S. 4949 — Water Resources Development Act of 2026

This section requires the Secretary to develop within 90 days after enactment a plan identifying provisions needing guidance, rules, or appropriations, with timelines and a dissemination process to Corps of Engineers district and division offices, and to transmit the plan to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. It also mandates briefings to those committees every 90 days beginning 180 days after enactment until full implementation, 30 days advance written notice before issuing any guidance or rule, and assigns related duties to the Water Resources Development Act implementation team.

This section expands the Corps of Engineers’ required outreach and engagement efforts for potential non-Federal interests on water resources development authorities to include real estate authorities, including leasing authorities.

This section expands authority for non-Federal contributions to authorized water resources development projects by allowing the Secretary, on request of the non-Federal interest, to include in a project partnership agreement for a navigation project an option to accept contributed funds up to 10 percent above the maximum cost under subsection (a).

This section requires the Secretary to respond in writing within 30 days to information requests from members of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works or the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, permits extensions and briefings in place of written responses, and mandates monthly status briefings for the chair or ranking member upon request. It deems 32 specified reports required by prior Water Resources Development Acts final and transmitted to the committees within 15 days of enactment, and provides that any future report submitted to the Office of Management and Budget for review becomes final after 30 days.

This section requires the Secretary of the Army to provide non-Federal applicants for permission to alter Corps of Engineers civil works projects under 33 U.S.C. 408 with information on the application process, completeness requirements, review timelines, processing options (including categorical, single-phased, or multi-phased reviews), and post-approval actions. It authorizes the Secretary to furnish technical assistance through pre-application meetings, written guidance, or other means. It expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary should promptly convert Engineer Circular 1165-2-220 into a regulation and directs the Secretary to brief the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure every 30 days until the rulemaking begins.

This section delegates to District Commanders the management, review, and approval of decision documents for studies of projects under continuing authority programs. It requires simplified evaluation procedures for such studies, including limited alternatives analysis, condensed decision documents using existing data or non-Federal sponsor input, and accelerated milestones, except when a project would significantly increase risks to human life or safety.

This section requires each District or Division of the Corps of Engineers, within 30 days of a request from a Member of Congress representing a State or district in its geographic area, to provide written information on the status and readiness of all feasibility studies and water resources development projects for inclusion in work plans, spending plans, or the annual budget request. The information must include the annual capability (defined as the estimated amount of Federal funding that can be reasonably obligated) for the current fiscal year, the criteria used to prioritize the studies and projects, and any changes in prioritization from the prior fiscal year.

This section directs the Secretary to designate, within 180 days of enactment, any project carried out under a continuing authority program or an environmental infrastructure program or authority with a federal share not exceeding $50,000,000 as categorically excluded from National Environmental Policy Act environmental assessment and impact statement requirements.

This section requires the Inland Waterways Users Board to transmit its advice and recommendations on inland waterway construction and rehabilitation priorities concurrently to Congress, without prior review, approval, or comment by any federal officer or agency. It directs the Board to consider the capabilities of the Corps of Engineers, including any updates, when providing such advice. It also requires the Secretary of the Army to transmit any strategic review of the long-term capital investment program to Congress on the same date it is submitted to the Office of Management and Budget.

This section adds the Blackstone River watershed in Rhode Island, the Passumpsic River watershed in Vermont, Island End River in Massachusetts, Cobbs Creek and Darby Creek in Pennsylvania, and the western shoreline of Alaska to the areas eligible for studies and projects that reduce flood and storm damage or restore natural river and shoreline functions. It increases the annual per-project funding limit to $20 million (from $15 million).

This section authorizes the Secretary to reimburse non-Federal interests for costs of operation and maintenance activities on authorized navigation projects, up to $10 million per interest and $30 million total per fiscal year, subject to appropriations availability. It retains the existing authority allowing non-Federal interests to receive credit for such costs toward their share of construction costs on the same or another navigation project, capped at 20 percent of general navigation feature construction costs.

