In the News

Inland Waterways Users Board Reactivated After Long Wait

On February 3, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced it is officially reinstating the Inland Waterways Users Board (IWUB) with its full complement of 11 members. IWUB is an advisory board that monitors the Inland Waterways Trust Fund and advises USACE and Congress on the Fund’s investment priorities. Along with other Federal advisory committees, IWUB operations were suspended in early 2021 as a result of the Department of Defense’s (DOD) zero-based review of all DOD Federal advisory committees. The USACE Director of Civil Works (CW) serves as IWUB Executive Director. The USACE Assistant Secretary of the Army (CW) serves as an Inter-Agency Observer, along with representatives of the Maritime Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Department of Agriculture. The composition of IWUB’s membership reflects a balanced representation of each of the inland waterways system’s six main geographic regions. A list of IWUB representatives (and their organizations) serving for IWUB’s current term—January 31, 2022 to January 30, 2024—can be found here USDA Releases Updated Report on the Role of U.S. Waterways in Agriculture On February 9, USDA released an updated A Reliable Waterway System Is Important to Agriculture report