House Appropriations Committee approves strong FY 2024 inland waterways funding

Image: Architect of the Capitol

The Waterways Council reports that the House Committee on Appropriations has approved, by a vote of 34-24, the FY 2024 Energy and Water Development (E&W) Appropriations Bill. Included in the bill are Community Project Funding (CPF) requests for Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF) construction projects.

• Overall proposed funding for Corps’ Civil Works is $9.57 billion, an increase of $910 million above FY23’s appropriated level, and $2.16 billion above the administration’s FY24 budget request.
• FY24 funding for construction projects on the inland waterways is $455.97 million, with $159.6 million from the Inland Waterways Trust Fund, which is a significant increase from the FY24 budget request of $0. The IWTF construction projects included are the following:
• Chickamauga Lock (Tennessee River): $236.8 million
• Lower Monongahela (Monongahela River, PA): $41 million
• McClellan–Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) Three Rivers (AR): $103.17 million
• Navigation & Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP), Navigation Portion (IL): $75 million
• The Corps’ Investigations account funding is $136.09 million, a decrease of $36.4 million from the FY23 enacted level and $6.25 million above the FY24 request. WCI secured an investigations request through the CPF process.
• Bayou Sorrel Lock Replacement Study (LA): $800,000
• Funding for Operations and Maintenance (O&M) is $5.50 billion, an increase of $418.12 million above FY23 and $1.19 billion above the administration request.

“WCI is grateful to the House Appropriations Committee and the Energy & Water Development Subcommittee for increasing funding from $0 in the President’s budget request for construction of inland waterways priority projects to $456 million,” said Tracy Zea, President/CEO of Waterways Council, Inc. in comments on the improved inland waterways funding. “This will continue critical modernization on the nation’s inland waterways, a vital part of our transportation supply chain.”