FREEPORT, Texas (Nov. 30, 2022) Col. Rhett Blackmon, Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District reads the accomplishments of district members: Lockmaster Jesse Deshotels for his dedicated work in the operation and maintenance of the current Brazos River Floodgates, and Dr. Roham Bakhtyar, and Michael Ritz for their instrumental work in the conception and design of the Brazos River Flood Gates – Colorado River Locks Project. Each member received a coin from Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Jaime A. Pinkham for their hard work and dedication. Located seven miles southwest of Freeport, Texas, the Brazos River Floodgates have been instrumental in controlling sand and silt deposits and aiding navigation at the intersection of the Brazos River and Gulf Intercoastal Waterway since 1943. U.S. Army photo by Trevor Welsh.