This section limits the design maturity the Secretary of the Army may require for a recommended water resources project in a Chief of Engineers report to less than 35 percent when a lower level suffices to prepare a class III cost estimate. It requires each such report to describe the project's level of design maturity, the contingency percentage of the cost estimate, and associated unknowns and risks, including geotechnical, hydrology and hydraulics, and survey data quality. It authorizes the Secretary to carry out preconstruction planning, engineering, and design activities for a proposed project after submission of a feasibility report, requires 180-day milestones and updated total project cost reports to the relevant congressional committees, and directs establishment of a separate appropriations account for those activities.

This section authorizes the University of Arkansas to conduct academic research on navigation, supply chain resilience, transportation efficiency, technological modernization, and management of water resources development infrastructure in Arkansas and on the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System.

This section requires the Secretary of the Army to continue and resume all authorized Corps of Engineers studies, projects, and activities funded through annual or supplemental appropriations or work plans, without subjecting resumptions to new investment decisions. It mandates written notifications to non-Federal interests on status, schedules, expenditures, and changes within 45 days of enactment and every 60 days thereafter, annual capability reports beginning February 1, 2027, and congressional notification of resumptions within 60 days; for studies developing project authorization recommendations, it prohibits completion without a Chief’s or Director’s Report, narrowing scope or alternatives without non-Federal interest approval, or delays exceeding 45 days.

This section requires the Secretary to ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that publicly available Corps of Engineers databases on recreational sites include data and information consistent and compatible with recreational site data from other relevant federal agencies.

This section requires the Secretary to coordinate with Federal agencies, non-Federal project sponsors, and other stakeholders on the scope and timeline of operations and maintenance activities, including dredging, at federally authorized ports and inland and intracoastal waterways. It also directs mitigation of impacts on vessel movement and improved communication about proposed activities.

This section prohibits termination of the National Nonstructural Committee without congressional authorization and directs it to develop guidance on nonstructural flood and coastal storm risk reduction features through stakeholder engagement. It establishes a Nonstructural Working Group of federal, state, local, and nonprofit representatives that must meet virtually at least quarterly with public agendas and minutes. It authorizes phased implementation of nonstructural features by municipality or neighborhood, requires voluntary property acquisitions and structure demolitions or relocations for projects authorized after enactment, and extends temporary relocation assistance from 10 years to 12 years.

This section authorizes the Secretary of the Army to conduct reviews determining credit for non-Federal in-kind contributions at key project design or construction milestones, upon joint agreement with the non-Federal interest. It also permits the Secretary to accept and expend non-Federal funds to perform those reviews before executing a partnership agreement or feasibility cost-sharing agreement.

This section authorizes the Secretary to conduct feasibility studies for 45 water resources development projects, including ecosystem restoration along the Mobile River in Alabama; navigation in Kodiak and Scow Bay, Alaska; flood risk management along the Susitna River in Alaska and the Comite River in Louisiana; coastal storm risk management in multiple California cities and Unalaska, Alaska; and similar studies for flood risk, coastal storm, ecosystem restoration, and navigation projects in Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Washington.

This section directs the Secretary of the Army to expedite feasibility studies or general reevaluation reports for 18 flood risk management, navigation, ecosystem restoration, and coastal storm risk management projects in Arizona, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Kansas, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia, and to proceed directly to preconstruction planning if justified. It also requires expedited completion of Chief’s or Director’s Reports for 12 additional projects in Alaska, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, New York, New Jersey, Texas, and Virginia, and expedited completion of 14 further projects and modifications in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, and West Virginia.

This section directs the Secretary to expedite review and coordination of feasibility studies for five water resources projects carried out under section 203(b) of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986: (1) the Fort Pierce Shore Protection Project in St. Lucie County, Florida, for hurricane and storm damage reduction; (2) the Central and Southern Florida Flood Resiliency Study for Broward Basins in Broward and Palm Beach Counties, Florida, for flood risk management; (3) the Cedar Port Navigation and Improvement District Channel Deepening Project in Baytown, Texas, for navigation; (4) the Raymondville Drain Project in the Lower Rio Grande Basin, Texas, for flood control; and (5) the Sabine–Neches Waterway in Texas, for navigation.

