The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee unanimously approved bipartisan legislation that would address improvements for the country’s water resources infrastructure.
U.S. Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO) said the legislation, the Water Resources Development Act of 2026, would invest in the nation’s ports and harbors, inland waterway navigation system, flood and storm risk management environment and other water-related resources. Since 2014, Congress has enacted the WRDA-authorized investments and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project every two years to improve water resources infrastructure, and WRDA-authorized projects from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are locally-driven projects that deliver regional and national benefits.
“Not only does WRDA 2026 help build and maintain safe and reliable waterways, flood protection, and other water infrastructure for our country, it streamlines Army Corps of Engineers’ processes, provides reforms to improve project delivery, and empowers local stakeholders,” Graves said. “For North Missouri in particular, WRDA 2026 advances a comprehensive flood control plan on the Missouri River, ensuring that people and property are the main priority when managing the river. It also expands the ways our levee owners can work with the Corps to build flood risk management infrastructure and provides necessary, streamlined assistance to levee districts facing maintenance challenges.”
The legislation authorizes 133 new feasibility studies for locally proposed water resources infrastructure projects and 14 Corps of Engineers projects ready for construction authorization by Congress. Additionally, the legislation includes policy changes to improve infrastructure project delivery, including strengthening and reauthorizing alternative project delivery programs, emphasizing non-federal interests’ input for feasibility studies, and helping ensure non-federal interests can find the right Corps projects.
“The Water Resources Development Act of 2026 (WRDA 2026) continues our committee’s biennial efforts to improve water resources infrastructure across the country, grow our economy, ensure communities can affordably access U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ expertise, and build resilient infrastructure in the face of more frequent and severe storms,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA) said. “In the Pacific Northwest and across the country, investments in ports, harbors, and inland waterways support good-paying jobs and are key to long-term economic growth.”