On Wednesday, October 23, 2013, the House passed H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA), with overwhelming bipartisan support (417-3). The bill authorizes $8.2 B in flood control, navigation, and water resources projects and studies by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, while deauthorizing $12 B in past projects. The bill contained provisions addressing multiple priorities for the NEMW and Mississippi River regions. Specifically includes an amendment to coordinate work combating Asian carp on the Ohio and Upper Mississippi Rivers, co-sponsored by Reps. Betty McCollum (MN-04) and NEMW Congressional Coalition Co-chair Mike Kelly (PA-03).  Great Lakes Task Force Co-Chairs, Reps. Candice Miller (MI-10), John Dingell (MI-12), and Louise Slaughter (NY-25) also saw a portion of their bill, H.R. 2273 the Great Lakes Navigation System Sustainability Act, included in the final WRRDA bill. The section designates the Great Lakes ports and harbors as a single navigation system for purposes of funding maintenance of the system, recognizing the interdependence of the ports and harbors throughout the Great Lakes. Further, the bill authorizes a GAO study on invasive species budget impacts including wide-ranging effects invasive species, like the zebra mussel and the Asian carp, have on ecosystems and economies.  Additionally, the bill reforms aspects of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, a fund intended to support regular harbor maintenance, like dredging, but spending out of the fund for these activities has not equaled the fees going in since 1997, despite growing maintenance needs.  The reforms encourage greater spending of the funds in order to fulfill dredging and other maintenance needs.  The bill is now poised to go to conference with the Senate, where differences between the two bills can be discussed and resolved. The Senate passed its bill, S. 601 the Water Resources Development Act, enacted in May and the House bill can be discussed and resolved.

The NEMWI has prepared an updated comparison of the two bills, simplifying the major sections with relevance to the NEMW region.