The House’s Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2024 (H.R. 8812) would:
- Authorize 12 new U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) water resources projects and 159 project feasibility studies;
- Reauthorize the National Dam Safety Program, a top legislative priority for ASCE, through 2028;
- Ease restrictions on the amount of funds states can receive in state assistance grants and improve access to the High Hazard Potential Dam Rehabilitation Grant Program;
- Require incorporation of low-head dams into the National Inventory of Dams;
- Include the Inland Waterways Regional Dredge Pilot Program;
- Authorize a new national coastal mapping program to support USACE navigation, flood risk management, environmental restoration, and emergency operations missions; and
- Extend the National Levee Safety Program through 2033.
The Senate’s bill (S. 4367) takes a more slimmed-down approach by authorizing fewer projects and feasibility studies, as well as making fewer policy changes. S. 4367 would:
- Adjust the federal cost share for Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF) projects by requiring only 25 percent of project costs to come from the IWTF and the rest be drawn from the General Fund.
- Require timely updates of the status of project permits on USACE’s online “permit finder”; and
- Create a Levee Owners Advisory Board at USACE to advise on matters of levee safety and flood risk mitigation.
ASCE believes the nation must prioritize the investment needs of our water resources infrastructure, which include dams, levees, ports, and inland waterways, to ensure public safety, a strong economy, and the protection of our environmental resources. In ASCE’s 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, dams and levees received a “D” grade, while inland waterways received a grade of “D+”. Ports fared better with a grade of “B+”.
ASCE urges the House and Senate to pass H.R. 8812 and S. 4367, respectively. Passage of WRDA in both chambers will ensure that conference negotiations can commence and produce a final agreement. This will not only ensure WRDA remains on track for final passage by the end of 2024 but would also provide ASCE with the opportunity to impress upon conferees the importance of including key provisions in both bills. These provisions include reauthorization of the National Dam Safety Program, commencement on a national inventory of low-head dams, and extension of the National Levee Safety Program in H.R. 8812; and adjustment of the Inland Waterways Trust Fund cost share formula in S. 4367.
Americans deserve safe and reliable water resources infrastructure systems; join us in urging Congress to pass WRDA 2024.