"The legislation seeks to streamline Army Corps of Engineers efforts to address floods and other issues, but it’s light on new projects."
"The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee proposed bipartisan legislation Friday that would authorize infrastructure and studies addressing flood risk and other water challenges, but the package is slimmer on new projects than past versions.
The Water Resources Development Act of 2026 includes 10 project authorizations and 131 new studies to be conducted by the Army Corps of Engineers. Four of the projects in the bill are new, while the other six are alterations of projects previously approved by Congress.
The bill would also direct the agency to prioritize various issues and studies that have been sidelined by the Trump administration, with provisions seeking to promote nature-based and nonstructural flood solutions.
“WRDA 2026 helps build and maintain safe and reliable waterways, flood protection, and other water infrastructure throughout the United States,” Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said in a statement. “This bill streamlines Corps of Engineers’ processes, providing targeted and commonsense reforms to improve project delivery and empower local stakeholders.”
Enacted every two years since 2014, the Water Resources Development Act has historically received widespread bipartisan support, but it got a slow start this year."
