WEBVTT

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(upbeat music)

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- [Narrator] The history of the U.S. Army

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Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District

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is one that can be traced back to 1837,

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when a Lieutenant Robert E. Lee

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surveyed a portion of
the Mississippi river.

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That Lieutenant Lee, the same,

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who would later famously
become a Confederate General

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and Commander of the American
Confederate States Army

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during the American Civil War

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surveyed the Des Moines
Rapids above Keokuk, Iowa,

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and the Rock Island Rapids

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which ran from LeClaire Iowa
to Rock Island, Illinois.

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These two areas with the
most serious obstacles

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on the Mississippi river

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and virtually halted steamboat traffic

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during low river stages.

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Lieutenant Lee proposed
improvements on these two stretches

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by excavating rock to deepen the channel

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and work was authorized in 1852.

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In 1866, after the civil war ended,

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Congress authorized the Corps

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to plan and construct a lateral canal

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known as the Des Moines Rapids Canal

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along the Iowa side of the
river to bypass the rapids.

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The new canal was 7.6 miles long,

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five feet deep at low
water and had three locks.

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The canal cost more than $4 million

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and marked the official birth
of the Rock Island District.

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On August 3rd, 1866

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under the guidance of
Lieutenant Colonel GH Wilson,

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the Rock Island District
office opened in Keokuk, Iowa,

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to supervise construction of
the Des Moines Rapids Canal,

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which eventually opened
to traffic in 1877.

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In 1869, the Rock Island District office

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was moved to Davenport, Iowa

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to oversee work on removing
the Rock Island rapids.

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In 1870, the Rock Island
District headquarters

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was moved once again

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from Davenport to Rock Island, Illinois.

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As the district then stretched
from St. Paul, Minnesota

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to St. Louis Missouri,

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Rock Island was considered
the ideal geographic location.

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From the late 1870s to the early 1900s,

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Congress authorized several
comprehensive projects

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on the Mississippi river to
accommodate commercial traffic.

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The first project created a
four and a half foot channel

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by using a variety of
techniques, including dredging,

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constructing rock and brush
wing dams along the shore,

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and building closing dams,

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which closed off slews
and secondary channels

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to divert more water into the channel.

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In 1907, a six foot channel
was authorized by Congress

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as commercial vessels
were increasing in size.

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By 1925, despite improvements to the river

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commercial navigation declined,

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vessels larger than pleasure boats

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had become almost a curiosity.

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Other modes of transportation,

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such as the railroad were taking over.

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But new advancements in engineering
knowledge and techniques

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brought about the rebirth
of water transportation.

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New ideas on lock and dam construction

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were being tested and proven.

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Another important aspect

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was the development of
diesel powered river vessels

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that greatly increased
power and efficiency,

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capable of pushing a dozen or more

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heavily laden steel bargains.

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In 1930, convinced that
the economy of the Midwest

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would improve by a deeper channel

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that would accommodate these larger tows.

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Congress authorized the
nine foot navigation channel

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from the mouth of the Missouri river

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to Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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This was done by means of
creating a staircase of sorts

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using 28 lots and dams

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between the Missouri river and Minneapolis

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with 12 of these locks built
by the Rock Island District.

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In the 1930s and 1940s
construction of the locks and dam

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engaged almost all of
the district's efforts.

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The first of the series
was locks and dam 15

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at Rock Island, Illinois,
which was completed in 1932.

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The final piece came in 1940

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with the completion of lock
and dam 14 near LeClaire, Iowa.

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In 1932 during the busy lock
and dam construction period,

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the historic clock tower building

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located on Rock Island Arsenal,
adjacent to locks and dam 15

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became the district's permanent home.

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Also during this time,

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the St. Louis and St. Paul
Districts were established,

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which reduced the boundaries
of the Rock Island District

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to the portion between the
Wisconsin and Illinois rivers.

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In 1936, the Rock Island
District was further reduced

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to its present day,
North, South boundaries

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of Gutenberg Iowa in the North

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and Saverton Missouri in the South.

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In 1936, Congress made flood
control a federal concern

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and assigned the responsibility

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of carrying out its directives
to the Corps of engineers.

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Based on this new directive,
the Rock Island District

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had 14 individual flood control projects

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that were included in the
first round of legislation.

