The Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors (BERH) was a federal board organized under the US Government's War Department (later, the Department of Defense),
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
. It was a part of the civil works program of the
. The board was created by the Rivers and Harbors Bill of 1902. The Board consisted of a group of Army engineer officers with a resident large staff including many civilian employees.
During World War II, the board established a branch to produce, maintain, and distribute intelligence concerning foreign ports and harbors. Following the war, the board continued performing that function until 1962 when it was absorbed by the newly organized
US Army Area Analysis Intelligence Agency
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. The intelligence function of the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors are discussed in the section on "The Statistical Division" (pages 125-127) in an 1980 official history.
“Statistical Division” a section from A History of the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors
/ref>
In 1963, some functions of the Beach Erosion Board, another Army organization concerned with civil works, were transferred to the newly created US Army Coastal Engineering Research Center, while others were transferred to the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors.
The Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors was disestablished by the Water Resources Development Act of 1992 which transferred its functions to the Chief of Engineers.
Sources
A history of the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors
References
{{reflist
United States Army Corps of Engineers
1930 establishments in the United States
1963 disestablishments in the United States