This section directs the Comptroller General to initiate three reviews within one year of enactment and report findings and recommendations to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The reviews cover (1) statutory and administrative requirements governing non-Federal contributions, including third-party and in-kind contributions, to Corps water resources studies and projects; (2) policies on induced flooding determinations for project alternatives and their effects on costs, feasibility, and mitigation; and (3) Corps engineering and design activities, including the extent of private-sector procurement across mission areas and districts and potential benefits for reducing delays and costs.

This section directs the Secretary to expedite completion of technical reports, Chief of Engineers reports, Deputy Commanding General reports, and other documentation needed to advance projects managing flood risk, including from glacial lake outburst flooding, in Juneau, Alaska. It further requires the Secretary to proceed directly to preconstruction planning, engineering, and design for any project determined to be justified that requires additional congressional authorization.

This section authorizes the Secretary to analyze, at full Federal expense using water resources development investigation funds, measures that benefit Federal land in the ongoing Coastal Virginia feasibility study for flood risk management, ecosystem restoration, and navigation authorized by section 1201(9) of the Water Resources Development Act of 2018. It preserves the ability of other Federal agencies to contribute funds and maintains existing cost-sharing requirements for any resulting construction.

This section expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary should consider using existing or future annual appropriations to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct the study and report on the Upper Rio Grande Basin required under section 1230 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2024.

This section directs the Secretary to expedite completion and submission of the comprehensive plan for restoring, preserving, and protecting northern estuaries in Florida, including elimination of harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee, as required under the Water Resources Development Act of 2022.

This section requires the Secretary to brief the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, within 180 days of enactment, on the status of the report on antecedent hydrologic conditions in the Missouri River basin and the report on recreational boating in the Great Lakes basin, including any challenges in completing those reports.

This section directs the Secretary of the Army to expedite completion of the Chief of Engineers report for the Buffalo Bayou and Tributaries Resiliency Study in Texas, carried out under the 2018 Further Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, and to incorporate information and recommendations from the report submitted to Congress under section 1221 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2024.

This section directs the Secretary of the Army to use authorities under section 2006(a) of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 or section 1148(b) of the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 when carrying out the feasibility study for modifications to the Honolulu Harbor navigation project, initiated on September 23, 2022. It also requires the Secretary to resume the study without a new start or investment decision if terminated before enactment.

This section directs the Secretary to brief the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure within 90 days of enactment on the status of implementing the Corps of Engineers asset review under section 6002 of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014. The briefing must cover actions taken, any incomplete requirements, identified funding constraints, and a completion schedule.

This section expresses the sense of Congress that statutorily required water resources reports should be submitted on time and directs the Secretary of the Army to submit the latest biennial report on expediting hydropower at Corps of Engineers facilities to the Senate and House committees on environment, transportation, and appropriations within 90 days of enactment.

This section directs the Secretary to expedite completion of the Charleston Tidal and Inland Flood Risk Management Feasibility Study and the Charleston Peninsula Coastal Storm Risk Management Project, and to collaborate with the non-Federal interest on coastal and inland flood risk in Charleston. It requires the Secretary to analyze whether features recommended in the feasibility study report are substantially similar to those in the project report and, if so, to incorporate them into the project. It also directs the Secretary to proceed directly to preconstruction planning, engineering, and design if the feasibility study project is justified in a completed report.

This section directs the Secretary to brief the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure within 180 days of enactment on deferred maintenance at recreational sites and facilities along the Missouri River in North Dakota, including Lake Sakakawea. The briefing must cover project lists and total estimated costs, strategies such as completed or planned work and partnerships with non-Federal or private entities, annual visitor data if available, and statutory limits on entering agreements with non-Federal entities.

