“WRDA 2026 makes significant improvements across the country to our inland waterways, ports and harbors, flood protection, and other critical water infrastructure. This bill also makes common-sense reforms to the Army Corps of Engineers’ policies, empowers local communities, and expedites project delivery,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO).

As approved by the House, WRDA 2026 authorizes 133 new feasibility studies for locally proposed water resources infrastructure projects and 14 projects that have been vetted by the Corps and are ready for construction authorization by Congress.

In addition, WRDA 2026 includes various policy changes to improve infrastructure project delivery. These include 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 resources to get projects off the ground.

The bill also improves the partnership between the Corps and non-federal interests by establishing offices with expertise on inland navigation, alternative delivery, water supply, and technical assistance. Policies in this bill will improve non-federal interests’ ability to obtain valuable technical assistance and to fund construction more quickly, as well as to encourage the Corps to increase use of multi-year contracts. Looking ahead, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee advanced its version of a WRDA bill in July, but Senate leaders have not set a date for consideration by the full chamber.