U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers Research Articles

Robust analysis and best practices in flood economic loss assessment using HEC-FIA and GO-Consequence software for climate-ready risk management

Evaluating economic losses is essential for effective flood mitigation and rescue missions. While tools such as HAZUS and HEC-FIA have been extensively used for estimating economic losses, there remains a notable gap in exploring the nuanced intrinsic data of these software systems. This study evaluates HEC-FIA and GO-Consequence, delving into methodologies governing key parameters, including the depth-damage function, National Structure Inventory (NSI) dataset utilization, structure replacement costs based on occupancy type, foundation height considerations, and nuanced flooded depth calculations. Additionally, the research appraises and validates the recently disclosed NSI dataset by the US Army Corps of Engineers, underscoring its pivotal role in economic loss assessment.The analysis suggests that HEC-FIA overestimates by about 15 % compared to GO-Consequence. This overestimation in loss estimation varies across categories, especially in commercial and public buildings. Identified anomalies in estimated loss values emphasize the importance of validating input data sources and cross-referencing with alternative models. The percentage difference between model estimations increases for higher loss values, suggesting factors such as interpretation of damageable value from depth-damage function, flooded depth, occupancy type, and number of stories influence estimation discrepancies. GO-Consequence aligns closely with actual loss values, showcasing state-of-the-art capabilities, advanced features, and enhanced functionalities. Its integration with open data sources makes GO-Consequence a superior choice for future flood loss assessments. The outlined methodology is a best practice for researchers, engineers, and stakeholders, offering insights into estimated value uncertainties.

Two-inlet lagoon systems: Interaction between basins and effects on tidal prisms

In a lagoon basin, the tidal prism is related to the section of its inlet by a simple monomial relationship [L. J. LeConte, “Discussion on the paper, ‘notes on the improvement of river and harbor outlets in the United States,’ by D. A. Watt.” Trans. ASCE 55, 306–308 (1905); M. P. O'Brien, “Estuary tidal prism related to entrance areas,” Civil Eng. 1(8), 738–739 (1931); and J. T. Jarrett, Tidal Prism - Inlet Area Relationships (Coastal Engineering Research Center, US Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Belvoir, VA, 1976)]. Although it is not dimensionally correct and there are sophisticated models in two or three dimensions, this relationship is widely used because of its simplicity. Having a simple relationship can be very important, especially when it is necessary to make quick, albeit approximate, evaluations. To maintain this simplicity, the same monomial relationship is often used in multi-inlet lagoons, even if the initial assumptions are not fully met. Another difficulty in applying a monomial relationship to a multi-inlet lagoon is the definition of the area of each basin. In this paper, we propose a simple Eulerian, hydrodynamic, one-dimensional approach based on the dynamic response of a nonlinear harmonic system and a harmonic analysis of the interaction between two basins in a lagoon system. With such an approach, the definition of the basin surface is overcome simply by working on topographic control basins. The study leads to the definition of a relatively simple relationship for the estimation of tidal prisms, while maintaining the flexibility of a monomial relationship. If the geometrical characteristics and the bottom friction of the inlet channel, the topographic surface of the basins and the amplitude of the tide in the open sea are known, this relationship can be used to estimate the tidal prism in individual basins. The application of this relationship to two-dimensional numerical cases and real multi-inlet lagoons shows good agreement with experimental data.

Regional Sediment Management in US Coastal States: Historical Trends and Future Predictions

Sea level rise and natural disasters, such as hurricanes and tropical storms, are resulting in coastal erosion-related problems across the US. Beach nourishment is one of the most commonly adopted solutions for erosion mitigation. Borrow sources for nourishment are often from offshore or upland mines. However, in some areas, sediment availability from known borrow sources is becoming scarce. This suggests that sediment should be considered a non-renewable resource within the framework of long-term planning and coastal management decisions. Regional Sediment Management (RSM), or the beneficial use of dredge material (BUDM), targets inlets for borrowing material and can also be a more cost-efficient strategy that has widely been supported by the US Army Corps of Engineers as a system-based approach. However, not all states have embraced this approach, and a national-scale evaluation of these projects in coastal management and adaptation is needed. This study examines past RSM/BUDM projects in the top ten most highly nourished states in the US and compares those trends to a selection of minimally nourished states from different coasts. Based on the historical trends identified, the volume of sediment required for future RSM/BUDM projects in these areas over the next 50 years is predicted using Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models. Although growth in the total number of RSM/BUDM projects was measured over time, there was a decline in the volume of sediment placed for these projects. Results of the forecasting model suggest that CA, NC, and the FL Gulf Coast could require the highest volume of sediments for RSM/BUDM activities over the next 50 years. Based solely on proximity to inlets for sediment resources, DE, FL Atlantic, and NJ coasts are potential beaches that can increase BUDM activities. This study aims to provide a framework to evaluate the suitability of future RSM/BUDM projects in efforts to mitigate coastal erosion.

