Water Resources Development Act Heads to House Floor

Legislation regarding U.S. investments in locks and dams and other inland waterways investments passed out of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee last week. The Water Resources Development Act of 2020 authorizes construction on 34 pending water infrastructure projects. It also gives the go-ahead on 35 separate feasibility studies on other projects.

A DTN report said the bipartisan bill that passed out of committee unanimously will now head to the House floor. Sam Graves of Missouri, the ranking member on the committee, recalled the devastating flooding in Missouri and other Midwest states in 2019. He says the bill includes language to implement changes that will help non-federal levees improve their flood protection. The bill also includes continuing to study the Lower Missouri River Basin Flood Risk and Resiliency Plan. That study will look at flood-control projects on the Missouri River south of the Gavin’s Point Dam in South Dakota. For flood-prone communities, the legislation also provides new authority for water projects to those communities who see repetitive flood challenges up to $15 million in federal cost-share.

The Waterways Council says this bill is a step in the right direction for inland waterways infrastructure improvements.

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