News Story Archive

District Hosts Regional Water Manager Community of Practice Meeting

Public Affairs
Published Nov. 14, 2014
COCHITI PUEBLO, N.M., -- On Oct. 29, 2014, meeting participants took a field trip to Cochiti Dam and the nearby former Dixon apple orchard to see how the area's hydrologic conditions have changed.

COCHITI PUEBLO, N.M., -- On Oct. 29, 2014, meeting participants took a field trip to Cochiti Dam and the nearby former Dixon apple orchard to see how the area's hydrologic conditions have changed.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., -- Dennis Garcia, chief, Reservoir Control Branch, presents to the 2014 SPD Hydrology & Hydraulics and Reservoir Control Community of Practice meeting, Oct. 28, 2014.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., -- Dennis Garcia, chief, Reservoir Control Branch, presents to the 2014 SPD Hydrology & Hydraulics and Reservoir Control Community of Practice meeting, Oct. 28, 2014.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., -- Tamara Massong, chief, H&H Section, presents at the 2014 SPD Hydrology & Hydraulics and Reservoir Control Community of Practice, Oct. 28, 2014.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., -- Tamara Massong, chief, H&H Section, presents at the 2014 SPD Hydrology & Hydraulics and Reservoir Control Community of Practice, Oct. 28, 2014.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., -- The Albuquerque District hosted the 2014 South Pacific Division (SPD) Hydrology & Hydraulics (H&H) and Reservoir Control Community of Practice (COP) meeting Oct. 28-30, at the district office.  About 30 people from the COP across SPD attended as well as staff from the Hydrologic Engineering Center.

The attendees enjoyed presentations on topics including climate; the 2011 Las Conchas Fire; the Corps Water Management System (CWMS); as well as a presentation from the National Weather Service. Dennis Garcia, chief of the District’s Reservoir Control Branch and Tamara Massong, chief of the District’s H&H Section, presented on some of the H&H/Reservoir Control challenges facing the District, such as those stemming from recent wildfires.

On Oct. 29, the group took a field trip to Cochiti Dam and the nearby former Dixon apple orchard. The orchard was severely damaged in the Las Conchas Fire. The COP members looked at how the area’s hydrologic conditions have changed since the fire.

Participants said there was a lot of good discussions and conversations among the COP. It was good to meet with colleagues and “come together to find solutions,” Massong said, as “we’re all dealing with the same issues.”  

The Los Angeles District hosted the last COP meeting in 2010. Usually occurring every two years, the 2012 meeting was put on hold due to changes in conference policy at USACE headquarters.  In May 2014, Garcia and Massong “received the green light to plan and prepare for the 2014 meeting,” Garcia said.  He added that a lot of planning goes into the meeting.  The next meeting is tentatively scheduled to be hosted by the Sacramento District in 2016.