Lessons learned from eDNA adoption in the management of bigheaded carps in Chicago IL USA Area Waterways

AbstractThe Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) connects the Great Lakes watershed with the Mississippi watershed via canals that withdraw water from Lake Michigan. From 2009 through 2011, collaborators and I provided research, development, and application of eDNA to invasive species management in the CAWS in cooperation with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The research team's approach was a high‐stakes test of a novel combination of proven technologies (field sampling techniques and laboratory genetics). In the first application of eDNA to a large scale, urgent management goal, we quickly discovered eDNA of two species of bigheaded carps in parts of the waterway where traditional tools had not captured fish. The central research question was whether the sensitivity (probability of detecting a fish when it was present) of eDNA was higher than that of traditional fish sampling tools (e.g., nets, electrofishing). The effort was part of what became a very large, complex, on‐going initiative to reduce access by invasive species to Lake Michigan. This immediately garnered much attention, initiating a dialog about the reliability of eDNA, public discussion about the benefits and costs of the CAWS, and skepticism from industries that use the CAWS. Government agencies formed the Asian Carp Rapid Response Workgroup, which eventually became the Invasive Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ICRCC). The ICRCC continues its coordinating role on the use of eDNA and other management responses in the CAWS. With the benefit of hindsight, I draw several lessons from the experience that may help in other settings where eDNA is now being deployed with increasing confidence and acceptance; evaluate the on‐going CAWS surveillance and management effort; and recommend strengthening the current approach by broadening and deepening participation in a collaborative governance approach. Stronger public‐private partnerships would accelerate research, development, commercialization, and application of eDNA analysis to the benefit of society.

Formerly used defense sites on Unalaska Island, Alaska: Mapping a legacy of environmental pollution.

Unalaska Island, Alaska, served as a US military base during World War II. The military installed bases on Unalaska and nearby islands, many of which were built adjacent to Unangan communities. The military used toxic compounds in its operations and left a legacy of pollution that may pose health risks to residents and local wildlife. The goals of this study were to identify hotspots of contamination remaining at Unalaska formerly used defense (FUD) sites, evaluate the risk posed by arsenic, and examine "no US Department of Defense action indicated" (NDAI) status determinations for FUD sites near communities. We compiled soil chemistry data from remediation reports prepared by the US Army Corps of Engineers at 18 FUD sites on and near Unalaska. Nine had past and/or active remediation projects and on-site sampling data. Eight sites did not have sampling data and were characterized as NDAI. One site was listed as closed. For the nine sites with sampling data, we compiled data for 22 contaminants of concern (COC) and compared concentrations to soil cleanup levels for human health (18 AAC 75.341). We mapped contaminant concentrations exceeding these levels to identify hotspots of contamination. We found that concentrations of some of the 22 COC exceeded Alaska cleanup levels despite remediation efforts, including diesel range organics, arsenic, and lead. The highest COC concentrations were at the FUD site adjacent to the City of Unalaska. A quantitative risk assessment for arsenic found that the risk of exposure through drinking water is low. We highlight concerns with NDAI designations and current remedial practices at remote FUD sites located adjacent to communities. Our data suggest the need for further remediation and monitoring efforts on Unalaska for certain contaminants and research to examine potential threats to human and animal health associated with these sites. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:1420-1431. © 2024 SETAC.

Recovery of the NJ marine transportation system in the wake of Superstorm Sandy: A 10-year retrospective

The New Jersey Department of Transportation’s Office of Maritime Resources (NJDOT/ OMR) is responsible for operations and maintenance of more than 200 nautical miles (nmi) of shallow draft navigation channels in the Atlantic coastal region, as well as providing capacity for dredged material management to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to maintain the 117-mile New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway. When Superstorm Sandy made landfall in fall 2012, an estimated $65 million in damage was caused to state infrastructure in the form of severe shoaling, shoreline erosion, and berm loss on confined disposal facilities. In the decade since, the NJDOT/OMR has dredged 1.9 million CY of sediment and beneficially used over half of that in resiliency projects ranging from shoreline stabilization and marsh enhancement to restoration of shallow water habitat at a cost of over $120 million. Another 2.0 million CY of sediment has been dredged by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in the same timeframe, with 60% being used in resiliency projects. In addition to these projects, NJDOT also repaired and strengthened five confined disposal facilities, improved storm preparedness, and created a pathway toward a more sustainable maintenance program for New Jersey’s waterways. A summary of these projects is presented, along with lessons learned and considerations for dredging and beneficial-use practitioners.