This section expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary should consider using existing or future annual appropriations to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to carry out the study and report required under section 158(a) of the Water Resources Development Act of 2020.

This section directs the Secretary to submit a report within 180 days of enactment to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on the condition of lock and dam facilities on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway system, the Black Warrior Waterway system, and the Tennessee River system. The report must address reliability and performance data, efforts to maintain navigation including stakeholder engagement, and future funding needs for operations, maintenance, and rehabilitation.

This section directs the Secretary to brief the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure within one year of enactment on opportunities for the Corps of Engineers to contract with private entities for the design and procurement of dredging vessels owned and operated by the Corps. It requires discussion of any current or previous efforts and identification of associated benefits and challenges, including costs and the acquisition process.

This section directs the Secretary of the Army to submit, within one year of enactment, a report to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on encroachments at the Missouri portion of the Table Rock Lake project. The report must describe each encroachment’s location coordinates or GIS data, land quantity, structure type, estimated initial date, and supporting evidence; assess impacts on the project’s authorized purposes; and include any owner-provided claims of historical use or boundary disputes.

This section requires dredged material management plans to prioritize, to the maximum extent practicable, maximization of beneficial use of dredged material and to cover a period of at least 20 years.

This section directs the Secretary to brief the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure within 180 days on implementation of section 8136 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2022, including the status and timeline for required guidance, any leases exceeding 25 years entered under 10 U.S.C. 2667 or the Flood Control Act of 1944, and identified implementation challenges.

This section directs the Secretary to submit a report, not later than one year after enactment, to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on the extent to which publicly owned surface transportation infrastructure in the Mobile River or Mobile Bay, Alabama, affects the Corps of Engineers' ability to operate, maintain, or modify the Mobile Harbor navigation project authorized by the Water Resources Development Act of 1986. The Secretary must coordinate with relevant Alabama state agencies, local agencies, and stakeholders.

This section requires the Secretary of the Army to complete an Integrated Deficiency Report for the spillway basin at Wehrspann Lake, part of the Papillion Creek Basin flood protection project in Nebraska authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1968, and to submit the findings to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

This section expresses the sense of Congress that commercial navigation along the Apalachicola–Chattahoochee–Flint River System is important to economic growth in Alabama and that the Secretary should ensure safe and reliable movement of goods. It requires the Secretary to submit a report within 180 days to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on actions taken to maintain and improve such navigation.

This section requires the Secretary to brief the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, within 180 days of enactment, on shoreline management plans for Corps of Engineers water resources development projects. The briefing must address the process for reviewing and revising those plans, including opportunities for non-Federal public entities to request reviews and recommendations for improvement; the extent to which recreation and economic development opportunities are considered; and the implementation status of section 164 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2020, including structures identified for enhanced development and any implementation challenges.

This section expands the list of priority river basins and watersheds that the Secretary must consider first when assessing water resources needs to include the Ohio River Basin in Pennsylvania, Peachtree Creek and Nancy Creek Basins in Atlanta, Georgia, Muskegon River Watershed in Michigan, and Humboldt River Watershed in Nevada.

This section directs the Secretary to consider and select measures or alternatives for the Imperial Streams Salton Sea ecosystem restoration study, authorized by Senate resolution on April 28, 2016, without excluding any solely because the land is under another Federal agency's jurisdiction. It allows other Federal agencies to contribute funds for analysis benefiting their land and preserves existing cost-sharing requirements for any resulting construction.

This section authorizes the Secretary to conduct a study of flood risk management and hurricane and storm damage reduction in Greater Providence, Rhode Island, covering the municipalities of Providence, North Providence, Pawtucket, East Providence, Johnston, Cranston, Warwick, West Warwick, East Greenwich, Barrington, Warren, Bristol, and North Kingstown. The study must formulate alternatives addressing comprehensive flood risk, evaluate measures to reduce residual risk from the Rhode Island Coastline coastal storm risk management project and to supplement the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier (including a new barrier at Fields Point), and adopt a 100-year period of analysis.

