The Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (WRDA 2024) is a critical piece of legislation that aims to address water infrastructure needs across the United States. This bill focuses on improving our nation's waterways, including the construction, maintenance, and repair of ports, harbors, and inland water systems. It ensures that our water resources are managed efficiently and sustainably, benefiting both recreational and commercial users.

Recently, both the House of Representatives and the Senate have passed their own versions of WRDA 2024. The House version notably includes the LAKES Act, which amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1992 and the Flood Control Act of 1968 to provide provisions relating to collection and retention of user fees at recreation facilities. The LAKES Act also provides the Army Corps of Engineers with the ability to reinvest recreation fees into the operations and maintenance of recreation access points, which helps support the outdoor recreation economy. BoatU.S supports these provisions.

While this is a significant step forward, it also means that there are now two different versions of the legislation. To resolve this, a negotiation process known as a conference committee will take place, where members from both chambers will work together to reconcile the differences and create a unified bill.

Once a consensus is reached, the final version will be sent to the President for approval and signature. This collaborative effort is essential for creating effective and comprehensive water resource management policies that address the diverse needs of our nation.