FJ Sayers Dam Master Plan Revision / Media / News Stories

  • January

    Man speaking at podium

    Raystown Lake Operations Project Manager retires after over four decades of federal service

    After 45 years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Raystown Lake Operations Project Manager Jude Harrington is retiring. His illustrious four-decade career with USACE was celebrated at a retirement event on Jan. 8, where colleagues, family, friends, and community members gathered to reflect on his dedicated service and contributions to the Raystown community.

  • December

    Groundbreaking ceremony

    USACE Baltimore District Capital Area Office Breaks Ground on Military Working Dog Hospital

    FORT BELVOIR, Va. — Behind the secure gates of Fort Belvoir, ground has been broken for a new $21.9 million veterinary center that will transform medical care for the military's four-legged service members. The planned facility, with its advanced surgical suites and specialized rehabilitation areas, represents the Department of Defense's commitment to maintaining the health of its vital canine force.

  • August

    Man inside of boat

    Generations on the Water

    Born in Cecil County, Baltimore District’s Jacob Tuer was destined for a life on the water. His neighborhood had a slip for the family boat, and he spent countless hours on jon boats cruising the Elk River with his father, Jeff, who operated survey vessels for the Baltimore District from 2014 to 2018. But when a container ship struck the Key Bridge, leading to its collapse and blocking a vital shipping channel, another member of this family of Maryland watermen, Jacob’s brother Matthew, found his path converging with his brother’s in an unexpected way.
  • people in front of collapsed bridge

    USACE Public Affairs - Ensuring Trust & Transparency During the Key Bridge Response

    When the sun rose over the Patapsco River on March 26, it unmasked a shadow of tragedy and despair. The historic Francis Scott Key Bridge was destroyed, the M/V DALI sat immovable in the Fort McHenry Federal Channel, six lives were lost, thousands were out of work and the flow of commerce into and out of the Port of Baltimore was brought to a halt. Knowing the mission to come, it was that morning when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District Public Affairs Office would rally its extensive communications capabilities.
  • cargo ship and collapsed bridge in water

    USACE Responds to Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse

    In the early morning of March 26, 2024, crew aboard Motor Vessel DALI issued the mayday call moments before the crash that took down the Francis Scott Key Bridge, enabling authorities to limit vehicle traffic on the span. The collapse of this pivotal piece of infrastructure sent eight construction workers into the Patapsco River below, taking the lives of six of them.
  • US Army Corps of Engineers ecologist Amani Khalil participates in operations at the Unified Command Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Khalil is backfilling various roles of USACE employees for the Key Bridge Response.

    Versatile Ecologist Takes on Multiple Roles to Ensure Smooth Operations at Unified Command Center

    In the heart of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), where efficiency is paramount and every role is critical, Amani Khalil stands out as a beacon of adaptability and expertise.
  • US Army Corps of Engineers Spearheads Seamless Collaboration at the Unified Command Center.

    Baltimore Native Leads Coordination Efforts for US Army Corps of Engineers Baltimore in Key Bridge Response

    In the heart of Baltimore, Kimberly Matthews, a design manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, stands at the forefront of disaster mitigation efforts, orchestrating a seamless coordination between USACE engineers and architectural engineering firms.
  • During an emergency, an operations liaison, like U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District biologist Ariel Poirier pictured here during the Key Bridge Response in April 2024, plays a critical role in ensuring effective communication, coordination, and decision-making among the various agencies, departments, and teams involved in the response efforts. Their primary goal is to support the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in managing the crisis and minimizing its impact on the community. (U.S. Army photo by David Adams)

    From Bugs to Bridges: A Biologist’s Dedication Shines in Baltimore Harbor Crisis

    Ariel Poirier, a biologist with USACE Baltimore, applies her passion for nature and expertise as an operations liaison in response to the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.

  • May

    Man sitting on guardrail

    Steve Young's Legacy: Four Decades of Dedication at Indian Rock Dam

    The Indian Rock Dam is firmly positioned in southern Pennsylvania, where Codorus Creek drifts through the countryside. Steve Young, a seasoned veteran of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, has more than 40 years of dedicated service at the helm of this critical infrastructure.
  • A man in a hardhat and safety vest views a salvage site.

