nashville flood 2010 cheatham lock and dam underwater...

Impacted See Flood on Page 4

MAY/JUNE 2010

Nashville District Cheatham Lock and Dam Underwater

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Nashville Flood 2010

District DigestCommander

U.S. Army Corps of EngineersNashville District

Lt. Col. Anthony Mitchell

Chief of Public AffairsBill Peoples

Editor Mark Rankin

Writers and ContributorsAllison JarrettFred Tucker

Steven Foshee

The District Digest is an unoffi cial publication authorized under the provisions of AR 360-1. It is de-signed through desktop publishing and printed by offset process for the Nashville District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Circulation is 600.

The editorial views and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or the Department of the Army.

The District Digest is printed bi-monthly and is a Command Informa-tion publication of the Nashville Dis-trict, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Articles, photographs, and other con-tributions are welcomed and encour-aged. The editor reserves the right to make editorial changes to all material submitted for publication.

Story ideas and articles may be sub-mitted to P.O Box 1070, Nashville, TN 37202-1070. Details may be obtained from the editor at (615) 736-7975.

Written material may also be sent elec-tronically to the editor at the following e-mail address: [email protected]

Visit us on the web at

http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil.

Contents

Offi cial Journal of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District

2 District Digest May/June 2010

As a result of the unprecedented rainfall event that occurred over the weekend of May 1-2, Cheatham Lock and Dam suf-fered devastation beyond imagination. Of all the area Corps critical facilities on the Cumberland, Cheath-am was the hardest hit and suffered the most damage during the fl ood. Cheatham is operating and allowing commercial barge traffi c only dur-ing the hours of 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Digest cover photo by Richard Scott.

Photo by Travis Claud

Words from the Commander .................................................................................................. 3Water from Old Hickory Lock and Dam prevents fl ooding...............................................4 Corps teams set high water marks...........................................................................................5Annual Engineer Picnic set for June 10................................................................................. 6Employee of the Month .......................................................................................................... 7Nashville Flood 2010 ...........................................................................................................8-9The Corps Crowd ................................................................................................................... 10Snapshots from around the district...................................................................................... 11Deployment Diary. .................................................................................................................. 12Cheatham Resource Center hosts Shoreline Workshop ................................................... 13Soldiers demolish tower at Old Hickory Lock and Dam.................................................14Just to be on the safe side ..................................................................................................... 16

(L to R) Erin Bradley, Jamie Davies and Valarie Carlton collect tickets for meal vouchers during the annual picnic at Smiley Hollow park.

(L to R) Wayne Huddleston, Clara Huddleston, Beverly Barron and Bill Barron enjoy the annual picnic at Smiley Hollow park in Ridgetop, TN.

Lt. Col. Anthony P. Mitchell

Words from the Commander

BUILDING STRONG® District Digest 3

Nashville Team, The month of May has been one marred by an unprecedented fl ood that has impacted Nashville greatly. Twenty-eight of our own were impacted by varying degrees along with other Nashvillians. I ask that you keep those affected and their families in your thoughts and prayers as they recover, rebuild, and restore their lives to a state of normalcy or pre-fl ood conditions. The long awaited summer is upon us and is normally marked by the celebration of the Memorial Day Holiday. The actual basis of the holiday is to remember the men and women who served and died as members of the United States military branches, but it is a day of REMEMBRANCE for all things, events past and present; and people who we’ve lost along the way.As we embrace summer and the activities associated, have FUN. En-sure you practice safe acts on land

and in water; please apply prudent foresight in all you do. Leaders must reiterate the im-portance of safety awareness and education prior to the summer season. Our goal is no loss of life at any time. We can achieve this goal if every member of the Nashville Dis-trict, contractors, and family mem-bers make a commitment to safety over the upcoming holiday (July 4th) and throughout the summer. First-line supervisors must make the difference with “Under the Oak Tree Counseling”/ Safety Meetings with all of your employees. I am convinced that we can minimize risks and save lives by applying the composite risk management process proactively throughout the chain of command in the Nashville District. Thank you for your support to our Annual Engineer day picnic at Smi-ley Hollow park. It was great to see you all and we are looking forward to next year’s picnic.

level of success during the deployment process. In fact, largely due to Travis’ work, the District continues to lead all the Lakes and Rivers Division (LRD) districts in num-bers of job plans and PM plans. Also commendable was Travis’ special service during the month of March to assist the LRD Naviga-tion Business Line Manager in developing a template to build the fi scal year 2012 operations and maintenance budget which saved each District considerable time in preparing their budget requests.

