WJ Editorial: WRDA Wins Come None Too Soon For Waterway Infrastructure
The announcement of the finalized and reconciled Water Resources Development Act moving out of committee and the subsequent approval of the full House of Representatives on December 10 was welcome news. The new WRDA contains a lot of important wins for the inland waterways — most notably, making permanent the 75/25 split in federal cost-sharing for lock and dam projects. The change is equivalent to adding $460 million in appropriations, an increase of $131 million above the former 65/35 split. This funding change has been a long-term goal of our industry, and its achievement is due to years and years of hard work behind the scenes by industry advocates, especially the Waterways Council Inc.
At the same time, the sobering news about the damage to Wilson Lock, which is more extensive than originally estimated, should remind us that this funding change comes none too soon and is only one step—important though it is—in what must be a whole series of urgent actions to restore and preserve our crumbling waterways infrastructure. Wilson Lock, situated on the Tennessee River, transits about 8 million tons of cargo a year. On December 3, we learned that the main chamber of Wilson Lock will be closed to all commercial traffic through approximately next April as Corps engineers continue to assess damage to the gates and pintles.
The new WRDA does include one section that addresses that situation at Wilson Lock. Section 1370 directs the Corps to use all relevant authorities to expeditiously provide technical assistance, including engineering and design assistance and cost estimation assistance, to requesting federal entities to address the impacts to navigation along the Tennessee River at Wilson Lock and Dam.
Looking back, 2024 has seen a number of troubling emergency closures, including those at Demopolis, Holt and Wilson locks, all in Alabama. These lock failures are happening in a part of the country that has seen significant gains in manufacturing businesses that benefit from cheaper, more efficient barge transportation. Economists say a little-noticed but steady increase in manufacturing has been taking place in just such areas. A reliable system of locks and dams is necessary to support any revival of American manufacturing.
Wilson Lock is also a key transit point for large components of our space program, including Delta IV and Atlas V rocket stages, for which water transport is the most efficient way to move. That makes the repair and maintenance of these locks and dams a matter of urgent national security.
The incoming administration and Congress face many important challenges, but surely these unscheduled lock and dam closures rank among the most pressing issues that need to be quickly addressed.
