The Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory is a multi-disciplinary team of over 250 scientists, engineers, and support personnel. Comprised of talented people with degrees ranging from BS to PhD, the CHL is internationally renowned for its world-class personnel, cutting-edge products, and state-of-the-art technical products. With an annual budget of $54 million dollars and a total annual salary of $17.5 million dollars for fiscal year 2004, CHL addressed an entire spectrum of water resource problems worldwide.

CHL's physical facilities totaling 1.7 million square feet provide this multi-faceted team the infrastructure to produce cutting edge products ranging from design guidance to three-dimensional numerical models needed for solving coastal/inland and water resource solutions. With the April 2004, completion of our new addition, CHL's primary residence will consist of a 91,300-square-foot complex. This new headquarters building will house a 275-seat conference room with additional office space for 148 staff members. The $6.9 million annex was built using the design-build concept, and is the first to be used in the Corps in a civil works project.

Worldwide Exposure

The phrase "The sun never sets on CHL" has significant meaning, as CHL has scientists and engineers located in Vicksburg, Mississippi; Hood River, Oregon; South Bend, Indiana; Mobile, Alabama; Jacksonville, Florida; Duck, North Carolina; Honolulu, Hawaii; London, England; and Iraq.

Our research addresses the entire spectrum of water resources challenges in groundwater, watersheds, rivers, reservoirs, estuaries, harbors, coastal inlets and wetlands. This research provides the basis for management and restoration of upland, riverine, estuarine and coastal ecosystems. We perform this R&D in support of concerns ranging from strategic activities of U.S. military forces to Army civil works. Our list of clients includes multiple Corps of Engineers and DoD sponsors, the Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Tennessee Valley Authority. We also work closely with a number of state, local and foreign governments along with many private research sponsors.

Coastal and inland waterways extend around the world, and research and development are the keys to maintaining these lifelines. If you would like to learn more about CHL or need further information, please direct your questions/interest to chl-info@erdc.usace.army.mil.