ASFPM Policy Priorities

WRDA

What It Is

The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) is a vital piece of legislation that authorizes water resource projects and programs undertaken by federal agencies, primarily focusing on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). WRDA serves several critical purposes in managing the nation’s water resources, including infrastructure projects, floodplain management, and water supply management.  It provides essential support for communities, floodplain managers, and other stakeholders in their efforts to understand, manage and sustainably utilize the nation’s water resources for the benefit of society.

Why It Matters

WRDA authorizes the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of various water-related infrastructure projects, such as flood control structures, dams, levees, navigation channels, and ecosystem restoration efforts. WRDA also authorizes the nation’s levee safety program and has several technical assistance programs that leverage USACE expertise in water resource management.  Recently, USACE has undertaken projects to relocate or elevate structures in communities vulnerable to repetitive flooding. These projects aim to address flood risks, improve water quality, enhance navigation, and protect natural resources.

WRDA includes provisions for ecosystem restoration, wetland preservation, and habitat enhancement to protect and restore natural resources and promote environmental sustainability, and supports floodplain management efforts by authorizing projects and programs to assess and provide options to reduce flood risks, enhance floodplain mapping and management capabilities, and improve community resilience to flooding events.

WRDA addresses water supply challenges by authorizing projects to enhance water storage capacity, improve water distribution systems, and promote water conservation and efficiency measures, and includes provisions for emergency response and recovery efforts in the event of natural disasters, such as hurricanes, floods, and droughts, enabling rapid deployment of resources and assistance to affected communities.

Our Position

ASFPM views WRDA as a vehicle to make progress on USACE policies and programs to ensure that activities and projects related to flood damage reduction ensure equal consideration and viability of non-structural approaches, robust support for the USACE’s technical assistance and partnership programs, and support natural and nature based solutions that are integrated into proposed USACE solutions. ASFPM supports the USACE’s ongoing research and development investments — such as  the Hydraulic Engineering Center (HEC) and Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) — and its increasing role in developing a national levee safety program. ASFPM does not typically advocate for specific projects in a WRDA bill.

Key Resources on WRDA

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