Travis Claud named March Employee of the Month Travis Claud has been selected as the Nashville Dis-trict’s Employee of the Month for March 2010. Travis is a Civil Engineer that serves as the Project-Operations Offi cer (POO) of the Nashville Area in the Operations Division. Travis is recognized for the successful implementation of the Facilities and Equipment Maintenance (FEM) system. Signifi cant to note is that Travis worked dili-gently to coordinate the training and support necessary to prepare more than 100 operations project employees for the loading of 8,700 assets, 3,000 job plans, and 300 preventative maintenance (PM) plans into the system. This required securing training facilities, suffi cient computers, and network connections to provide the nec-essary support. The deployment of FEM is an imple-menting strategy of the Chief ’s Campaign Plan, and due to Travis’ dedication and hard work, Nashville District met a signifi cant national milestone and went live with the FEM system on February 8, 2010, achieving a high

Lastly, Trena and I wish you a safe and blessed summer! BUILDING STRONG® with pride and purpose, Lt. Col Mitchell

Photos by Fred Tucker


Releasing water from the swol-len Old Hickory Lake in Hender-sonville, Tenn. kept fl ooding from being worse than it was. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

made the decision to release water from Old Hickory Dam that pre-vented an additional four feet in fl ood waters from reaching down-town Nashville during the record breaking rainfall event May 1-3.Water behind the dam in Old

Hickory Lake reached a record el-evation of 451.4 Sunday afternoon, just seven inches short of the Corps losing control of the project due to the lake overtopping the lock wall.“The water was high as it could go

and if we had allowed the lake go to 452 and overtop the lock wall we would have lost control of the fl ow

Story by Allison Jarrett, Public Affairs Specialist

Controlled releasing of water from Old Hickory Dam prevented fur ther f looding in Nashvil le

Debris rushes through the fl ood gates at the base of the Old Hickory Dam as water swirls and causes logs and debris to back up against the gates. Nashville saw more than 13 inches of rain in 48 hours.

from Old Hickory,” explained Lt. Col. Anthony Mitchell, Com-mander of the Nashville District. “The loss of control of that dam would have added another four feet to the fl ood levels in downtown Nashville.” “By making the decision to release water from Old Hickory Dam,

our water managers saved the dam and prevented fl ood waters from reaching even higher,” he added. “The perception is that fl ooding along the Cumberland River was

made worse by releases from Corps dams,” stated Mitchell. “The truth is that Corps dams kept the fl ooding through Nashville from being much worse.”Corps engineers are collecting and studying data to verify exactly

how much fl ooding Corps dams actually prevented. Current data shows that Corps reservoirs have prevented more than a million cubic feet per second in water from reaching the Cumberland River. “That water has been held in storage in our lakes,” explained Bob

Sneed, Chief of Water Management for the Nashville District, “and we are able to release it slowly as the river recedes. The Nashville District continues to balance releases from dams

along the Cumberland River and its tributaries to minimize down-stream fl ooding while ensuring lakes remain at a safe level.

Flooding caused trees and debris to cling from a crane at the Old Hickory Lock and Dam in Hendersonville, Tennes-see. The lake reached a record elevation of 451.4.



