Army Corps of Engineers Deputy District Engineer Jeanine Hoey is not quite sure what the new year holds for the Pittsburgh District. That's because their budget was just finalized and the details have yet to filter down.
"We probably have some work on some of our locks and dams. We have a little bit of work on some of our flood control structures, but probably not a significant amount … there'll be some work out at East Branch Dam also," explained Hoey.
She says that the amount of work they do each year varies.
"We are completely project funded, so our budget is made up of each project, and each project is authorized individually. So it depends on if the project gets authorized, and how much is appropriated that year, and it's not necessarily consistent," said Hoey.
The Army Corps will continue to work on the Lower Monongahela Project, which includes repairing locks and dams 2, 3, and 4 on the Monongahela River. Hoey says that every year they submit projects to their Division (there are nine around the country). Each division in turn submits projects that require funding beyond their regular maintenance budget to Congress. Only some of those proposals from around the country are authorized and become eligible for Congressional Appropriations.
Army Corps districts covering the U.S. are based on the watershed. Pittsburgh's district extends into parts of five states, including New York, Maryland, West Virginia, and Ohio.
Hoey expects budget details for 2012 projects to be revealed in the next few weeks.
