Courtesy Photo | Construction of canal improvements using stiffleg derricks which were used to lift and...... read more read more
This year, the U.S. Army and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers celebrate 250 years of service to the Nation.
The story of the USACE Louisville District flows from the Ohio River in the early 1800’s. What began as efforts to improve navigation around the dangerous Falls of the Ohio to open the waterway for safe and efficient commerce, ultimately shaped the history of the city of Louisville, and resulted in the establishment of the USACE Louisville District in 1886. This navigation mission still drives the district today, expanding to a total of seven locks and dams on the Ohio River and two on the Green River, that are operated 365 days a year. More than 415 million tons of cargo pass through the district’s Ohio River locks annually, powering America’s economy with the most cost and energy efficient way to transport commodities.
But navigation was just the start for the Louisville District. The Great Flood of 1937 devastated the region with damages stretching across the length of the Ohio River, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Cairo, Illinois, leaving 385 people dead and more than 70 percent of Louisville under water. Since then, the Louisville District’s mission has expanded to include flood risk management, resulting in the construction of a system of floodwalls, levees and reservoirs that have helped to prevent more than $3.9 billion in flood damages and protect lives.
“The inland waterways system is one of our Nation’s most valuable and enduring assets, made possible by the infrastructure we’ve built to ensure reliable navigation and flood protection,” said Waylon Humphrey, Louisville District Operations Division Chief. “Each navigation lock, reservoir, and levee or floodwall system reflects American ingenuity and resilience. These systems continue to perform well beyond their original design life because our people; the dedicated government employees who rise to the challenge every day, keeping them operational and mission ready.”
Today, the Louisville District’s mission reaches far beyond the river.
The district supports warfighters and their families through their military construction mission by building world-class facilities across five states to live, work, train and heal. They also provide project management, engineering and construction service to other federal, state and local agencies through the Interagency and International Support (IIS) program, including the construction of a new Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Louisville that will provide care for more than 45,000 Veterans in Kentucky and Southern Indiana.
In addition, the Louisville District supports the Army and Air Force Reserve by delivering modern, mission-ready reserve centers nationwide and providing a variety of professional and technical services. Their impacts also reach internationally, outfitting 21st century Department of Defense Education Activity schools around the globe.
They also protect the Nation’s natural resources through the regulatory program which is committed to protecting aquatic resources and navigation capacity, through permit evaluation for all construction activities that occur in the Nation’s waters, including wetlands, and through Defense Environmental Restoration Program for Formerly Used Defense Sites, ensuring the remediation of hazardous, toxic and radiological waste related to certain military activities.
Lastly, when disasters strike, the Louisville District, along with other USACE districts, are ready to respond, working side by side with local, state and federal partners in a variety of capacities.
“This month, the US Army Corps of Engineers and the US Army celebrate their 250th anniversaries, and our birthdays are only two days apart,” said Louisville District Commander, Col. L. Reyn Mann said. “Just as USACE has done for 250 years and this district has done for 139 years we will continue to answer the call when our Nation needs us.”
For 250 years, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has built more than infrastructure, they’ve built a legacy of service, not just in Louisville, but across the region, the nation and around the world.
| Date Taken: | 06.13.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.13.2025 12:46 |
| Story ID: | 500564 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 16 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Navigating History, Building Strong: A look at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' legacy in Louisville, by Kelsie Hall, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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