Since the last pool of fl ood water receded and the all- clear signal was given to recover from the record-setting rainfall of more than 13 inches in two days, crews from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District have been on the ground, busy setting high water marks throughout middle Tennessee. A high water mark establishes or refers to the highest level reached by a body of water that has been main-tained for a suffi cient period of time that usually leaves evidence on the landscape. Offi cials began investigating fl ooded areas around the Harpeth River, Mill Creek, Richland Creek, and Whites Creek, gathering data after the record rainfall. The sur-veying is scheduled from the Nashville area outward for the next several weeks. Teams are looking for clear marks of how high water climbed on buildings, telephone poles, trees, and other structures. The initial round of offi cials will only be marking these structures so that future surveyors can come through at a later date to measure actual eleva-tions. “It’s vital that we collect data for calibration of future fl ood models that will be used to determine potential fl ood plains,” said Clint Neel, Hydraulic Engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District. Corps offi cials or employees gathering data will be in teams of two or three, driving government vehicles, wearing hard hats, and carrying government identifi ca-tion.

Corps teams to set high water marks throughout regionStory by Allison Jarrett, Public Affairs Specialist

Clint Neel, Hydraulic Engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District collects high water mark data in Nashville, Tenn. from the record setting rainfall during the weekend of May 1-3. The data collected will be used to determine potential fl ood plains. Data is collected from creeks, buildings, poles and vegetation.

Corps offi cials may be working on both public and pri-vate property in order to acquire accurate markings, but will not ask to enter homes or businesses or make marks on private property. “It is critical that we begin making these high water marks as soon as possible,” stated Benjamin Rohrbach, Chief of Hydrology and Hydraulics for the Corps’ Nashville District. “With this event being a fl ood of record for most of the region, we have a lot of creeks to survey, and future rainfall could limit our ability to get accurate data.”

U.S. Army Corps employees Mario Beddingfi eld and Mitch Laird col-lect high water mark data used to determine potential fl ood plains.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Photo



Photos by Mark Rankin, Richard Scott and Fred Tucker

Engineer Day picnic packed with food & fun SmU.S. Army Corps of Engineer Nashville District retirees consider the annu-

al Engineer Day picnic a reunion of sort and employees use the day to relax, have fun and unwind. With beautiful blue skies and a change in recreational venue from the usual Old Hickory Lake to Smiley Hollow, the Nashville District employees, retirees, friends and family enjoyed a relaxing fun-fi lled day of food, festivities and activities on June 10. The day began at 8 a. m., as teams assembled for competition in the tug-o-war, volleyball and soft-ball. Children of all ages participated in games, basketball shooting compe-tions, egg toss, relay races, hay rides, putt-putt golf and water activities. During the awards presentation at 10 a.m., Lt. Col. Anthony Mitchell pre-

sented the coveted Distinguished Civilan Employee Recognition award to: William D. Bennett; Tommy A. Haskins; J. Roy Joines; C. Grady Moore, Jr.; Douglas Radley and Ronnie D. SmithThe Civil Design branch took honors and captured victories in the tug-

o-war, volley ball and softball events. “I think this is the best picnic I’ve attended,” said Victoria Caldwell, Chief of the Internal Review. Those member of the Management Sponsored Activity Committee (MSAC), who made the event possible can take great pride in this years outcome.


i ley Hollow park


NashvilCheatham, Old Hickory, Cordebounce back after fl ooding.

The Cheatham Lock and Dam Lockmasters offi ce and master control center is submerged underwater on May 2, 2010.

Large trees, cans, tires, and debris sit in the lock at the Old Hickory Lock anovertopping it’s walls during the storm. By releasing the water, the dam pre

This truck marks the entrance to Cheatham Lock and Dam during the heavy rains. Two Lockmasters were rescued by boat after Cheatham was overrun by high water.

The Cheatham resource center offi ce and maintenance garage are underwater. Three vehicles were totally damaged and electrical equipment was destroyed.

