Civil Works Projects

Navigation

We maintain more than 550 miles of navigable waterways, including the Delaware River federal navigation channel from Philadelphia to the Atlantic. The District operates and maintains the  Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. Other navigation projects include the Schuylkill River, Wilmington Harbor, the New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway, and many coastal harbors and inlets. We also own and operate the Dredge McFarland.

Coastal Storm Risk Management

We are especially noted for our key role in reducing damages to the New Jersey and Delaware Coasts. We've completed coastal storm risk management projects in Ocean, Atlantic and Cape May Counties in New Jersey and at Broadkill Beach, Lewes, Rehoboth and Dewey Beaches, Bethany and South Bethany and Fenwick Island in Delaware.

Flood Risk Management

The District also protects communities in the Delaware River Basin from flooding while providing water supply and enhancing both water quality and recreation.  We operate 5 earthfill dams in eastern Pennsylvania: Blue Marsh Lake near Reading; Beltzville Lake and Francis E. Walter Dam in the Poconos; and Prompton Lake and Jadwin Dam in the northeastern corner of the state.

Feasibility Studies

Our Planning Division partners with project sponsors to conduct feasibility studies. These studies involve comprehensive economic, environmental and engineering analyses. Current investigations include a comprehensive study considering solutions to back bay flooding problems in the state of New Jersey.

Continuing Authorities

The Continuing Authorities Program allows us to respond to a variety of water resource problems without the need to obtain specific congressional authorization for each project. This decreases the amount of time required to budget, develop, and approve a potential project for construction. Project areas include ecosystem restoration, streambank protection, environmental improvements, flood control and navigation.

 

Environmental Infrastructure

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is able to  provide design and construction assistance to non-Federal interests for carrying out water related environmental infrastructure, resource protection and development projects under Section 219 and Section 566. Construction is cost shared 75 percent federal and 25 percent non-federal. 

Civil Works

The Philadelphia District maintains more than 550 miles of navigable waterways in the Delaware River Valley. We own and maintain the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal and the 5 high span bridges that cross it. The District nourishes beaches in New Jersey and Delaware to reduce the risk of storm damages to infrastructure. We operate 5 dams in eastern Pennsylvania that have prevented hundreds of millions of dollars in floods damages. We execute a number of smaller projects under the Continuing Authorities Program and Environmental Infrastructure authorities. And we provide technical assistance to other federal, state, and local agencies.