WRDA: Senate Briefing Held

On May 27, a scheduled hearing before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on the emerging Water Resources Development Act was postponed due to Senate consideration of the Iraq-Afghanistan war supplemental spending bill.  To allow the witnesses to still convey their messages, the hearing was turned into a staff and stakeholder briefing. Speakers included James Weakley, President, Lake Carriers' Association;  Mr. Stephen D. Little,  President and CEO, Crounse Corporation and Chairman, Inland Waterways Users Board; Mr. Bill Salina, County Commissioner, Cascade County, Montana; Mr. Rodney Mayer, Assistant Deputy Director, FloodSafe California and Committee Member, National Committee on Levee Safety; and Nathaniel Williams, Vice President and Director, Maryland/DC Chapter, The Nature Conservancy.

During his presentation, Californian Rodney Mayer encouraged staff to include creation of a National Levee Safety Program within the draft WRDA bill and provide states with incentives to improve safety measures. He also requested revisions to the current crediting rules with multi-crediting rules that would not impede the completion of construction timelines.  

On behalf of the Nature Conservancy, Nathaniel Williams called for a sustainable rivers approach throughout the bill and providing the Army Corps with expanded regional authorities.

A May 19 report by the Congressional Research Service on WRDA can be found here.