State of the shoreline since Hurricane Sandy: Summary of changes at New Jersey Beach Profile Network (NJBPN) sites

Following the devastating impacts from Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, Congress passed Public Law 113-2 in January 2013 which provided the funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to restore authorized federal coastal storm risk management projects in New Jersey to their original design templates. Between 2013 and 2016, approximately 28.3 million cubic yards of sand were used to rebuild the beaches and dunes along 92.7 miles of the 127-mile Atlantic Ocean shoreline (an average of 283,290 cubic yards per mile). Between 2017 and 2019, initial federal beachfill had been completed at the northern Ocean County beaches (an additional 11 million cubic yards). A review of the changes to the New Jersey Beach Profile Network (NJBPN) locations indicates that this influx of sand benefitted nearly all shorelines as well as former erosion hot spots. Examples are provided from each of the four counties (Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic, Cape May) to show trends in profile volume and shoreline position. State support of beach nourishment continues through the efforts of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and its Office of Coastal Engineering.

JALBTCX rapid-response aerial survey reconnaissance missions

Airborne Lidar and imagery is the technology of choice for mapping and quantifying impacts and conducting storm damage assessments in the aftermath of extreme storm events. Following land-falling hurricanes, for example, this technology provides data at high spatial resolution over hundreds of kilometers of hurricane-impacted shorelines in rapid fashion. To support the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and others in their emergency response mission areas, the Joint Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Technical Center of Expertise (JALBTCX) has performed rapid-response mapping for 10 hurricane and nor’easter events since Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Rapid-response data production workflows developed during the Superstorm Sandy mission have matured every year through the development and implementation of the JALBTCX Toolbox in response to requirements from engineers and scientists responsible for assessing storm impacts and making decisions related to recovery and restoration efforts. Today, the JALBTCX Toolbox is comprised of a series of modules that provide standard, streamlined, and repeatable workflows that guide users through the development of accurate datadriven information products on local, regional, and national scales. Rapid-response data products include shoreline and beach volume change in industry-standard, interoperable data formats and web services for consumption in GIS and web-based maps, dashboards, and applications. Post-response, the JALBTCX Toolbox includes modules for multi-dataset change detection analysis, the extraction of geomorphology features (e.g. dune crests and toes and sandbars), and the calculation of a Coastal Engineering Resilience Index (CERI). Future efforts will focus on further development of rapid response products in addition to the national coastal engineering resilience index that is routinely updated as new data becomes available.

Physics-Based Watercraft Simulator in Virtual Reality

In this paper, watercraft and ship simulation is summarized, and the way that it can be extended through realistic physics is explored. A hydrodynamic, data-driven, immersive watercraft simulation experience is also introduced, using the Unreal Engine to visualize a Landing Craft Utility (LCU) operation and interaction with near-shore waves in virtual reality (VR). The VR application provides navigation scientists with a better understanding of how coastal waves impact landing operations and channel design. FUNWAVE data generated on the supercomputing resources at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Engineering Research and Development Center (ERDC) are employed, and using these data, a graphical representation of the domain is created, including the vessel model and a customizable VR bridge to control the vessel within the virtual environment. Several dimension reduction methods are being devised to ensure that the FUNWAVE data can inform the model but keep the application running in real time at an acceptable frame rate for the VR headset. By importing millions of data points output from the FUNWAVE version 3.4 software into Unreal Engine, virtual vessels can be affected by physics-driven data.

