Congress authorizes water infrastructure projects

January 2021

Packed into the $2.3 trillion spending bill that includes $900 billion in coronavirus relief and a $1.4 trillion omnibus spending package passed by an overwhelming majority in Congress and signed by President Donald Trump was the biennial Water Resources Development Act reauthorization.

The water infrastructure package authorizes spending $9.9 billion for 46 new flood control, harbor, ecosystem and lock and dam projects on waterways across the nation and would authorize the study of 24 more projects.

The package includes unlocking and spending down the roughly $10 billion balance in the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, including allowing access to $500 million in appropriations to the Army Corps from the fund for the first year, fiscal year 2021, to tackle the backlog in federal navigation maintenance work at the nation’s ports and harbors.