Park ranger leads environmental inspections of Arizona dams

QUEEN VALLEY, Ariz. —A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District park ranger led several environmental inspections of USACE-controlled dams and radio towers to protect public safety and preserve natural resources in Arizona.

Park Ranger Marlene Schmitt detailed the importance of these compliance assessments during a May 13 inspection at Whitlow Range Dam.

“Everything we are doing is to help keep people safer from the possibility of flooding,” said Schmitt, a former National Park Service ranger. “All of the Los Angeles District dams have a flood risk management mission.”

Located about 50 miles east of Phoenix, the nation’s fifth-largest city, Whitlow Ranch Dam is one of three operated by USACE in Arizona. Built in 1960 to provide flood protection for farmland and developed areas, the facility — like all district-operated dams — undergoes annual environmental inspections according to the Environmental Review Guide for Operations, or ERGO.

“ERGO inspections are important because they help keep everyone as safe as possible,” said Schmitt, a former school principal with a master’s degree in environmental science. “These inspections are the Corps’ official internal control tool used to conduct annual self-evaluations to ensure compliance with federal, state and Army environmental laws.”

ERGO inspections differ from those conducted by the Operations and Maintenance and Safety Office sections, which focus on dam functionality throughout the year. By contrast, the annual ERGO assessments focus on the natural environment surrounding the dam, monitoring wildlife, invasive plants, insects and hazardous materials. The process provides facility assessments, compliance management and corrective actions.

“Park rangers are another pair of eyes and ears to support operations and maintenance activities and to assist engineers with any potential issues that may occur,” said Nicolas Figueroa, the Los Angeles District’s senior park ranger. “The ranger team is well trained, and they have keen eyes to identify potential safety or hazardous issues.”

The May 13 inspection identified no major hazards affecting the dam but did note potential situations of concern. Cattle had encroached onto the federal property and were grazing upstream less than 150 meters from the dam. The bovine could be in potential danger of drowning in rainy conditions. Private livestock grazing is an unauthorized use of federal property along the Whitlow Range Dam.

“As stewards of the lands, it’s our duty to ensure that we are all performing our duties safely and efficiently without sacrificing the health of our natural resources,” said Figueroa, a 23-year veteran of USACE. “The goals are to prevent any containment to the wildlife stemming from our mission goals to protect downstream residents.”

USACE is responsible for more than 750 dams across the U.S. that provide multiple benefits such as flood risk management, navigation, water supply, hydropower, environmental stewardship, fish and wildlife conservation, and recreation.

“In addition to ERGO, we also work closely with the Natural Resources Management biologist with the Corps’ environmental stewardship mission,” stated Marlene, a former Alaska educator with a second master’s degree in teaching from Eastern Oregon University. “Part of my job includes coordinating Los Angeles District partnerships and volunteer programs, which includes participating in education and outreach events.”

Communicating about dams, including why they are there, the benefits they provide, how they work and how flooding may occur, helps those who live and work near dams understand possible flooding and take protective actions.

To learn more about dams near you and ways to improve safety, visit the National Inventory of Dams: [https://nid.sec.usace.army.mil/](https://nid.sec.usace.army.mil/)

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