U.S. Hydrodynamic Dredging Challenges and Opportunities

The issue of sedimentation in navigable waterways continually confronts maritime authorities. Regular maintenance dredging, a costly and arduous exercise, is necessary to ensure safe navigation is achievable throughout the year. Private industry and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) combined to remove roughly 230 million cubic yards of maintenance volume at an estimated cost of $1.7 billion in 2020. The handling and disposal of dredged material are practices affected by numerous regulatory constraints. Once a local or national organization has established the most efficient, lowest-cost dredging alternative with the most flexibility, the next step is identifying and addressing permitting concerns and seeking permits to use the technology. Innovative water injection dredging (WID) has been approved in various locations throughout the U.S.A., including providing a reliable means for the North Carolina State Ports Authority (NCSPA) to provide access to its berths, removing sediment over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel to minimize potential harm to the existing tunnel structure, and maintaining federal navigational depth in the Mississippi River. This paper aims to provide a summary overview of the current state of WID in U.S. waterways, including the discussion of a successful permitting and procurement effort by the NCSPA that secured a custom-built WID vessel for North Carolina. Recent literature has identified parameters correlated with WID performance, such as median grain size, hydrology of the waterway, Richardson number, and the liquidity index, which are explored.

Adaptation of a risk-based framework for evaluating indirect effects of dredging on sensitive habitats near federal navigation channels: An application of the framework to coral reefs at Honolulu Harbor, Hawai'i.

In major harbors and ports in the United States and its territories, the US Army Corps of Engineers maintains federal navigation channels in proximity to coral reefs (e.g., Honolulu Harbor, HI; Miami Harbor, FL; Apra Harbor, Guam) and other sensitive habitats. To effectively predict potential adverse impacts from dredging activities near these sensitive habitats, a holistic approach to improve understanding of the pressures on these habitats is needed to foster a more complete prediction of risk drivers. To achieve this, risk-based frameworks that account for the full range of natural and anthropogenic impacts need to be adapted and applied specifically for assessing and managing indirect dredging impacts on sensitive environments. In this article, we address this need by incorporating a drivers-pressures-stressors-condition-response (DPSCR4 ) conceptual framework to broaden a comprehensive conceptual model of the coupled human-ecological system. To help understand these complex interactions, DPSCR4 was applied to evaluate dredging and other unrelated environmental pressures (e.g., terrestrial runoff) in a proof-of-concept dredging project in Honolulu Harbor, Hawai'i, USA, with a focus on the indirect effects of dredge plumes. Particle tracking models and risk-based tools were used to evaluate sediment resuspended during a hypothetical mechanical dredging activity near sensitive coral habitats. Stoplight indicators were developed to predict indirect sediment plume impacts on coral and then compared to exposure modeling results. The strengths and limitations of the approach are presented and the incorporation of the risk framework into environmental management decisions is discussed. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:547-561. Published 2023. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

QUANTIFYING RISKS FOR COASTAL LEVEE DESIGNS ALONG THE U.S. GULF COAST

For all U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) dam and levee designs for new projects, modifications, improvements, rehabilitation, or repairs, a risk-informed design approach is taken (ECB 2019-15). Risk-informed design ensures that risks and uncertainties are evaluated and estimated to be tolerable. This approach occurs in parallel to the typical design approach, which primarily focuses on ensuring the project is commensurate with available policies, guidance, and criteria as specified in USACE publications (regulations, manuals, etc.) as well as project-specific criteria. These criteria result in designs that achieve adequate factors of safety for levees, floodwalls, or other structural features across a full range of hydraulic, seismic, and other types of hazards. The risk-informed design approach allows for adaptability to identify cases where a lesser factor of safety may still result in tolerable risks, or conversely, where proposed criteria may not be sufficient to reduce risks to an acceptable level. These type of assessments are performed while ensuring that the project holds life safety paramount, and the design and risk teams are open and transparent in their engagement with local partners.

ADVANCING SEDIMENT SOLUTIONS IN THE SEVEN MILE ISLAND INNOVATION LABORATORY

In 2019, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Philadelphia District partnered with the State of New Jersey, The Wetlands Institute, and the USACE Engineer Research and Development Center to launch the Seven Mile Island Innovation Laboratory (SMIIL). The initiative is designed to advance and improve dredging and marsh restoration techniques in coastal New Jersey through innovative research, collaboration, knowledge sharing and practical application. SMIIL efforts are enhancing the science and engineering that supports dredging and beneficial use placement practices by clearing shoals from the federal New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway for navigation and innovatively placing that sediment on multiple sites described herein. Regional Sediment Management and Engineering with Nature principles and practices serve as a strong foundation for SMIIL actions. Efforts are successfully evolving the practice and advancing techniques for beneficial use of dredged channel sediments with innovative placements that support coastal resilience for habitats and communities.

