In mid-October, the Senate Armed Services Committee filed a manager’s amendment to the FY23 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that includes the Senate version of H.R. 7776, the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022, a key legislative vehicle for the inland waterways industry. WCI has advocated for a 75 percent general revenue/25 percent Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF) construction cost-share adjustment to be included in a final WRDA 2022 bill. This adjustment would provide additional significant investment to the construction and major rehabilitation of the nation’s lock and dam infrastructure. At press time (November 4, 2022), we await a vote on NDAA/WRDA 2022 and the outcome of the cost-share proposal.
With the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) now law, $2.5 billion has been allocated to inland waterways infrastructure and work continues on priority navigation projects across the system. IIJA’s $4 billion provided to the US Army Corps of Engineers’ Operations and Maintenance (O&M) account proved vital for dredging, as low-water conditions on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers caused disruption for barge transportation at the end of 2022.
The Inland waterways are crucial to the nation’s supply chain and offer a great benefit to American farmers who help to feed the world, shippers, manufacturers, steel and energy producers, agribusinesses, constructors, towboat operators, and consumers. Investment in America’s foundational infrastructure includes inland waterways’ locks and dams. As funds from the IIJA bill continue to roll out, jobs are created and sustained, the US balance of trade in the agriculture sector is strengthened, critical energy products keep the lights on, and the nation’s modernized inland waterways transportation system remains world-class.