Works Budget News

“Not only does the top of the river move, but the bottom of the river also moves.” - James Bodron, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mississippi Valley Division, Regional Business Director.Dredging was the Herculean act that allowed much of the U.S. economy to keep chugging along as usual, at least for Midwest and Central states, as drought conditions threatened to shut down river traffic on the Mississippi River and its tributaries, during fall and winter 2022 and early 2023.The full scope of these U.S.

As we head toward the end of a very chaotic and COVID-filled 2020 and try to reflect on the positives, the inland waterways had a pretty good year overall. Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI), whose members depend on a modern, efficient inland waterways system, offers this look back, with hopes ahead for the passage of a Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) 2020 with our construction cost-share adjustment priority in the lame duck session of Congress.A disappointing FY21 budget requestIn February…

William P. Doyle is the new CEO & Executive Director of the Dredging Contractors of America (DCA). Twice a U.S. Senate confirmed Presidential appointee to the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), Doyle has, over the course of a long and celebrated career, worn many prestigious hats. Prior to his FMC appointment, Mr. Doyle served on cabinet and executive level boards and committees under both the Obama and George W. Bush Administrations. Before that, he served as an officer in the U.S. Merchant Marine as a U.S. Coast Guard licensed marine engineer aboard numerous classes of vessels.

Port Manatee and its stakeholders look to benefit from full federal funding of a feasibility study related to deepening of its channel and harbor area, the port said. Manatee Harbor, near the Gulf of Mexico entrance to Tampa Bay, is one of only 10 waterways in the continental United States identified for such U.S. Army Corps of Engineers funding in the fiscal 2016 civil works budget announced by President Obama Monday, February 2. “Port Manatee is deeply appreciative of this funding…

Spend dollars up on dredging, cubic yards moved down. Combined with a reduction in the USACE federal budget, the situation threatens a perfect storm for domestic requirements. U.S. dredging this decade, measured in cubic yards, is only half as active as it was in the early 1960s, with maintenance down slightly since then and new work off considerably, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or USACE. The nation’s spending on dredging in unadjusted dollars has swelled tenfold since the 1960’s, however.

Upon review of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014, Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) is pleased with the FY 2014 Energy & Water Development Appropriations funding level of $5.467 billion, a $748 million increase over the FY 2013 post-sequester enacted level. Within the Civil Works budget, the Construction General Account receives $1.656 billion and provides $163 million for the Olmsted Lock and Dam project. The legislation also establishes a cost-sharing formula for FY14…

Jim Hannon is Chief, Operations and Regulatory Division for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). He also provides leadership and oversight for activities within the USACE Lakes and Rivers and North Atlantic Regional Integration Teams. Hannon is a member of the Society of American Military Engineers and the American Society of Civil Engineers and was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in July 2010. After earning a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Mississippi State University in 1980, he began his career with the U.S.

Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) held a press event on March 8 at the National Press Club to address the President’s FY 2011 budget request for the Army Corps of Engineers, and to outline the new comprehensive, consensus-based package of recommendations formulated by an industry and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers working group to improve the reliability of the U.S. inland navigation system over the next 20 years. If adopted by Congress, these recommendations will better address the needs of the entire system and provide more funding for much needed infrastructure improvements. The set of recommendations is receiving strong indications of…

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) summarized its budget request for fiscal year 2009 for civil works. It includes $2.638 billion for operation and maintenance. This is the account from which harbor maintenance and dredging funds are derived. The Civil Works budget consists, in part, of $729 million from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund and $167 million from the Inland Waterways Trust Fund. Source: HK Law

The Civil Works budget proposed by the Bush Administration represents a 14 percent decrease from last year and falls far short of meeting the nation's water resources infrastructure needs, said the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA). The budget outline released on February 28 would decrease the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) Civil Works Budget to $3.9 billion. Last year Congress appropriated $4.54 billion, which still fell short of demand for water infrastructure improvements. Over the last five years, the Corps budget has not even kept pace with inflation. "While we are pleased the budget proposes to give priority to projects and programs with significant national benefits…

