About the Jacksonville District

     The Jacksonville District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is part of a federal agency which specializes in the planning, engineering, construction and management of projects in Florida and the Antilles. The Jacksonville District is one of five districts in the South Atlantic Division which is headquartered in Atlanta. There are currently 40 Corps Districts and 8 Corps Divisions located worldwide.

Location of Jacksonville District Office ( with maps )

Early District History, 1821-1975, Sun, Sand and Water

Projects and responsibilities cover a wide area and include:

•Flood Control,  •Water Management,  •Navigation,   •Shore Protection and Restoration,  •Environmental Restoration,   •Disaster Response and Recovery,  •Environmental Restoration of Formerly Used Defense Sites,  •Support to the Military and Others.

    The Jacksonville District is the second largest civil works district in the nation and maintains an extremely complex system of flood control works. Projects are often designed for multi-purpose uses, such as storage of water for municipal and industrial use, navigation, irrigation, development of hydroelectric power, conservation of fish and wildlife, and recreation. Flood protection is provided through aggressive floodplain management and by providing technical assistance to local governments. An example of a major flood control initiative is the Rio Puerto Nuevo Project in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Ongoing improvements will provide 100-year flood protection to a major portion of the San Juan Metropolitan Area by enlarging 11.2 miles of channel along Rio Puerto Nuevo and tributaries. Another major project in the Commonwealth involves the Portugues and Bucana Rivers at Ponce. A primary component of the project is the Portugues Dam, a double- curvature, thin-arched structure that is 1,500-feet long across the crest, 270-feet high, 44-feet wide at the base and 12-feet wide at the top. Its reservoir will provide 24,200 acre-feet of storage which will translate into 11.1 million gallons of water per day.

    The system of harbors and waterways located in Jacksonville District is one of the largest in the country. The District operates and maintains approximately 60 different navigation projects, including 16 deepwater ports, 6 navigation locks and over 2,100 miles of inland waterways. Navigability of waterways is also maintained through the District's aquatic plant program where biologists and technicians use innovative and safe methods to control the spread of invasive vegetation.

    Since 1947, the Jacksonville District has constructed more than 73 miles of shore protection projects in Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This amounts to approximately 32 percent of the nation's total shore protection projects. The Jacksonville District is one of two districts (along with Los Angeles District) which has been named a technical Center of Expertise for Coastal Shore Protection Planning.

    The Jacksonville District heads one of the most aggressive environmental restoration programs in the world. Several projects are currently in progress, including those involving the Upper St. Johns River, the Kissimmee River and the Florida Everglades. The Upper St. Johns River Project is a model of modern floodplain management, balancing the needs of a river with the people and creatures who depend on it. The Jacksonville District is a key player for many other initiatives in the Central and Southern Florida project areas and is represented on both the  Federal Interagency Task Force for South Florida Ecosystem Restoration and the Governor's Commission on a Sustainable South Florida.

    Responding to disasters can involve several missions for the Jacksonville District. The Corps can provide disaster assistance under authority granted to it under federal law and be tasked with additional responsibilities by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Typical missions could include temporary housing, emergency power, humanitarian support, public infrastructure and debris removal. The Jacksonville District led the Corps' effort in responding to the destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Andrew in Florida, awarding contracts totaling some $450 million. Hurricane Marilyn, which inflicted considerable damage on the U.S. Virgin Islands, had Jacksonville District staff leading missions with costs amounting to an estimated $143 million. These experiences have reinforced the need for proper advance planning, based upon commonly accepted principles for disaster response.

    The Jacksonville District also co-manages the cleanup of formerly used defense sites which may contain unexploded ordnance and/or hazardous and toxic waste. The program requires that a site must have been under the jurisdiction of the Department of Defense and the hazardous environmental conditions must be a result of that agency's past activities. The Jacksonville District currently has active programs on both Florida coasts and in Puerto Rico.

    Many agencies, including the military, have turned to the Jacksonville District for planning, engineering and management assistance. Examples of this assistance include coral reef restoration for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOOA), design and construction of sewage treatment facilities for the Environmental Protection Agency, dredging support to the Navy and Coast Guard and restoration of El Morro in the Caribbean for the National Park Service.

    The Jacksonville District also exercises regulatory authority, primarily in the area of dredge and fill activities in waters of the United States. The District issues more wetland-related permits (approximately 9,000 annually) than any other Corps District. Permits are required for a broad range of activities, including dock construction, residential fills, sanitary landfills in wetlands and major port expansion.

    With nearly 800 employees comprising the Jacksonville District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, there is a commitment that is built on a proud and strong tradition. The District seeks to sustain and build on that tradition by looking towards the 21st century with an attitude of "setting the pace." By taking advantage of appropriate new technologies and techniques to increase efficiencies, the District will continue to be a pacesetter for the Corps.