Josh Lowery, a lock operator at the Cheatham Lock and Dam is fi nally back to working and doing what he does best... which is locking barges through the lock. The lock was closed on the weekend of May 1-3 when the lock and dam took a direct hit from nature when heavy rainfall saturated the Cumberland River and nearby rivers, and left Cheatham totally submerged underwater. “I was just as shocked as anyone else by the fl ood,” said Larry Nash, the Cheatham Resource Center Manager who rescued two lock operators by boat during the storm. Nash said the water rose fast and there was no time to relocate several vehicles parked near the maintenance garage. “We anticipated some heavy rain or even minimal fl ooding in our offi ce but never thought of loosing all the records in our offi ce,” said Nash. Although the





lle Flood 2010 ell Hull and J. Percy Priest

Water destroyed all the offi ce equipment and the maintenance spaces equipment including; printers, computers, lawnmowers, generators, drills, tools and welders.

Story by Mark Rankin, Public Affairs Specialist

nd Dam in Henderson, TN. The Old Hickory Lock was several inches from evented further fl ooding to Nashville.

The Cheatham Resource Center was submerged by fl ood waters dur-ing the heavy rains. Records from over 50 years were destroyed.

dam is designed to perform this way in a high-water event, the lock and resource manager’s facilities were completely fl ooded. “We felt we’d get some area fl ooding and even sand

bagged several buildings and put computers and fi les up on desks, but didn’t expect this much water,” said Nash. Work crews worked quickly for days to restore opera-

tions, dewater the lock master’s offi ce, pull damaged electrical wiring and rebuild critical hydraulic pumps used to open and close the lock. Cheatham Lock remains closed to recreational boat-

ing traffi c until repairs can be made but, Lowery said he’s just glad to see the debris gone and barges passing through the lock again. “I’m glad we’re back to working, “ said Lowery. He

added, “even though it’s back to the basics.”

Photo by Mark Rankin


Photo by Richard Scott


Logs, trees and debris lines the entrance to the Cordell Hull Lock and Dam.


The Corps Crowd

Snapshots from Around the District

Thank you…

I would like to thank my Corps family for your prayers, calls, cards and fl owers received in response of the passing of my brother Joe “Buck” Tarpley, Jr. Words can-not express enough the feeling of comfort and love that overwhelmed me upon my return when I received the words of condolences from my coworkers, some in the form of cards and others in the form of ver-bal declarations of sorrow. I truly believe there can be blessings found in “ALL” situations and it was defi -nitely a blessing to be reassured that this is not just a place of work for me. I truly consider each and every one of you my extended family. -Joanne Booker

Workers from the Environmental Protection Agency use a backhoe tractor to lift a 500-gallon propane tank from the Cumberland River near the Cheatham Dam. Boaters should be cautious for debris.

Crews expecting minimal fl ooding at the Resource Manager’s offi ce laid sand bags at the front entrance. Water from the Cumberland River overtopped the Cheatham Lock and Dam and fl ooded the offi ce.

Photo by Mark RankinPhoto by Mark Rankin

Sympathy to…

...the family of Leroy McBride who passed away on May 5, 2010. Leroy was a retired foreman for what used to be the Florence Repair Station (now Tennessee River Operations Center.)

Baby Brigade to…

... Donald Dean and wife Teresa on the birth of their fi rst grandchild, Greyson Holden Davis, 8lbs 7oz, 22 in. long, born April 27 to daughter Whitney and husband Heath Davis. Donald is the Lockmaster for Wil-son Lock and Wheeler Lock. Also, proud uncle Chris Dean is a Lock and Dam Operator at Kentucky Lock and Dam.

...Adrienne Washington whose sister Debbie passed on April 28, 2010. Adrienne is an Administrative Assistant in the Planning Branch....Myra Haley whose brother Mr.

Steven Plumlee passed on May 29, 2010. Myra is an Offi ce Assistant at Dale Hollow Lake.... Jerry Wisdon whose mother

Dorothy Wisdom passed on June 1, 2010. Jerry is a Lock and Dam Equipment Mechanic at Barkley Lock....the family of Ann Margolis who

passed away on June 11. Ann was a retiree from J. Percy Priest Lake.

Congratulations to…

... Mrs. Victoria Hooper on her selection to receive the Family Readi-ness Individual Award. Victoria was the Great Lakes and Ohio River Divison’s nominee and was selected by the Family Readi-ness awards panel. The award will be presented on August 2, 2010 in Seattle, Washington at the National Awards Dinner and Cer-emony.