Waterways Council, Inc. expressed its appreciation to Congress which, in the recently completed lame duck session, passed an omnibus spending package which allocates $4.7 billion in FY 2005 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ civil works program. The bill includes $331.5 million for the Inland Waterways Users Board’s priority navigation projects – a $61 million increase over last year’s appropriations and $64.6 million over the President’s FY 2005 request for these projects. Specifically, the Omnibus Bill appropriated funds to the following critical infrastructure projects on the inland waterways system: Inner Harbor ($14.5 million)…

Public seaports across the United States are weighing in this week on the Administration's requested Fiscal Year 2006 federal budget. Ports are deeply concerned about recommended elimination of the Department of Homeland Security's Port Security Grant Program by lumping it into a sweeping new program that combines the security infrastructure needs of seaports with those of trains, trucks, busses and other public transit. In addition, ports are concerned about the Administration's proposed budget, which would significantly under-fund the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Civil Works program and needed deep-draft dredging projects. "Protecting America's marine facilities from acts of terrorism must be a top Administration priority and a shared responsibility between the ports…

After approval of a nearly $31.25 billion funding bill that includes $5.29 billion for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works program, American Association of Port Authorities President/CEO Kurt Nagle praised the Senate Appropriations Committee and its chairman, Sen. Nagle also applauded Energy & Water Subcommittee Chairman Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM) for his work in providing the leadership for developing and moving the bill through the subcommittee mark-up process and sponsoring the bill in full committee. "The Senate Committee’s approval today of $5.29 billion for the Corps’ FY’06 Civil Works program is a very positive signal that navigation projects at our nation’s seaports will get more of the funds they critically need to start…

Although it represents a decrease from the FY 2007 spending level President Bush’s FY 2008 proposed budget nonetheless requests the highest level of funding ever included in any President’s budget for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers water resources projects and programs, a total of $4.871b. Last year’s (FY 07) budget request was $4.733 billion. This budget request also proposes FY ’08 spending of $418 million for Inland Waterways Trust Fund financed projects, of which one-half will come from the dedicated Inland Waterways Trust Fund. The remainder would come from general treasury funds, as required under current law. The FY 2008 Civil Works Budget notes that…

President Clinton's budget transmitted to Congress includes $4.06 billion for the USACE Civil Works program. In addition, the program will include $322 million in non-federal contributions and trust fund receipts. Funding in this request will be used to continue the development of the nation's water resources, the efficient operations, maintenance and management of the nation's navigation, flood damage reduction, and multiple-purpose projects, the equitable regulation of wetlands, and the restoration of important environmental resources such as the South Florida Ecosystem. The budget also begins to address some of the Corp's long-term water resources infrastructure main-tenance requirements.

President Clinton's budget transmitted to Congress includes $4.06 billion for the USACE Civil Works program. In addition the program will include $322 million in non-federal contributions and trust fund receipts. Funding in this request will be used to continue the development of the nation's water resources, the efficient operations, maintenance and management of the nation's navigation, flood damage reduction, and multiple-purpose projects, the equitable regulation of wetlands, and the restoration of important environmental resources such as the South Florida Ecosystem. The budget also begins to address some of the Corps long-term water resources infrastructure main-tenance requirements.

President Clinton's budget transmitted to Congress includes $4.06 billion for the USACE Civil Works program. In addition the program will include $322 million in non-federal contributions and trust fund receipts. Funding in this request will be used to continue the development of the nation's water resources, the efficient operations, maintenance and management of the nation's navigation, flood damage reduction, and multiple-purpose projects, the equitable regulation of wetlands, and the restoration of important environmental resources such as the South Florida Ecosystem. The budget also begins to address some of the Corps long-term water resources infrastructure main-tenance requirements.