Fourth District of Arkansas | Fourth District of Arkansas website
Fourth District of Arkansas | Fourth District of Arkansas website
The U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held a markup session today to advance the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2024. Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-04) issued a statement regarding the development.
“The 2024 Water Resources Development Act is bipartisan, comprehensive policy compiled of locally driven initiatives to address the unique water infrastructure needs of communities nationwide. I was proud to secure key maintenance and development provisions to strengthen our supply chain, increase emergency readiness, and support outdoor water recreation in Arkansas. I commend Chairmen Graves and Rouzer and Ranking Members Larsen and Napolitano for their collaborative approach to this year’s WRDA, and I look forward to advancing this critical bill through the House Floor,” stated Westerman.
The WRDA of 2024 is biennial legislation aimed at supporting the viability, effectiveness, and conservation of waterways for both commercial and recreational purposes.
Congressman Westerman secured several policy priorities in the 2024 WRDA:
1. Phasing in a new retention structure at outdoor recreation sites managed by the U.S. Corps of Engineers to ensure fees remain at local sites rather than being delayed by federal bureaucracy.
2. Encouraging restored access to recreational activities such as snag fishing at Lake Dardanelle.
3. Guaranteeing that Arkansas has dredge access when needed most by ensuring that the Dredge McFarland and its replacement remain in “ready reserve” status for emergency events.
4. Extending the Independent External Peer Review Program to continue improving project planning quality and efficiency at the U.S. Corps of Engineers.
For further details on the bill, summaries and full texts are available online.
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