At the personal request of Chief of Engineers, Lt. Gen. Raymond Wheeler, and Gail
Hathaway, Special Assistant to the Chief of Engineers, Jake Douma moved to the Office, Chief
of Engineers (OCE), to work as a hydraulic engineer. For the next 15 years he worked in the
Hydraulic Design Section of the Structural Branch in the Engineering Division of Civil Works.
He was responsible for the final review of the hydraulic design of the Corps' water resources
projects and for the development and coordination of hydraulic research programs that supported
hydraulic design. He played a major role in the Corps' major hydraulic design and construction
projects and was instrumental in the organization and operation of a number of Corps-wide
committees and research projects.
From 1961 through 1975, Jake Douma was Chief, Hydraulic Design Branch. In this job,
his duties included the final review and approval of all hydraulic design and research programs.
He was the Corps' top technical advisor to the Engineer Divisions and Districts and hydraulic
laboratories on hydraulic planning, research, design, and operation of multi-purpose dams, flood
control channels, inland waterways, navigation locks and dams, and coastal engineering projects.
From 1975 through his retirement in 1979, he headed the Hydraulics and Hydrology Branch
where he was responsible for both hydraulic and hydrology activities of Civil Works.
During his career in OCE, Jake Douma was instrumental in the establishment of a number
of important programs, organizations, policies, and committees, including:
Hydraulic Design Branch, Engineering Division, Civil Works
Hydraulic Design and Analysis Division, Hydraulic Laboratory, Waterways
Experiment Station
Tidal Hydraulics and Channel Stabilization Committees
Corps-wide Hydraulic Design Conferences
Numerous Engineer Regulations, Manuals, and Technical Letters that provided
design guidance, criteria, and procedures for all phases of hydraulic design and
coastal engineering
Training programs at U.S. and foreign universities for the continued education and
development of hydraulic design and coastal engineering engineers
His overall guidance and concern were critical to the development of the WES, North
Pacific Division, Mead (Omaha District) and San Francisco Bay hydraulic laboratories into
recognized world leaders in the use of physical and mathematical models as engineering tools for
designing complex water resources projects. His activities in this area led to the development of
less costly and more efficient planning, design, and maintenance procedures and improvements
in the functional adequacy and cost effectiveness of flood control channels, spillways and outlet
works, navigation locks and dams, navigation channels and control works, shore protection
measures, ports and harbors, and water quality studies.
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