In the News

In 2021, about 500 million tons of waterborne cargo transited America's inland waterways, a volume equal to roughly 14% of all intercity freight.  These products, valued at over $158 billion, were shipped on the portions of our inland waterways system that generate revenue for capital improvements by a fuel user fee on commercial vessels.  

 

Much of that tonnage travels through some of the 219 locks at 176 sites on the inland waterways system.

 

But the lock and dam infrastructure keeping the system moving is aging - 80% of America's locks have exceeded their engineered design life.

 

 

$16 in annual net economic benefits to the nation are generated by the Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works Mission for every $1 expended.

(Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

President's Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Budget Released

March 12, 2024   Waterways Council

March 11, 2024                        PRESIDENT’S FISCAL YEAR 2025 (FY25) BUDGET RELEASED   Today, the President released the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) budget that requests $7.22 billion for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’…

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Missouri River Basin Runoff Higher, But Only Because Of Early Snowpack Melt

March 8, 2024   The Waterways Journal

A warm February led to increased snowmelt and runoff in the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa, but didn’t do much to change the outlook for the coming year, the Northwestern Engineer Division reported March 7.   February runoff was 1.8 million acre-feet (maf.), 161 percent of average,…

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HOUSE PASSES FY24 APPROPRIATIONS BILL TO FUND CORPS OF ENGINEERS’ CIVIL WORKS PROGRAM

March 6, 2024   Waterways Council, Inc.

  HOUSE PASSES FY24 APPROPRIATIONS BILL TO FUND CORPS OF ENGINEERS’ CIVIL WORKS PROGRAM AVOIDS GRAVE SETBACKS TO INLAND WATERWAYS’ CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM   Today the House, with the Senate expected to follow, passed a $435 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations package…

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Congress nears passage of major spending measure with funds for construction and infrastructure

March 6, 2024   Engineering News-Record

After four stopgap spending bills and more than four months into fiscal year 2024, Congress is finally on the verge of approving the first of two appropriations measures to keep government agencies open—including their construction and infrastructure programs—through Sept. 30, the end of…

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Upper Miss Lock And Dam 2 Dewatered For Maintenance

March 5, 2024   The Waterways Journal

As part of its ongoing work to inspect and repair severallocks on the Upper Mississippi River, the St. Paul Engineer District dewatered Lock and Dam 2 at Hastings, Minn., on February 14 for inspection and repairs. With navigation at a pause, crews drained the lock chamber to inspect and repair the 90-year-old…

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Durbin Speaks At Groundbreaking For Starved Rock Breakwater Project

March 5, 2024   The Waterways Journal

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) was guest of honor at a February 16 groundbreaking ceremony for the Starved Rock Breakwater Project, a habitat restoration effort led by the Corps of Engineers that is designed to restore submerged aquatic vegetation in the Starved Rock Pool of the Illinois River.…

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Energy, enviro earmarks in the final fiscal 2024 bills

March 5, 2024   Politico

Many energy and environmental programs are in for cuts in spending legislation Congress is planning to pass in the coming days, but set-asides for lawmakers’ projects back home aren’t suffering.   The spending bill, which includes six fiscal 2024 bills, represents a huge year for congressional…

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Drought ends along Mississippi River, for now

March 4, 2024   Farm Policy News

WorkBoat’s Pamela Glass reported last week that “the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has officially declared an end to the severe drought that disrupted barge transportation along the Mississippi River system for more than a year.”   “Draft restrictions on vessels have been…

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