U.S. Army Corps of Engineers San Francisco District maintenance crew unloads its barge boat at Lake Mendocino Feb. 27 as part of its emergency operations for Redwood Valley County Water District to use as a floating platform to extend its ability to supply water to 4,000 residents. With drought water levels hovering around 30 percent of capacity, gravel and circa World War II pierced-steel planks transformed the exposed lake bed into a temporary boat ramp. The 21st Engineers (Aviation) Regiment constructed a portable pierce-steel plank runway in 1941 which is the same system used during the Battle of Midway in the South Pacific.