Greyson Holden Davis, 8lbs 7oz, 22 in. long

...Rudy and Jessica Rudy on the birth of thier fi rst child, Madelyn Sue Rudy on May 30. Madelyn weighed 7 lbs 3 oz. Jessican is the Area Support Assistant at the Western Kentucky Area offi ce.


Snapshots from Around the District

(L to R) Todd Yann, Acting Area Manager and Olga Beddingfi eld, Power Project Manager at Old Hickory Power Plant, brief Maj. Gen. John Peabody, Lakes and River Divison Commander during a recent visit to the Old Hickory Lock and Dam after the recent fl ooding.

The Nashville District Rapid Response Vehicle is parked at the Old Hickory Lock and Dam assisting with communications when the Soldiers of the 326th Engineer Battalion, 101st Airborne Division successfully demolished a 450-foot radio tower and two 100-foot towers on Saturday, April 17.

A group of personnel from the Nashville District gathered at the Flying Saucer restaurant to say farewell to TK Berthram. TK was an Administrative Assistant in the Executive Offi ce.

A close view of the water damaged reception area at the Cheatham Resource offi ce. It was fl ooded when Nashville received more than 13 inches of rain in two days.

The Team of the Kentucky Lock Upstream Lock Monolith Team holds the coveted Hedgehog Award for their work.


Photo by Mark RankinPhoto by Bill Peoples



Deployment Diary


Jane Harris AFGHANISTAN is sometimes con-sidered the forgotten side of America’s military effort in Southwest Asia, simultane-ously less controversial than the invasion of Iraq and less reported on in the mainstream media. For the Corps of Engineers Afghanistan Engi-neer District (AED) which also covers work in neigh-boring Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan, it is an effort that continues to grow in people, facilities, projects and budget. I am Corps em-ployee, Jane Harris, a Civil Engineering Technician in the District Offi ce’s Engineering-Construction, Design Branch. I am one of nine employees in the Jalalabah, Afghanistan district and is the only female in the offi ce and the work is interesting and I am not intimidated by the male to female ratio since I am the only female. My work is quite varied and interesting and I enjoy and love working with civilian engineers and construction repre-sentatives embedded with the Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) Program Manager in Kabul. The teams spread throughout four provinces and are supported by the AED PRT. Some of my problems are issues that seem to be are administrative, but there are technical situations that arise as well. I am responsible for the technical review of larger project proposals. My exper-tise in water resource projects is utilized often and I am often involved in projects that help build roads, schools, and drilling water wells. On a recent trip to a project at a district police building site, as we drove through a village, the vehicles of the convoy barely manuvered through the walls. They were very close and my vehicle scraped a mirror on a wall. The villages were not built with vehicles in mind. I have just recently moved into a new barracks and it has been great and feel much better that they are now permanent quarters in a B-hut, with air condition-ing and a lock on my door. I’m so grateful to have a telephone and a computer in my room too. I makes it very convienent. Not all the compounds have the same level of comforts available to the deployed and her room is a bit close to the runway but I enjoy it. Even though ten people share two bathrooms and a laundry the condtions are plush and comfortable. Jalalabad’s base facilities have a post exchange, dining hall, fi nance offi ce, medical facility, barber shop, coffee shop, and several gyms. Also there are local national shops that we can buy DVD’s, gemstones, and local wares. “We are proud of Jane’s commitment and dedication to do the important work needed so badly in Afghani-stan,” said Victoria Hooper, Nashville District Deploy-ment Coordinator.




Where some would be uncertain about living near an airstrip, Harris’ says she’s happy in her new living conditions in Jalalabad, Afghani-stan.

Harris shares this female bathroom with ten others and is just a short walk from the runway.

Harris recently moved into a new compound that is just a short walk from a coffee shop, gym, dining hall, fi nance offi ce and medical facility.


