planners answering the questions of federal interest, engineering feasibility, economic justification and environmental acceptability. 

Planners work with multi-disciplinary study teams to identify water resources problems, conceive solutions, resolve conflicting interests and shape recommendations. The team also assesses the likelihood that a non-federal sponsor can be identified and willing to pay their share of the project cost per federal cost-sharing requirements.

The District conducts a broad range of studies, including studies leading to new projects that require Congressional authorization; studies involving evaluation and design of projects under the Continuing Authorities Program; and re-examinations of existing projects.

The Corps provides strong technical services through a variety of programs to address an array of water resources issues in the Chesapeake Bay region. The National Hurricane, Continuing Authorities, Rehabilitation and Inspection, Floodplain Management Services, Planning Assistance to States, and Silver Jackets programs grant the Corps the ability to provide technical water resources services through federal funding or a combination of federal and local funding without the need for Congressional authorization. 

For more information pertaining to policies, guidance, processes and tools that are used every day by the District in project planning, please visit our Planning Toolbox.

 

Projects

Lower Susquehanna River
Watershed Assessment

Anacostia Watershed
Restoration

Chesapeake Bay Program

 Technical Service Programs

Chesapeake Bay Comprehensive Plan

 

Feasibility Study Milestones

Study Name and Web Page Links

Feasibility Cost-Sharing
Agreement Signed 

Draft Feasibility Report Released for Public Review

Final Feasibility Report Submitted
to Army Corps North Atlantic Division (NAD)

Final Feasibility Report Transmitted
by NAD to Army Corps Headquarters 

Chief's Report Signed

Notes                          

Northern Virginia Coastal Storm Risk Management Study (formerly DC Coastal Study)
 

July 18,    2017

May 27, 2022

Sept. 5, 2023

Nov. 6, 2023

March 1, 2024

 

Baltimore Coastal Storm Risk Management Study

Aug. 5, 2019

July 1, 2022

Sept. 15, 2023

Dec. 6, 2023

March 27, 2024

 

Anacostia Restoration Study, Prince George's County
 

Jan. 13,  2014

June 1,
2016 

Nov. 2,
2017

Feb. 26,
2018 

Sept.18, 2018

Project has received Congressional funding for design and construction.

Schedules as of July 27, 2022. Dates are subject to change. This is a reporting requirement under Section 1002 of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014.

 

Projects Under Construction

Baltimore District provides construction oversight and management for a variety of Civil Works projects. We handle all matters relating to construction, including contract advertisement and award, construction execution and contract close out. Typically, a private contractor is hired to perform the actual construction with District oversight. 

Prior to award, the plans and specifications are reviewed from a construction quality management perspective. The awarded project is administered to ensure contract compliance and quality and, after completion, the District handles warranty inspections.  We preserve a close relationship with the local sponsor for each project to ensure that their interests are understood and appropriately addressed.

With a multi-disciplinary staff located at our District Headquarters, as well as field offices throughout Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia, providing on-site representation, the District has the capability and experience in administering various types of contract procurement methods. This includes traditional formal bid, negotiated proposal, design-build, indefinite quantity, incentive type and cost-reimbursable contracts.

Projects

Poplar Island

Oyster Restoration

Dyke Marsh

Rhodes Point (Smith Island)

Codorus Creek Flood Risk Management Project Repairs

Baltimore District Water Resources Project Partnership Agreements

A Project Partnership Agreement (PPA) is a legally binding agreement between the Government and a non-federal sponsor (state, municipal government, flood control district, port authority, etc.) for construction of a water resources project. It describes the project and the responsibilities of the Government and the non-federal sponsor in the cost-sharing and execution of work. View more information on Project Partnership Agreements

Below is an interactive list of Baltimore District water resources PPAs. To access:

  • Search key words using the Search window to find PPAs by project name. To clear the results, click Reset Search. Result list will take you back to the top of the page, please scroll back down to the PPA module.
  • Page through the full contents of the list by using the controls at the lower right corner of the table.

By default, this list is sorted in alphabetical order by project title.

List of Project Partnership Agreements

   Search     
Enter Search Value:
- without any prefix or suffix to find all records where a column contains the value you enter, e.g. Net
- with | prefix to find all records where a column starts with the value you enter, e.g. |Network
- with | suffix to find all records where a column ends with the value you enter, e.g. Network|
- with | prefix and suffix to find all records containing the value you enter exactly, e.g. |Network|

Click any column header to sort table data.
TitleReference URL
Project Partnership Agreement - Mid-Chesapeake Bay Island Ecosystem Restoration Projecthttps://usace.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getfile/collection/p16021coll7/id/21673
PPA Section 219 Moscow Sewer Authority Oct 2020https://usace.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getfile/collection/p16021coll7/id/16209
Paint Branch Fish Passage Sec 206 PPA Amd July 2018https://usace.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getfile/collection/p16021coll7/id/10100
PPA Ocean City Inlet CAP 107 Feb 2019https://usace.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getfile/collection/p16021coll7/id/10074
PCA Rhodes Point Amendment AUG 2017http://cdm16021.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16021coll7/id/5786
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District Levees

Baltimore District has 148 miles of federally constructed levees that help manage flood risk in southern New York, central Pennsylvania, Maryland, northern Virginia, eastern West Virginia and Washington, D.C. Every year, teams with special training and equipment conduct annual inspections by walking the levees to ensure they will perform as designed in case of a flood. These teams also conduct periodic inspections every five years for a more in-depth review. All inspections are done in coordination with the local sponsor who operates and maintains the levee. Detailed reports following the inspections are given to the sponsor for any follow-up actions.

The results of Corps levee inspections help determine continued eligibility as part of the Rehabilitation and Inspection Program (RIP), which is the Corps’ authority to provide federal aid in repairing levees damaged by floods or storms.  

Inspections also provide a better picture of levee conditions and an opportunity in our shared efforts with state and local authorities to communicate flood risk and make informed decisions on how best to manage it.

View more info on Baltimore District levees.

 

Photos