NUMERICAL MODELING OF SHINNECOCK INLET, NEW YORK, FOR COASTAL EROSION CONTROL SUPPORT AND INLET SEDIMENT MANAGEMENT

The Shinnecock Inlet on the south shore of Long Island, New York, has experienced chronical erosion at the down-drift beaches which require periodic nourishment to stabilize the local shoreline. The potential sand borrow site is selected outside the inlet with minimum impact to the natural bypass process at the inlet. Supported by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) District, New York, a numerical sediment transport modeling study is presently conducted to explore engineering solutions for the sand borrow area and structural alternatives to reduce the down-drift beach erosion. New field surveys have indicated a drastic decrease of sand outside inlet and along the adjacent coast. The modeling result shows a partial ebb shoal borrow area design without structural alternatives performs better together with the down-drift beach nourishment applications.

Machine learning-enabled calibration of river routing model parameters

Abstract Streamflow prediction of rivers is crucial for making decisions in watershed and inland waterways management. The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) uses a river routing model called RAPID to predict water discharges for thousands of rivers in the network for watershed and inland waterways management. However, the calibration of hydrological streamflow parameters in RAPID is time-consuming and requires streamflow measurement data which may not be available for some ungauged locations. In this study, we aim to address the calibration aspect of the RAPID model by exploring machine learning (ML)-based methods to facilitate efficient calibration of hydrological model parameters without the need for streamflow measurements. Various ML models are constructed and compared to learn a relationship between hydrological model parameters and various river parameters, such as length, slope, catchment size, percentage of vegetation, and elevation contours. The studied ML models include Gaussian process regression, Gaussian mixture copula, Random Forest, and XGBoost. This study has shown that ML models that are carefully constructed by considering causal and sensitive input features offer a potential approach that not only obtains calibrated hydrological model parameters with reasonable accuracy but also bypasses the current calibration challenges.

FIELD OBSERVATIONS AND MODELING OF BEACH CUSP EVOLUTION IN THE PRESENCE OF AN ARTIFICIAL VEGETATION PATCH

Vegetation has been shown to reduce beach erosion by attenuating wave energy and trapping sediments (Feagin et al., 2015). To date, most of the studies on erosion reduction by vegetation are either theoretical, numerical, or based on laboratory experiments. Field data that quantify the effectiveness of beach vegetation as a protective measure against erosion is sparse owing to the difficulty in conducting controlled field experiments (Feagin et al., 2015). To improve our understanding of wave-beach-vegetation interaction, we conducted a field experiment from September 19 to October 10, 2021, at the US Army Corps of Engineers’ Field Research Facility (FRF) in Duck, North Carolina, as part of DUNEX (DUring Nearshore Event eXperiment). For this experiment, we installed a patch of artificial vegetation in the swash zone, constructed out of materials with known mechanical properties, to test how beach vegetation attenuates wave energy and reduces erosion. It is to be noted that we used zipties to build our vegetation patch.

CART MODEL FOR PREDICTING DUNE EROSION BASED ON STORM INTENSITY AND BEACH MORPHOLOGY

Hurricane Sandy (2012) resulted in historic losses to the beach and dune system in many parts of New Jersey, leaving inland structures susceptible to wave and surge-induced damages. To defend against future threats, the state, in conjunction with the US Army Corps of Engineers, has pursued a statewide system of engineered beaches comprised of a dune paired with a beach nourishment. Currently in the state there is much debate over the degree of protection these projects currently offer, and how this may change in the future due to climate change. Process-based models can be used to try to answer these questions; however, as the number of test cases increase the computational costs may become prohibitive. Here, a data-driven modeling approach is used to assess the variability in the vulnerability of the beach-dune system in New Jersey to a range of storms. Inputs to the model include storm intensity as characterized by the Storm Erosion Index (SEI) (Miller and Livermont 2008) and parameterized pre-storm morphology. The resulting classification tree ensemble has been shown to accurately predict dune volume loss (as a percent) due to historical storms (Lemke and Miller, 2021). Here, the model is applied to further investigate how changes to beach-dune system and sea level rise affect the probability of dune impact.

Centering Indigenous Approaches for a Better Cultural Resource Management: Lessons from the Dakota Access Pipeline

AbstractThe Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) has been one of the most nationally publicized of all protested pipelines in the United States. Since protests began at Standing Rock in November 2016, injustices to the natural and cultural environment inflicted by its construction have been scrutinized by the public, the media, archaeologists, and perhaps most of all, by Tribal nations residing in this area and throughout the United States. In this article, I focus specifically on the ways that the cultural resource management (CRM) process was manipulated and abused to benefit the monetary goals of Dakota Access, LLC and the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) over the interests and needs of Indigenous peoples. Following this discussion, I propose foregrounding the suggestions of Tribal nations through greater collaboration with these groups and changes to the archaeological legislation, both of which will lead to greater transparency and inclusivity in CRM.

