Key Issues

Support biennial Water Resources Development Acts (WRDA)

Supporting biennial Water Resources Development Acts (WRDA), legislation authorizing Corps of Engineers’ work on locks and dams, dredging and other water resources projects critical to the nation.

 

Maintaining water resources bills on an every two-year cycle is important to waterways modernization continuity. Congress ended with a "WIIN" in WRDA 2016. In 2018, Congress passed America’s Water Infrastructure Act, which included the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2018. We now look ahead to a WRDA bill in 2020.

 

Support for WRDA

 

WRDA policies are critical to our nation’s inland waterways, which provide and sustain more than a half-million jobs, support exports, and protect the environment. The waterways help relieve traffic congestion, and are the safest, most energy-efficient mode of surface transportation. Waterways are vital to our agriculture, manufacturing and energy sectors. Before passage of the 2016 bill, the 2014 Water Resources Reform Development Act (WRRDA) was signed into law after a seven-year delay. WRDA/WRRDA bills have strong bi-partisan support in Congress to authorize the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to perform various water-related, water resources projects within their Civil Works mission.

Letters of Support: Navigation & Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP)

Background

Where We Stand

America's Water Infrastructure Act, which included the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2018: did not include authorization language to allow for lockage fees and/or tolls on the inland waterways system. WCI has been adamantly opposed to any additional taxation, tolling, or lockage fees for the inland waterways transportation system. authorized 12 Chief’s Reports, including one that will be funded by the Inland Waterways Trust Fund (Three Rivers in Southeast, AR). authorized three project modifications, including the Post Authorization Change Report for Chickamauga Lock. This will ensure that the Chickamauga project can continue construction once the project has reached its original authorized amount. directed the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to evaluate the current organizational structure of the Corps’ Civil Works function, to identify impediments to efficient project delivery, and to provide recommendations to Congress.