    Safety: The throughline of the Francis Scott Key Bridge response

    In the response for the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, safety is paramount to the success of the Unified Command's efforts.

  • April

    A large number of floating cranes can be seen at the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. The MV Dali, the container ship which struck the bridge, is visible in the distance.

    Large flock of cranes nibbles at Key Bridge wreckage

    Having removed roughly 3,000 of the estimated 50,000 tons of mangled iron trusswork, rebar, and concrete resting on the bottom of the Patapsco River, the cranes supporting the Francis Scott Key Bridge response still have much work ahead of them.
  • Five people help a salvage diver prepare for a dive

    USACE’s underwater response to the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse

    In the Key Bridge Response, USACE is working in a joint effort with the U.S. Navy’s Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV) to oversee the commercial dive companies performing the work underwater.

  • February

    head dam operator

    The Journey of Craig Eisenhower and the Legacy of Foster Joseph Sayers Dam

    In Pennsylvania’s picturesque landscapes, where the Foster Joseph Sayers Dam stands as a symbol of human ingenuity and natural beauty, Craig Eisenhower, head dam operator, tells how his more than three-decade journey with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers unfolds.

  • December

    Man with boat

    Operator follows father’s footsteps on board the CATLETT

    Born in Cecil County, Maryland, Jacob Tuer was destined for a life on the water. His neighborhood had a slip for his family boat to rest in, and he spent countless hours on jon boats cruising the Elk River with his father.

  • November

    Official Headshot of Zachary Sandonato

    USACE, Baltimore District project manager saves child from Pasadena waterway

    Zachary Sandonato, a project manager with the Baltimore District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, along with his wife Nicole, saved a 4-year-old boy from a waterway near their Pasadena, Md. home Nov. 3.
  • A view of the Washington Monument from below the Tidal Basin Inlet Bridge. (USACE photo by Christopher Fincham) The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District’s Potomac and Anacostia Rivers Drift Collection and Removal Unit operates out of dock facilities adjacent to the Washington, DC, Navy Yard and conducts drift removal operations on a year-round basis. Their mission also includes the operation and maintenance of the inlet and outlet gates to the tidal basin, which is designed to prevent water stagnating in the tidal basin by allowing fresh water to flow in and out of the basin.

    D.C. Drift Team Maintains Waterways and Century-Old Tidal Basin Gates

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District’s Potomac and Anacostia Rivers Drift Collection and Removal Unit operates out of dock facilities adjacent to the Washington, DC, Navy Yard and conducts drift removal operations on a year-round basis.

  • September

    Bill Castro, beekeeper, extracts hive and honeybees , Aug. 7, 2023.

    USACE, Baltimore District safely rehomes a total of 50k bees found at Bureau of Engraving and Printing demo project

    After safely rehoming 25-30k honeybees in July, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District rehomed an additional 25k at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) in Beltsville, Md., in early August, 2023, bringing the total to over 50k bees.

  • August

    Bill Castro, beekeeper, cuts honeycomb during extraction, Jul. 27, 2023.

    More than 25 thousand honeybees found at Bureau of Engraving and Printing demo project re-homed in Baltimore

    BALTIMORE – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District safely rehomed 25-30k honeybees that were found during abatement and demolition services at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) in Beltsville, Md., July 26, 2023.

  • June

    A collage image showing two photos of a large construction project and a third image of a large group standing together for a photo.

    Baltimore District team behind the East Campus Building 2 project honored by industry award

    Following the completion of an 846,114 square-foot, seven-story National Security Agency operations facility on Fort Meade, Maryland, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, and its partners were recognized by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) with the Marvin M. Black Partnering Excellence Award.

  • July

    A boat pulls a tuber on a U.S Army Corps of Engineers lake.

    Army Corps of Engineers warns most water-related accidents and fatalities occur in July

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is reminding the public that more water-related accidents and fatalities occur at its lakes and river projects in July than in any other month. “July is the month when we normally see the most water-related accidents and fatalities so there is reason to be concerned,” said Pam Doty, USACE National Water Safety Program Manager. “We stress to the recreating public a number of things to be aware of while in, on, or near open water