Home / Media / News Releases

  • Eagle Watch Event at Case-Halstead Library

    CARLYLE LAKE – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in partnership with the Case-Halstead Library and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, will host Eagle Watch on Saturday, 8 February 2020, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

  • Kaskaskia Eagle Fest

    Kaskaskia River Project — The annual 2020 Eagle Fest event will be held Saturday, February 1 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Jerry F. Costello Lock & Dam in Modoc, IL (4800 Lock and Dam Road).

  • Carlyle Lake Christmas Tree Recycling Project

    CARLYLE LAKE – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Carlyle Lake will be collecting used Christmas trees for the annual Christmas Tree Recycling Project. The Corps of Engineers, along with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, uses these trees to provide effective and economical fish habitat at Carlyle Lake.

  • Carlyle Lake Increasing Downstream Releases

    CARLYLE LAKE - As of 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 31, 2019 the pool elevation at Carlyle Lake was 446.36 feet, referenced to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD), with a release of approximately 4,790 cubic feet per second (cfs). The inflow for Monday, December 30, 2019 was approximately 11,300 day second feet (dsf). With current precipitation on the ground, Carlyle Lake is expected to crest at less than 447.0 on Wednesday, January 1, 2020. In order to free up flood control storage in the lake and to continue to provide benefits to other project purposes, in accordance with the water control plan, downstream releases will be increased to 5,500 cfs on Tuesday, December 31, 2019, with a maximum release of 7,000 cfs approximately on Monday, January 6, 2020.

  • 2020 Special Events at Carlyle Lake

    CARLYLE LAKE – The Carlyle Lake Project Office in partnership with numerous organizations, agencies, groups, and individuals works hard to organize and host a variety of special events throughout the year. These events would not be possible without the support and dedication from all of our partners, volunteers, and the local community. The Corps is proud to present our 2020 Special Events and the Carlyle Sailing Association’s 2020 Sailing Events. All of these family-friendly events are free and open to the public.

  • Boundary Maintenance Work at Carlyle Lake

    CARLYLE LAKE – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Carlyle Lake will be performing boundary maintenance work from December 16, 2019 through January 10, 2020 on multiple sections of the boundary line at Carlyle Lake. The boundary line maintenance work will consist of uniformed Park Rangers and volunteers walking the boundary lines, replacing signposts, identifying encroachments on government property, inspecting mowing permits, and clearing brush along the boundary line. The maintenance work is performed annually during the winter months when vegetation is at a minimum. Maintenance is necessary in order to maintain a visible boundary line and to protect the public lands at Carlyle Lake. The areas of emphasis for the 2019-20 boundary maintenance will be from the James Hawn Access Area to the Tamalco Boat Ramp Area.

  • “Masters of the Sky”: Eagles, Falcons, and Hawks Oh My!

    Attention all Eagle and Raptor Enthusiasts. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will offer live Raptor shows to the public on Saturday, February 15 at the National Great Rivers Museum in Alton, Ill. 

  • Mississippi Valley Division and Districts Receive Top Small Business Conference Awards

    The Mississippi Valley Division (MVD), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and regional districts received numerous awards at the 2019 Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Small Business Conference in Dallas, Texas, Nov. 21, 2019.

  • Proposed Reduced Operating Hours at the National Great Rivers Museum

    In anticipation of funding changes currently reflected the proposed 2020 Federal Budget, the visiting hours of the National Great Rivers Museum will change beginning January 1, 2020 to support the new levels.  New public hours will be 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Wednesday thru Saturday. Tours of the Melvin Price Lock and Dam will still be available on these days at 10:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

  • Carlyle Lake Winter Drawdown

    CARLYLE LAKE – Carlyle Lake has begun its winter drawdown in accordance with the Carlyle Lake Water Control Plan. According to the water control plan, during the winter months the Carlyle Lake pool elevation is to be drawn down to its winter pool of 443.0 ft. NGVD. The water control plan also includes a variance of plus or minus 14 days for the winter drawdown to begin. At winter pool elevation planned work at Carlyle Lake, which requires a lower pool elevation, can begin. The release rate will increase to up to approximatley 2,500 cfs, while still providing flood control downstream until crops have been harvested. The rate of release to accomplish the winter drawdown takes many factors into consideration including pool elevation, reservoir inflow, downstream tributaries, storm events, and downstream farm crop harvest. A steady, low release rate will also allow planned work at the Jerry F. Costello Lock and Dam, Kaskaskia River Project to begin.