Thirty-four individuals who attended the Cheatham Lake Shoreline Management Plan Workshop at Cheath-am County Central High School April 13, 2010 were given an opportunity to provide their input on the long-range management of Cheatham Lake’s shoreline resources.“Collaborating with our neighbors helps us balance pri-

vate shoreline uses with the preservation of the natural environmental conditions of the lake,” said Larry Nash, Resource Manager at Cheatham Lake. Nash and his staff briefed the audience on the Draft

2010 Shoreline Management Plan explained changes planned during the next fi ve years, answered questions, and received comments from shoreline residents and other interested persons.Comments ranged from complaints of “cigar boats”

racing on Cumberland River, to bank erosion caused by a variety of vessels, to boundary surveys. After the formal part of the presentation, there were congenial, one-on-one discussions between Cheatham Lake staff members and neighbors. Appointments were made to follow up on certain issues.“Although we cannot grant every request, we will evalu-

ate each one based on sound natural resource manage-ment,” said Charles Leath, Cheatham Lake conservation biologist. “Our primary goals are to establish and main-tain fi sh and wildlife habitat, preserve natural aesthetic qualities, and promote the safe and healthful use of the lake and surrounding lands by the general public.

Cheatham Lake neighbors provide input on Shoreline Management Story and photos by Fred Tucker, Public Affairs Specialist

“As stewards of public lands, it is our responsibility to ensure this critical habitat and shoreline ecosystem is properly maintained and available for future genera-tions,” Leath continued. A copy of the Draft 2010 Shoreline Management Plan

can be viewed at www.lrn.usace.army.mil/op/che/rec.

Paul Mahoaney, left, a Cheatham Lake shoreline property owner, talks with Charlie Leath, a conservation biologist at the Cheatham Lake Shoreline Management Plan workshop held at the Cheatham County Central High School.

Joyce Herring, a resource offi ce assistant from the Cheatham Re-source Offi ce helps James Fenton with registration at the Cheatham Lake Shoreline Managemen Plan Workshop held at the Cheatham Country Central High School.

Larry Nash, the Resource Manager at Cheatham Lake, addresses citizens of Cheatham County at a recent workshop on the Cheatham Lake Shoreline Management Plan at the Cheatham County Central High School.

Soldiers safely demolish towers at Old Hickory Lock & Dam Soldiers of the 326th Engineer Battalion, 101st Airborne Division successfully demolished a 450-foot radio tower and two 100-foot towers during an interagency training exercise at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District’s Old Hickory Lock and Dam area on Saturday, April 17. The highlight of the exercise was bringing down the 450-foot tower, one and one-half times the length of a football fi eld, while ensuring public safety. After the danger area was cordoned off ashore and on the water, strategically placed demolition charges were detonated by the Sappers. The fi rst blasts cut the cables holding the tower back from the intended direction of its fall, followed almost immediately by blasts severing the tower’s legs. Gravity pulled the struc-ture into its planned impact area, successfully accomplishing the mission. Other agencies involved to ensure public safety included U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army Reserve Military Police, Ten-nessee Wildlife Resource Agency, Sumner County Sheriff ’s Department, Nashville Metropolitan Police Department, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers personnel. “It was a well planned, highly successful exercise that safely met all of its objectives,” said Ralph Ownby, Chief of Opera-tions for Nashville District. “Sappers of the 326th Engineer Battalion received realistic training on a non-standard target,” Ownby added. “It also provided a cost-effective means of bringing down three tow-ers that had surpassed their usefulness, as well as a unique op-portunity for interagency coordination among federal, state and local agencies.” U.S. Coast Guard and Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency boats and personnel blockaded safety areas both above and below the dam, and Sumner County Sheriff ’s Department and Corps of Engineers Park Rangers closed off the Rock-land Recreation Tailwater Fishing Platform, Overlook Area and Archery Range.


Story by Fred Tucker, Public Affairs Specialist

Soldiers from the 326th Engineer Battalion make fi nal adjustments before setting the charge to the 450-foot tower.


