Complex sentence: Thus, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expects its engineers to apply general scientific principles to upgrade levee designs, but would also be interested in more basic science to enhance designs in terms of water retention and soil strength.
Split into simpler sentences: Thus, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expects its engineers to apply general scientific principles to design and upgrade flood control systems. However, the engineer would also be interested in more basic science to enhance designs in terms of water retention and soil strength.