San Francisco District, US Army Corps of Engineers

We’re coming to the end of #CAFloodPrepWeek Did you know that according to the California Department of Water Resources, every county in California has been declared a federal flood disaster area at least once in the last 20 years? Your #USACE San Francisco District wants you to be aware, be prepared, and take action. Learn how to do just that by visiting: http://bit.ly/floodprepca.

LOOK WHAT THE M/V DILLARD SNAGGED YESTERDAY!! Crewmembers of the M/V Dillard, a San Francisco District emergency response catamaran, hauled away a collapsed section of the Pier 47 dock in San Francisco yesterday. The crew coordinated with one of the district's small work skiffs, the Willard, to secure the dock section and haul it across the Bay to the #USACE Sausalito-based Base Yard. Kixon Meyer, captain of the M/V Dillard, estimates the massive debris haul weighed at least 30 tons, given the slow pace to complete the roundtrip mission. "We were at two knots all the way back, he said. "That's how heavy it was."

LAST CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS (NEPA Early Scoping for San Francisco Flood Resiliency Study) #USACE is currently accepting public comments regarding the San Francisco Flood Resiliency Study. Comments, including any suggested alternatives, information and analyses for our consideration are requested by TODAY. Please note any comments submitted after this date will still be included in the public record. ... *** Written comments may be emailed to [email protected] or mailed to: Ms. Anne Baker, 450 Golden Gate Ave, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94102. *** https://www.spn.usace.army.mil//corps-seeks-public-commen/ #portofsanfrancisco #USACE

BYE BYE BECHTEL'S MACHINE SHOP A piece of Sausalito’s unique history is in the process of vanishing into the mist. Weather and time can be a formidable adversa...ry. Bechtel’s old WWII Machine shop, despite efforts to restore it never seemed to get out of the planning stage, funding being a major obstacle. The building was completed in 1943, and was part of a larger emergency shipping building operation called Marinship. During the course of the war, 93 Liberty ships, tankers and oilers were constructed one after the next. Machine shop laborers worked three shifts, 24 hours a day nonstop turning out bolts, bearings, boilers, stern frames, line shafts, rigging, etc., while the mechanics on the ships installed them. They also produced and repaired parts for the ship yards operating equipment. The pace was swift. As a ship was being launched, the next keel was already in it's place. The most specialized machinists operated the tool and die department. A high degree of expertise was necessary to produce work within the exact tolerances of marine specifications and installations. These ugly duckling Liberty ships carried men, fuel, aircraft, ammunition, and wide assortment of supplies to our allies. They also pulled into secret undisclosed locations in the Pacific to fuel bombers as they island hopped to their final destinations and back again. In 1950, the US Army Corps of Engineers converted the building, which had been vacated after the end of WWII, to a geotechnical testing laboratory commonly referred to as the soils lab. The lab closed in 1997 and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs acquired the 27,500-square-foot structure in 2006. Work to restore it was sporadic. Now the elements have determined its fate and the Machine Shop began to collapse eliminating all hope of restoration. It’s time to say farewell as another chapter of historic Sausalito’s WWII story comes to an end.

It’s Flood Preparedness Week! Here are some tips to help you prepare for the possibility of flooding. Make sure you have non-perishable emergency supplies & a disaster supply kit. Have an evacuation plan in place for you and your pets. Establish a family communication plan for emergencies.... Sign-up for local wireless emergency alerts sent by authorized government agencies. Talk to your insurance agent about purchasing or renewing flood insurance. Keep important documents in a waterproof container and move valuables to higher levels. Purchase a weather radio to listen for emergency updates & weather forecasts Receive up-to-date weather information and alerts during a natural disaster with the @NOAA Weather Radio App. You can find more information on how to prepare for flooding here: http://bit.ly/floodprepca #CAFloodPrepWeek

NEPA Early Scoping for SF Flood Resiliency Study underway #USACE is currently accepting public comments regarding the San Francisco Flood Resiliency Study. Comments, including any suggested alternatives, information and analyses for our consideration are requested by Oct. 21, 2020. *** Written comments may be emailed to [email protected] or mailed to: Ms. Anne Baker, 450 Golden Gate Ave, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94102. ***... ABOUT THE STUDY The #USACE San Francisco District is currently preparing a feasibility study to evaluate coastal storm and flood risk management alternatives along 7.5 miles of the San Francisco Waterfront. Learn more about the study at: https://www.spn.usace.army.mil//San-Francisco-Waterfront-/