(Above) The base of the tower crushes the corner of the building at the foot of the tower. (Left) Water boat units from the U.S. Coast Guard and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency support in secu-rity boat patrols on the Old Hickory Lake during the demolition.

Photo by Fred Tucker

Photo by Fred Tucker

Corps of Engineers Park Rangers, Nashville Metropolitan Police Department and Army Reserve Military Police of the 304th Military Police Battalion, Nashville, closed off the Old Hickory Tailwater Boat Ramp, Nature Trail, Fishing Platform, and parking lot. “Our Rapid Response Vehicle was able to provide a commu-nication base, supplying VHF handheld radios to participat-ing units and affording solid communications among federal, state and local agencies involved,” said Jerry Breznican, Nashville District Readiness Chief.“This was, an excellent training opportunity for all agencies involved,” added Breznican.


The Tower comes down! Soldiers of the 326th Engineer Battalion, 101st Airborne Division demolished a 450-foot radio tower and two 100-foot towers during an interagency training exercise at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District’s Old Hickory Lock and Dam area on Saturday, April 17.


This 450-foot radio tower fi nally comes to rest just right of one of three 100-foot towers that were later also demolished. Photo by Fred Tucker

Just To Be On The Safe Side... LRN Safety Branch


TEAM, It’s that time again – Summers here and we’re pulling out the sports equipment, mountain bikes, washing the boat, tuning up the motorcycle and gearing up ready for another season of outdoor fun – but it’s incredibly important that we continue to keep our head in the game and make safety our priority whether at home or at work.June is designated as National Safety Month and there will be a lot of events and resources that can give you a good foundation in safety for just about everything you do.The Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center’s web site is a great place to start – go to www.safety.army.mil to check it out. Their “Safe Summer Campaign Corner” has excellent safety information that is free and easy to get. At the bottom of the page, you’ll see interesting articles, videos, and posters on dozens of summer activities – from vacation planning to water safety and, of course, motorcycles. One key to a safe and fun summer is to plan ahead for your excitement and relaxation. Re-

member to include the right equipment, training, and actions to keep you and your family and friends safe. A little time spent now on these details will go a long way towards making this a wonderful summer to remember. Have fun and be safe! “Think SAFETY Not Just Compliance”Summer is a very dangerous time of year for the Army with notable increases in off-duty accidental fatalities.To help protect personnel this during this high-risk time of year, the U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center launched the 2010 Safe Summer Campaign. This campaign, which runs April 1 – Sept. 30, focuses on providing Soldiers, Civilians and their Family members the information they need to “play it safe” this summer.DRIVING Safety:

By Rod Kellow, Chief of Safety, USACE, Nashville District

(LtoR) The Nashville District Safety Team; Rod Kellow,Safety chief; Lt. Col. Anthony Mitchell, Nashville District Commander; Kyle Tanner, Safety and Occupational Health Specialist and Phillip Harrell, Industrial Hygenist.


Nearly one in fi ve Americans, approximately 17 percent nationally, still fail to regularly wear their seat belts when driving or riding in motor vehicles, according to a recent National Highway Traffi c Safety Administration seat belt study. The number of back seat passengers who fail to buck up is higher still, at more than 25 percent. This research also shows there is a problem with drivers and passengers not buckling up at night, when the risk of a fatal crash is even greater. The Army lost 75 Soldiers in fi scal year 2009 to both day and night Per-sonal Owned Vehicle accidents. Of those drivers and passengers, about 33 percent were reported as not wear-ing their seat belts. Regular seat belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce fatali-ties in motor vehicle crashes. NHSTA statistics show that in 2007, more than 15,000 lives were saved by seat belts in potentially fatal crashes. When worn correctly, seat belts have proven to reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passengers by 45 percent in cars and 60 percent in pickup trucks, SUVs and minivans.This is why the Army is joining with state and local law enforcement agen-cies and highway safety offi cials from May 24 to June 6, 2010, to participate in the aggressive national “Click It or Ticket” seat belt enforcement mobili-zation.

nashville flood 2010 cheatham lock and dam underwater...

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