Dive Brief:
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The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed the Water Resources Development Act of 2026, a bipartisan funding bill that would improve ports and harbors, inland waterways, flood and storm protection and other water infrastructure.
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The legislation authorizes 133 new feasibility studies for locally proposed water resources infrastructure projects and 14 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-vetted projects that are ready for congressional authorization. It also includes policy changes to speed up water infrastructure projects by giving local stakeholders more say in feasibility studies and helping them access Army Corps resources to get projects started.
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WRDA will strengthen flood control and infrastructure projects, according to a news release from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. It also ramps up studies of nature-based flood-management solutions, continuing a pivot away from large capital engineering projects, an analysis by the Water Program Portal states.
Dive Insight:
Congress has authorized Army Corps locally generated water resources infrastructure projects through bipartisan WRDAs every two years since 2014.
“WRDA 2026 makes significant improvements across the country to our inland waterways, ports and harbors, flood protection, and other critical water infrastructure,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves, R-Mo. in a news release. “This bill also makes common-sense reforms to the Army Corps of Engineers’ policies, empowers local communities, and expedites project delivery,”
The legislation directs the Corps to establish offices with expertise on inland navigation, alternative delivery, water supply and technical assistance, which “will improve communication and partnership between the Corps and non-Federal sponsors,” according to the National Association of Counties.
It also addresses dam safety through reauthorization of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Rehabilitation of High Hazard Potential Dam Grant Program and removes barriers to waterway remediation projects though the bipartisan CLEAN-UP Act.
“I am especially proud this package includes my bipartisan CLEAN-UP Act. We cannot keep waiting until after disaster strikes to act,” Rep. Nellie Pou, D-N.J., who sponsored the legislation, said in a statement. “We must be proactive and give our communities the tools to protect themselves before the next storm comes."
In a Sept. 16 letter urging House members to support WRDA 2026, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President and Head of Government Affairs Rodney Davis said the legislation brings “greater certainty to communities and businesses working to build critical infrastructure.”
“Sustained growth requires modern infrastructure, reliable water, resilient supply chains, and a permitting system that enables investment rather than slowing it down. WRDA is one of Congress’ most effective tools to meet that challenge,” the letter states.
The Water Program Portal noted in July that WRDA 2026 is an authorization, not an appropriations, bill, so all projects it earmarks may not end up in the final enacted bill.
Rep. Scott Franklin, R-Fla., a member of the Energy and Water Appropriation Subcommittee, said in a statement Thursday that he is “focused on making sure these priorities have the resources and direction needed to move from authorization to construction.”
“Congress can authorize important projects,” he said, “but we must also ensure the Corps can execute them efficiently and keep long-term work on schedule.”
The legislation, which passed by a vote of 415-9, now moves to the Senate for consideration.
