The NewsCastle (Special Interactive Pullout: SPD commander visit) | Page 2

From left to right: David Van Dorpe, the deputy district engineer for Programs and Project Management, explains the district’s involvement in numerous projects seen during an aerial tour Aug. 21. Turner and district leaders tour Whittier Narrows Dam; James Dalton, the chief of engineering and construction for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, discusses California’s approach to water conservation during the group’s trip to Prado Dam in Corona, Calif., Aug. 21. Robert Klein, the district’s Veteran’s Affairs Program manager, greets Turner and Col. Kimberly Colloton, the district commander, at the site of the ongoing construction project at the VA hospital in Long Beach, Calif., Aug. 23. Dr. Lorenita Holloway, the science department chair at Compton High School, gives Turner and Colloton and overview of the school’s partnership with the district through various outreach efforts Aug. 23. (Photos by David A. Salazar) Turner receives a tour of a segment of the Los Angeles River from the Tawny Tran, the project manager for the Los Angeles River Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study Aug. 22. (Photo by Kristen Skopeck) Justin Gay, the project manager for the district’s water treatment plant project at Fort Irwin and the National Training Center, and Harold Hartman, the area engineer at the district’s High Desert Area Office, brief Turner and Colloton on the status of the project at Fort Irwin Aug. 20. (Photo by Brooks O. Hubbard IV) — TOUR, from Page 1 — day to soldiers and families living and working on the sprawling post. On Aug. 21, Turner, Dalton, Schwichtenberg, and district leadership took an aerial tour of various civil works project sites, including the recently completed channel deepening at the Port of Los Angeles as well as other dredging projects in Marina Del Rey, Newport Harbor, and Upper Newport Bay. As part of this helicopter tour, the group stopped at Prado Dam in Corona, Calif., to discuss modifications that will allow the dam to increase its maximum outlet capacity from 10,000 cubic feet per second to 30,000 cubic feet per second. Several of the modifications to the dam, its basin, and the Santa Ana River downstream are complete, with the remainder underway or scheduled for future construction. Work completed thus far includes raising the dam embankment by 28 feet, rebuilding the outlet works and outlet channel, and constructing three of five dikes in the basin that will protect critical infrastructure and other facilities. Atop the dam at the control tower, Dalton talked about the value of the tour and how it helped shape his views of how the Corps conducts business in different parts of the country. “To be able to look at our projects is extremely helpful in understanding their challenges and issues, and where I can help,” Dalton said. “Seeing it on paper is one thing, seeing it in person makes it much easier to understand.” After touring the sites, Dalton, Turner and Colloton returned to the Santa Ana Dams Resident Office to speak with the staff. Next, the group was whisked off to district’s El Monte office, where Turner received an informational brief on the Los Angeles County Drainage Area and the Corps’ responsibility in operating and maintaining a number of dams and flood control channels that comprise the system. The group received a brief tour of Whittier Narrows Dam before boarding the helicopter for an aerial overview of segments of the Los Angeles River, where the district conducted a study to develop ways to restore the ecosystem in certain areas. The third day of Turner’s visit, he met with directors of seven county flood control offices at the district headquarters. The meeting facilitated a discussion on the individual needs of each office and how the Corps can better address some of their concerns, including more aligned communication for joint efforts. Turner also had lunch with participants in the district’s Leadership Development Program. 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