Final WRDA Bill Expected Soon On April 29, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Major General John Peabody testified before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to review 11 new Chief of Engineers’ reports. These reports represent the final step necessary before Congress considers authorizing a civil works project for construction. Reports indicate that this hearing was the last obstacle before Congress passes a final Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) within several weeks. The 11 new projects considered include:
- Morganza to the Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana
- Walton County, Florida, Hurricane and Storm Reduction
- Springfield, Missouri, Flood Risk Management
- Orestimba Creek Flood Risk Management Project, West Stanislaus County, California
- Boston Harbor Navigation Improvement Project, Massachusetts
- Willamette River Floodplain Restoration Project, Lower Coast Fork and Middle Fork Oregon
- Sutter Basin, California, Flood Risk Management Project
- Truckee Meadows Flood Risks Management Project, Reno, Nevada
- Lynnhaven River Basin, Ecosystem Restoration Project
- Lake Worth Inlet, Palm Beach Harbor Navigation Improvements Project, Palm Beach County, Florida
- Jacksonville Harbor Navigation Improvements, Duval County, Florida
For more on these projects, click here. Congress may consider authorizing these projects—whether in full, in part, or not at all—in its final WRDA bill. To view the 23 projects that will likely be included in a final WRDA bill, see pages 155 through 160 of the House WRDA bill. A conference committee consisting of members of the House and Senate has been working to reconcile differences between their chambers versions of a WRDA bill since November 2013. AGC continues to press for prompt enactment of a final WRDA bill.
For more information, please contact Jimmy Christianson at (703) 837-5325 or christiansonj@agc.org.