Albuquerque’s 10th Annual Women of Influence Awards - LTC Antoinette Gant HonoredAlbuquerque Business First’s 10th annual Women of Influence Award event brought together some of the most powerful and innovative women in New Mexico. Judges selected LTC Antoinette R. Gant, Commander of Albuquerque District Army Corps of Engineers, as one of the 30 honorees in this year’s event. More than 450 women were nominated, across six industry categories, as mentors, innovators, leaders and role models in the Albuquerque community.
NM Black History Month-1st Annual STEM Festival-ABQ District-USACE District Commander Lt. Col. Gant and several members of the Albuquerque District S.T.E.M team participated in the 1st Annual S.T.E.M. Festival. This was held in conjunction with Work-It-Out Day in celebration of New Mexico’s Black History Month. The entire day was interactive, with hands-on science activities, panels and exhibits. Several hundred students talked with scientists from the Albuquerque District team, Lockheed Martin, Sandia Labs, Intel Corporation, and UNM Sciences Center.
2014 Central New Mexico Regional Science Olympiad-ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., -- Several Albuquerque District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employees volunteered part of their weekend to serve as judges and facilitators at the 2014 Central New Mexico Regional Science Olympiad, held on University of New Mexico campus.
Project with ABQ District STEM Team and the Links Inc Exploring STEM-related career fields was the theme for 30 Albuquerque NM students and 13 adults who visited the Albuquerque District’s main office Jan. 3, 2014. To encourage students to consider careers in STEM, or Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, the District partners with several schools, universities and other groups. The recent event was initiated by The Links, Incorporated, which works with the University of New Mexico’s Pre-College Math and Science Program for non-traditional, underserved students.The students represented 17 area middle and high schools.
Owls and Girl Scouts-ABQ District-USACEWhat do you get when you invite a group of young girl scouts to help create burrowing owl habitats in an arroyo? You get an excited and energetic group of girls ready and willing to assist and learn. Eight members of Girl Scout Troop 35, arrived at the Calabacillas Arroyo in Albuquerque NM, to meet with Lt. Col. Antoinette Gant, Commander, US Army Corps of Engineers, Albuquerque District. The Girl Scouts were there to construct habitats for burrowing owls. The Corps and AMAFCA (Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority) determined that several burrowing owl habitats would be destroyed by the needed arroyo construction.
Middle Rio Grande Urban Waters Meeting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Albuquerque District, along with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and several other government agencies, kicked off the Urban Waters Middle Rio Grande conservation initiative in Albuquerque, N.M. The purpose of the initiative is to address both environmental justice and water quality issues in the Middle Rio Grande. Other agencies partnering in this initiative include the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and the County of Bernalillo, New Mexico.
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Cochiti Lake NM- ABQ District Assessment TeamThe Albuquerque District Assessment Team toured Cochiti Lake and Dam recently, to determine the extent of damage from high flood levels at various sites at Cochiti New Mexico.
District Hosts Bi-Annual Rio Grande Basin MeetingThe U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Albuquerque District, hosted the Rio Grande Basin Meeting at district office, September 17-18. Approximately 90 Rio Grande Basin stakeholders attended the meeting. They discuss the impact of the devastating wildfires and floods over the past two years in the upper river basin. Conference members from various agencies collaborate on pressing issues.
Small Business Industry Day - Aug 2013 -More than 150 small business representatives gathered at the Albuquerque District Army Corps of Engineers’ annual Small Business Industry Day recently, to learn more about what the Corps can offer them. At the conference, they networked with District personnel and other business executives. To fulfill its mission, the District continually seeks out businesses as they grow and expand.
Native America Int'l Youth Fellowship Camp – ABQ District USACE - Cochiti Lake The Albuquerque District Cochiti Lake team recently supported the South Korea International Youth Fellowship that hosted and sponsored of the 2013 Native American Youth Camp, for 228 Native American students from Santo Domingo, Cochiti, San Ildefonso, San Felipe, and Laguna pueblos.
International Water Managers Visit at Cochiti Lake NM - ABQ District In July, the Cochiti Lake Project team hosted Water Managers from various countries in the Middle East. They are from the International Visitor Leadership Program, set up by U.S. Department of State. This international and multicultural event allowed both visitors and hosts to exchange information and ideas about the management of water resources.
Corps Helps the Return of Navajo Nation Stolen Artifacts On July 9, the Corps of Engineers repatriated a large cache of sacred artifacts to the Navajo Nation. This is the first time in the history of the Omaha District, with some assistance from the Albuquerque District, that the return of artifacts to a tribal nation has occurred under the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA). A total of 710 artifacts were recovered, out of these, 425 were determined to be the property of the Navajo Nation, and were returned.
Abiquiu Dam & Lake, NM - 50th Anniversary CelebrationOn June 13, 2013, many US Army Corps of Engineers Albuquerque District teammates, state and federal officials, and nearby residents, celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the building of the Abiquiu Dam in northern New Mexico. Abiquiu Lake is one of New Mexico’s best recreation destinations. Every year there are several hundred thousand visits to the recreational facilities at Abiquiu Lake.
Burrowing Owl Nests-ABQ DistrictIn the middle of the busy city of Albuquerque NM, there is a specifically designed area for burrowing owls, who are nesting in an urban setting. To save the burrowing owl’s nests from new construction, the Corps of Engineers in Albuquerque in a partnership with a local agency Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority (AMAFCA) and the developer, have been building new artificial nests for the burrowing owls.
Zia Pueblo School NM - STEM FairWith some unusual engineering tools, like dry spaghetti and marshmallows, plus a dollop of science enthusiasm, an Albuquerque District Teammate is spreading the STEM word for an elementary school on the Zia Pueblo in New Mexico
Rio Grande Silvery Minnow SurveyWater in the Rio Grande impacts all life in New Mexico. The Middle Rio Grande Endangered Species Collaborative Program works on improving habitat for endangered species along the river. The Rio Grande Silvery Minnow reproduces in flooded forest during spring runoff.
STEM Olympiad at UNM-- ABQ District TeamA team from the Albuquerque District Corps of Engineers judges participants at the STEM Olympiad at the University of New Mexico.
Cleaning Up Kirtland AFB Unexploded Ordnance The Albuquerque District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is overseeing a $2 million project cleaning-up unexploded ordnance (bombs, small rockets, arms, and other munitions) at a 165-acre site on Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Open Burn and Open Detonation site, created in the 1950s, was closed in 2010. The team of experts from the District and CH2M-Hill Corporation blow up anything on the surface, and down to 4 feet underground, that could be construed as unexploded munitions.
RT 66 Revitalization ProjectProject Manager Alicia Austin Johnson explains work performed by the Corps as part of the RT 66 Revitalization Project which aims to restore the Middle Rio Grande Bosque and connect people with the river.
Weir ModelThe Albuquerque District is using a large, indoor model of a small dam to determine how to update a decade old structure on a river in northern New Mexico. The model saves construction time and taxpayer money.