AWWA Water Science Author Spotlight

Having recently published an article in AWWA Water Science, Victoria Nystrom answered questions from the publication's editor-in-chief, Kenneth L. Mercer, about the research. Seasonal Impacts on Biofiltration Acclimation Dynamics and Performance Victoria E. Nystrom, Ashley N. Evans, Jason T. Carter, and Ben Kuhnel Victoria Nystrom collects water samples from a biofilter as part of an ozone and biofilter pilot study that was conducted for the US Army Corps of Engineers in Washington, D.C. Victoria and Arcadis coworker Nissim Gore-Datar explore the parks and downtown Austin, Texas. I am thankful to have had many mentors in my life between undergraduate school, graduate school, and my current company, Arcadis. One mentor who stands out is Dr. Kelsey Pieper. I got connected with her when I began undergraduate research in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech. Through the years, I worked under her and then alongside her. She transitioned from being my superior in the field; to getting me connected with my advisor and being a member on my advisory committee; and to being a friend, colleague, and continuous mentor. Without her support, technical expertise, and humor, I would not be where I am in my career today. At the time this study was conducted, there were two broad objectives of the research: (1) understand the importance of monitoring biofilter acclimation and (2) fill the larger knowledge gap in the industry around the use of biofiltration and the benefits and challenges associated with this type of treatment. There was a unique opportunity with the City of Denton [Texas] to monitor the acclimation of biofilters and understand the duration of this process as their approach was to bring half the biofilters on line in the winter and the remaining half on line in the summer. With this research and other studies that have been completed to date, we've been able to recognize the influence of seasonal changes on biofilter performance for removal of water quality parameters of interest such as total organic carbon and manganese. As many utilities consider the use of biofiltration, we need to understand how to optimize this treatment during the acclimation phase to ensure regulatory compliance and also to meet internal targets set by utilities. Scuba diving with her sister in the south Pacific Ocean. Victoria (far right) and ski friends at the top of a mountain in Wyoming. The findings of this research highlight the use of a sustainable water treatment solution that can help address an array of contaminants but could also act as a buffer for other emerging contaminants in the future. As we learn more about the health effects of various contaminants, drinking water regulations becoming stricter (e.g., California proposed revisions to notification and response levels for manganese in drinking water) and utilities proactively pursue lower targets in their finished water. Effective treatment processes need to be in place. I grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, drinking well water. While I had very little knowledge of water treatment, the progression of my childhood and career naturally influenced my drinking water research. Private wells are not regulated by EPA; thus, homeowners are responsible for maintaining their wells and quality of their drinking water. Understanding how my parents were responsible for maintaining their own mini-distribution system at home led me to want to better understand how other people receive their drinking water and how to have treatment processes in place to ensure it is safe and clean. I love traveling and enjoying the outdoors like many of my colleagues in the drinking water and environmental engineering industry. I've been an avid skier since I was five years old and annually travel with 30-plus friends to the Teton Mountains for the best skiing in the United States. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I enjoy scuba diving and taking underwater photos; swimming with a whale shark is on my bucket list! I am also a dog lover, and while I don't have my own dog, I am an aunt to many and thoroughly spoil them when I visit friends and family. To learn more about Victoria's research, visit the article, available online at https://doi.org/10.1002/aws2.1225.

Protest Denied: A Qualitative Meta-Analysis of Failed Challenges to Government Contracting

Firms interested in doing business with the US federal government, one of the biggest spenders in the world, may have reasons to believe they have been denied fair opportunities to compete for federal government contracts. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) provides an expeditious forum where interested parties can challenge government procurement decisions. In this meta-summary, the authors qualitatively analyzed 17 denied bid protests filed against the US Army Corps of Engineers to identify quasi-legal bases that the GAO most frequently took in its denial of bid protests. The findings were abstracted into 12 themes with corresponding frequency effect sizes. Finally, three recent denied bid protests were reviewed in light of the themes to validate the effectiveness of the findings. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge about one aspect of the US government acquisition practice, i.e., denying bid protests, and presents findings that can limitedly assist small businesses as defined by the relevant regulations to test the validity of their cases in advance.