Image courtesy California American Water The 106-ft-tall San Clemente Dam has is at risk of failure during an earthquake or probable maximum flood. Image courtesy California American Water Crews will divert the river and leave tons of sediment in place. Related Links: Elwha River Restoration Project Involves Largest Dam Removal Effort in U.S. History As Funds Line Up, a Tall Dam In California Will Come Down California's largest-ever dam removal project will take advantage of the area's unique topography to allow builders to divert permanently the Carmel River into a new channel.Built in 1921 about 18.5 miles upstream of the
Photo By Jeff McIntosh/Associated Press Crews prepare to pump petroleum diluent from railcars stranded on the buckled Calgary bridge into other cars securely placed on a parallel bridge. Related Links: Train Derails on Collapsing Bridge (Video) CP Officials Say Bonnybrook Bridge Had Been Inspected 18 Times Since Flooding Premier Alison Redford says it will take Alberta, Canada, a decade and $5 billion to recover and rebuild from a once-in-a-century flood that tore through the southern portion of the province on June 20. Damage was extensive in Calgary, where a state of emergency extended into July as floodwaters receded.Tens of thousands
Courtesy of The Sun Namibia's Neckartal dam (above) has been delayed by contract-award protests among competitors, while the Nile River dam in Ethiopia (below) is at the center of a water-allocation dispute with Egypt. Photo courtesy of The Independent Related Links: Ugandan Government Removes Chinese Firm From Large Hydro Project Several major African infrastructure projects, including some multibillion-dollar hydroelectric jobs, now are finding their progress beset by contracting disputes among global participants, protests from local communities and even cross-border sovereignty spats.Egypt-Ethiopia Megaproject BrouhahaEthiopia’s construction of the $4.7-billion Great Renaissance Dam on the Nile River has jolted its diplomatic relations with
Related Links: Frost and Sullivan Analysis An analysis of the global water and wastewater membrane-technology market suggests the market could see its revenues double by 2020.The analysis by Mountain View, Calif.-based Frost & Sullivan, a market research firm, found the market earned revenue of $5.54 billion in 2012 and estimates it will reach $12.07 billion by 2020.Although well established in the U.S., much of Asia and parts of Europe, the use of membranes for wastewater and water purification and treatment is used less widely in Eastern Europe and developing countries, says Paulina Szyplinska, Frost & Sullivan energy and environment industry
Related Links: Corps Develops Strategies for Expected Climate Adaptation New Climate Cycle Marked by Storms, Floods & Drought Sandy-Flooded Sewage Plants Seek Ways to Keep Pumps Running the Next Time Twice a year, Miami experiences extreme high tides, known as "king tides," brought on by gravitational forces. Without any help from rainfall, they can leave streets, yards and driveways under nearly a foot of water. These days, the phenomenon is becoming more of a rule than an exception in the Sunshine State. Experts say it is due to climate change, which is likely to force even higher tides that will
Photo courtesy of USACE The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is conducting several studies on the effects of climate change, including one in the Rio Grande River Basin shown here. Related Links: Cover Story: Water Sector Takes Brunt of Changing Weather According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, its entire portfolio of existing and proposed civil-works water-resources infrastructure projects and programs could be affected by climate change.As a result, Jo Ellen Darcy, assistant secretary of the Army for civil works, released a policy statement in June 2011 that called for integrating climate change and adaptation into all the projects
Related Links: EPA Releases Framework to Give Cities More Flexibility in Managing Wastewater EPA Press Release on the Agreement Seattle and King County, Wash., will invest in multiyear sewage and combined stormwater collection upgrades, including piping and treatment, under agreements that were reached on April 16 with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Washington State Dept. of Ecology.The agreements will substantially reduce the amount of sewage and contaminated stormwater entering Puget Sound and pave the way for greater use of green infrastructure projects.Under its agreement, Seattle will develop and implement a long-term control plan—at an estimated cost of $500
Related Links: Wayne E. Jones Named ENR 2013 Award of Excellence Winner New Corps of Engineers Commander Taking Stock Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick, commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was in New York City on April 18 to attend ENR's annual Award of Excellence dinner. Before he spoke at the event, Bostick talked with Associate Editor Pam Hunter. Excerpts from the interview appear below. ENR: Like most federal entities, the Corps of Engineers is dealing with a budget crunch. How is the Corps managing its backlog? Bostick: The Corps has a backlog of $60 billion of
File photo courtesy U.S. Bureau of Reclamation New document covers more agencies than previous version. BuRec programs still covered. Related Links: New Principles and Guidelines (Via White House) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 1983 Principles and Guidelines After years of discussion and drafting, the White House has issued revised standards for evaluating federally funded water projects. Announced by the Council on Environmental Quality on March 22, the new Principles and Guidelines, or P&G, are the first rewrite of this key planning document in 30 years.The new P&G give more prominence to environmental factors than did the 1983 version and add