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Summary:
Under its civil works program, the Army Corps of Engineers plans, constructs, and operates water resources facilities primarily for flood control, navigation, and environmental purposes. The 109th Congress is expected to consider authorizing Corps planning and construction activities, and to debate changes to Corps policies and practices, through a Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). Once activities are authorized, the appropriations process plays a significant role in their realization. For more information about Corps appropriations and operational issues, see CRS Issue Brief, Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Program: Issues for the 109th Congress . Legislative Status. Previous WRDAs have followed a loosely biennial schedule. Although some action was taken on WRDA bills in the 107th and 108th Congresses, no WRDA was enacted; the last enacted WRDA was in 2000. Action on a WRDA bill is expected early in the 109th Congress because pressure to authorize new projects has been building. Authorization of a few controversial projects and possible changes to Corps policies and practices are likely to shape a WRDA in the 109th Congress. Project Development Reform. Although WRDA bills and other proposed legislation in recent Congresses have contained provisions to change how the Corps formulates and reviews projects, no significant changes have been enacted. Upper Mississippi River-Illinois Waterway (UMR-IWW). Authorization of UMR-IWW navigation and ecosystem restoration investments is anticipated to be part of a WRDA debate in the 109th Congress. Some environmental and taxpayer advocacy groups oppose the large-scale navigation improvements recommended by the Corps. Navigation and agricultural interests insist that these measures are essential for reducing lock delays and maintaining global competitiveness of U.S. products. Defining the restoration's federal-nonfederal cost share and determining whether to link the funding for the ecosystem restoration with navigation improvements are likely to be among the more contentious aspects of UMR-IWW authorization. Everglades Restoration. Authorizations for two projects -- Indian River LagoonSouth and Picayune Strand -- as part of a federal-nonfederal restoration effort for the Florida Everglades also may be part of a WRDA debate. These projects are bringing attention to implementation issues with the larger restoration effort, and some critics question the extent to which completing these two projects will directly contribute to restoring freshwater flows through the central core of the Everglades. Coastal Louisiana Restoration and Protection. Authorization of investments in coastal Louisiana restoration also may be discussed as part of a WRDA. In early 2005, the Corps' Chief of Engineers recommended $2 billion in proposed activities to restore coastal wetlands in Louisiana over the next decade.