A few more photos from yesterday's ribbon-cutting ceremony in Petaluma marking the completion of dredging in the river channel. #USACE

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers San Francisco District wraps up dredging in the Petaluma River Channel this week and to mark the long-awaited milestone the City of Petaluma hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony today at its historic waterfront district. Around-the-clock dredging started Sept. 5 by crewmembers of The Sandpiper, an all-electric cutter-head suction dredge owned and operated by San Diego-based Pacific Dredge & Construction. With the dredge in the background, San Fran...cisco District Commander Lt. Col. John Cunningham, Congressman Jared Huffman and Petaluma Mayor Teresa Barrett provided remarks to a small, socially-distanced crowd before snipping the ceremonial red ribbon. More than 150,000 cubic yards of mud and silt has been removed from the channel clearing the way for increased commercial and recreational vessel traffic. Following their work in the river channel, the crew will move its dredging equipment south of Highway 37 to begin the across-the-flats portion of the project. "We are so looking forward to welcoming people back up the river and all the wonderful events we put on here," said Marie McCusker, executive director of the Petaluma Downtown Association & Visitors Program, later adding, "A dredged river raises everyone economically." #USACE See more

Well, the Bay Model Delta is not going to clean itself up, so Ranger Linda is tackling the job. There’s a thick layer of ash and dust from the present and past ...wildfires, and concrete efflorescence is leaching out of the levee walls from water, moist air and chlorides. Mix it together and we have the recipe for a pretty hefty cleanup project. A couple of years ago 20 boy scouts volunteered their services and spiffed her up pretty good but since then time has been a bit brutal. Getting her looking as good as possible again for reopening requires some good old-fashioned elbow grease, but it’s a labor of love. We are all very fond of the Bay Model (the last of its kind in the world). We want to keep her and the facility operating well for your USACE environmental engineering curiosity. When this pandemic is over we could sure use some help in conducting more frequent maintenance projects. So, if you need something to do and you have the time, it just so happens that we have the place!

Crewmembers for the M/V Dillard, an emergency response debris removal vessel based in Sausalito, got an early start this morning to join an honor sail officially launching the 2020 San Francisco Fleet Week. The highlight of the event was the arrival of the USS Michael Monsoor, a U.S. Navy destroyer, as it passed under the Golden Gate Bridge at just after 9:30 a.m. This year's Fleet Week events are scaled-back due to the COVID-19 pandemic. No air show as in years past but check out next week's online events, including virtual ship tours, at fleetweeksf.org. #USACE

What? This is the last day of Coastal Clean Up Month already? Not if you are a good steward of the planet. Those who care about the environmental legacy that... we leave our children, future generations and wildlife know that keeping our shores and waterways pristine is an ongoing mission. Every little bit helps. Keep up the good work. Ranger Carla was picking up trash along our waterfront facing Richardson Bay last Saturday commemorating Coastal Cleanup and Public Land's Day! This is what a good role model looks like.

#USACE San Francisco District, in partnership with the Port of San Francisco, is hosting a NEPA early scoping meeting as part of the USACE/Port Flood Resiliency Study today at 1PM. Learn more about the USACE process and provide public comment. RSVP here to receive the meeting link: https://www.spn.usace.army.mil//nepa-scoping-period-begin/

HAPPENING TODAY Join the #USACE San Francisco District, in partnership with the Port of San Francisco, at two upcoming NEPA early scoping meetings - today (9/16) at 6 PM or Thursday (9/17) at 1 PM as part of the USACE/Port Flood Resiliency Study. RSVP here: https://www.spn.usace.army.mil//nepa-scoping-period-begin/

Sharktoberfest! Put this on your calendar: Saturday, September 26, 2020, 10 AM 1:30 PM, streaming live on YouTube. Don’t miss! Sharks are a necessary intri...cate part of our ocean’s web of life. Did you know that globally shark populations have decreased exponentially in the last 50 years? Many of our lager species are now considered threatened and endangered with some populations reduced to only 10% of their original numbers. If we really want a sustainable global ocean then all of its inhabitants need to be protected. Nature’s original plan that includes the balance of numbers did not take into consideration human impact and the devastating results. We all need to become part of the solution and give the ocean a voice. Sharktoberfest is all about awareness and educating the public about the much maligned shark reputation and highlights their many contributions particularly that of the great white. Teachers please use this opportunity as part of your virtual natural resource/environmental component and urge your students to watch. Please get the word out. Meanwhile, let’s all celebrate the great white shark’s amazing fall migration back to our coastal waters.