Thomas W. Smith III, M.ASCE, CAE, was selected as the next executive director of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), effective Jan. 1, 2015. The decision was made at an Aug. 24 meeting of the ASCE Board of Direction in Denver.

In July, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that $2 million in conservation funds will be sent to Ohio to help implement conservation techniques that will help improve water quality. The Secretary said USDA is also partnering with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to expand ?boots-on-the-ground? capacity in the area and will be contributing an additional $1 million in technical assistance which will in turn be leveraged by the NFWF along with other public and private entities.

Climate change is not only already visible in iconic South Beach, but so is climate change adaptation, in the form of new storm water pumps meant to keep rising sea levels from swamping low-lying streets, city officials said last week.

Dutch consulting giant ARCADIS NV has prevailed in its two-month quest to acquire U.K.-based Hyder Consulting PLC. The announcement follows ARCADIS’ move earlier this month to increase its offer by about $12 per share, to $476 million

Last week, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee?s Panel on Public-Private Partnerships (P3 Panel) released its final report and recommendations on how to balance the needs of the public and private sector when undertaking P3s to finance U.S. infrastructure.

The City of Milwaukee’s preliminary 2015 budget will continue a decade-long emphasis on steadily rebuilding the city?s aging core infrastructure of sewers, streets, bridges and street lighting, Mayor Tom Barrett said last week.

Adjusting to changing market realities, CH2M Hill Cos. Ltd. will cut back its 26,000-person global staff by 5 percent ? about 1,200 positions ? as part of a restructuring it will implement over the remainder of 2014 and early 2015.

A low-profile state board in New York has embarked on one of its highest-profile cases as it examines how federal clean water funds were earmarked by the Cuomo administration for construction of the new $3.9 billion Tappan Zee Bridge.

On Sept. 24, California water officials released plans for spending almost a third of the $687 million emergency drought relief package approved by lawmakers earlier this year. The State Department of Water Resources plans to make final decisions by Oct. 31.

U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy says she’s not backing down on her agency?s efforts to implement a new rule that would assert regulatory authority over many of the nation?s streams and wetlands.