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From 1942 to 1945, at the
outbreak of World War II,

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the Rock Island District
shifted from civil works

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to military supply and procurement.

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It also designed and constructed
more than $80 million

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in military projects during this time.

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After World War II ended,
the district returned

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to civil works planning and construction,

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and began to refocus on
the flood control mission.

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That mission would result
in the construction

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of five reservoirs, with
the first project completed

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at Fon Du Lac Reservoir in 1949,

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followed by the Farmdale
Reservoir in 1951.

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Fon Du Lac and Farmdale

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are part of the Farm Creek
Flood Control Project

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in East Peoria, Illinois.

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Behind each dam, the Corps
of engineers owns the land

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that is subject to flooding.

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These areas will normally
be empty of standing water.

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Farm Creek and Fon Du Lac
Creek flow through a culvert

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in the respect of dams.

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When the flow in the creek

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exceeds the capacity of the culvert

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water starts to back up
into the reservoir area.

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The stored water is then
released at a slow rate

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through the outlet culvert.

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One advantage of the dry reservoir concept

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is there are no moving parts.

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The water is held back
and released automatically

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without the need to open or close gates.

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Continuing with the flood control mission,

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the Rock Island District

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completed three more reservoir projects

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in the state of Iowa.

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One at Coralville Lake
in Iowa City in 1958.

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Another at Lake Red Rock
in Pella, Iowa in 1969.

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And finally Saylorville Lake
in Johnston, Iowa in 1977.

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All three lake projects are
multiple purpose projects

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providing primary
benefits and flood control

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and low flow augmentation

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with secondary benefits in recreation,

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natural resource management
and environmental stewardship.

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Since being built the three links combined

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have prevented cumulative flooding damages

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of over $2.5 billion in
the downstream areas.

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In 1980, as a result of a core wide

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district realignment study,

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all river related responsibilities
of the Chicago District

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were transferred to the
Rock Island District.

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This change brought six rivers,

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the Illinois, Chicago,
Fox, Des Plaines, Kankakee,

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and Sangamon as well
as eight lots and dams

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on the Illinois waterway to
the Rock Island District.

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Years later in 2020,

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another realignment
will transfer operations

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of the TG O'Brien and
Lockport Locks and Dams

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back to the Chicago District.

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River navigation is an integral facet

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to commercial transportation.

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The Rock Island District

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has been proud to help
facilitate the navigation,

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which drives the global economy.

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But rivers are more than
just transportation systems.

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The Mississippi river watershed

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is the third largest in the world,

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and is an environmental
treasure like no other.

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Congress recognized the
Mississippi river system

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as a nationally significant ecosystem

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with the passing of the 1986
Water Resource Development Act.

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WRDA of 1986,

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established the environmental
management program,

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which is known today

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as the Upper Mississippi River
Restoration Program or UMRR.

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The Rock Island District

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has been proud to lead
that program for 30 years,

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completing nearly 60 projects

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and restoring nearly
110,000 acres of habitat.

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The program is world renowned

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for its commitment to
environmental restoration.

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Preserving and protecting the environment

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is imperative to the Rock Island District.

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But we are also dedicated to
protecting people and property

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from the unpredictability
of mother nature.

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Our emergency management mission

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has that us respond to catastrophic events

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like the Great Flood of 1993,

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hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005,

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record breaking flooding on
the Des Moines, Rock, Illinois

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and Mississippi rivers in
2008, hurricane Sandy in 2013,

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as well as more record-breaking flooding

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on the Illinois river in the same year,

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and most recently the
record breaking flooding

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on the Mississippi river in 2009.

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Throughout all of these events,

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the Rock Island District was
prepared to help communities

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with technical expertise
and flood fight material.

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In 2006, the district became recognized

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as a regional flood fighting center.

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And in 2014, it was designated

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as the national flood
fight material center

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with the ability to provide
sandbags, polyethylene sheeting,

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flood pumps, flood fight
products, and technical support

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to districts throughout the
continental United States.

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The Rock Island District
has had a rich history

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of providing value to the nation

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through a variety of engineering services.

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As we look to the future, our
people are prepared to adapt

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to an ever changing landscape
and take on each mission

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with the utmost professionalism,
expertise and ingenuity.