US House Passes Bipartisan Water Resources Development Act of 2022
On June 8th, the U.S. House voted 384-37 to pass the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act of 2022, which would seek to pave the way for national projects on dredging, commercial navigation, and flood control. Many of the bill’s provisions fall under the purview of the Army Corps of Engineers. The House bill provides $25.3 billion in funding. The Senate Environment & Public Works Committee has passed legislation similar to that of the House but is waiting for consideration by the full Senate. Congress has regularly approved WRDA legislation every two years since 2014. IFCA and our national association strongly support this much-needed water infrastructure legislation.
This legislation would also improve resources for the Mississippi River by including provisions to:
- Authorize a pilot project on the management of water levels to mitigate flooding or sedimentation and restore aquatic ecosystems on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Waterway system
- Authorize a Hydraulic Evaluation of Upper Mississippi River and Illinois River
- Authorize a management study in the Lower Mississippi River