Washington, D.C. - This Friday, April 20th, in Coos Bay, Oregon, the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment will hold a roundtable policy discussion on challenges states and communities face in rebuilding and determining possible solutions to address America’s water infrastructure needs. 

Representatives from public and private stakeholder groups with an interest in water resources infrastructure will join Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Garret Graves (R-LA), Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Peter DeFazio (D-CA), and other Committee members for the roundtable.

This roundtable is part of the Subcommittee’s work this Congress to develop the next Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) to improve the country’s ports, locks and dams, inland waterways, and other water resources infrastructure.  The Subcommittee kicked off WRDA development with a roundtable in Miami in October, 2017, and has since held several congressional hearings on the issue.

WRDA is legislation that authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to carry out navigation, flood control, shoreline protection, hydropower, dam safety, water supply, and environmental restoration activities nationwide.  This infrastructure is critical to the Nation’s competitiveness and is directly tied to job creation and economic development.  Under the leadership of the Subcommittee and the full Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Congress has returned to regular order in considering this vital infrastructure legislation every two years after passing WRDA laws in 2014 and 2016.