This section requires the Secretary to brief the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on the outcomes of the final biological opinion under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1536) for the operation of the Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir System, the Bank Stabilization and Navigation Project, and the Kansas River Reservoir System, including the data included in the opinion, within 30 days after publication.

This section directs the Secretary to submit a report within 90 days of enactment to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on efforts by the Secretary and the Alaska District of the Corps of Engineers to implement Executive Order 14153 on unleashing Alaska's resource potential. The report must address staffing levels and needs in the Alaska District, procedures for environmental review and permitting compliance, and any challenges to full implementation.

This section extends the Non-Federal project implementation pilot program to September 30, 2030 (from June 10, 2019).

This section directs the Secretary to expedite completion of the study of mitigation and beach restoration plans for Oceanside, California, authorized by section 414 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2000. The resulting Chief’s report must recommend a plan that avoids seawalls, jetties, groins, breakwaters, and similar structures; incorporates natural features and nature-based features (as defined in 33 U.S.C. 2289a(a)); and relies on updated sediment sampling and analysis. The Secretary may proceed directly to preconstruction engineering and design if the plan is technically feasible and environmentally acceptable, and must implement the locally preferred plan if the City of Oceanside pays any added costs.

This section directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Engineer Research and Development Center, to submit a report within 1 year of enactment to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on hydrokinetic energy technologies in the Mississippi River. The report must address associated benefits, potential impacts on authorized purposes of water resources development projects along the river, and necessary permits or approvals.

This section directs the Secretary to brief the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, within 180 days of enactment, on implementation of section 1154 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 and its amendments on retention of recreation fees. The briefing must cover projects at recreation sites and facilities that received funding through Corps of Engineers work plans under 16 U.S.C. 460d–3(b)(4) and any associated implementation challenges.

This section expedites completion of three Corps of Engineers feasibility studies and authorizes the Secretary to proceed directly to preconstruction planning, engineering, and design if a project is justified. It modifies the Washington Metropolitan Area water supply study to include phased investigation of long-term backup water supply solutions; adds regional sediment management to the Delaware Inland Bays watershed study; and adds ecosystem restoration to the Dearborn and Dearborn Heights, Michigan study.

This section directs the Secretary of the Army to use existing authority under the Water Resources Development Act of 2020 and evaluate methodologies for addressing distributional effects, consistent with Office of Management and Budget guidance, when conducting the feasibility study for flood risk management modifications on the Hoosic River in Massachusetts. It also requires the Secretary to resume the study without a new start or investment decision if the study was terminated before enactment.

This section authorizes the Secretary to periodically conduct wildfire risk assessments for federally authorized dams, reservoirs, and associated infrastructure under the jurisdiction of the Corps of Engineers in Arizona. The assessments must consider wildfire exposure risks to authorized purposes such as navigation, flood control, hydropower, water supply, recreation, and aquatic ecosystem restoration; corresponding risks to communities from potential failures; post-wildfire functionality including sedimentation and debris flows; relevant Federal, State, and local studies and data; and mitigation strategies.

This section authorizes environmental infrastructure assistance under the Water Resources Development Act of 1992 in the form of grants or reimbursements of project costs. It authorizes $3,300,000 for Nelson Lagoon, Alaska; $2,100,000 for Ouzinkie, Alaska; $1,300,000 for Soldotna, Alaska; $7,000,000 for Sitka, Alaska; $10,000,000 each for Kingman and Santa Cruz County, Arizona; and specified amounts ranging from $1,000,000 to $30,000,000 for 25 additional projects in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Minnesota.

This section sets the non-Federal share of costs at 10 percent for environmental infrastructure projects benefiting economically disadvantaged communities in West Tennessee carried out under sections 219(f)(582) and 219(f)(583) of the Water Resources Development Act of 1992.

This section deauthorizes portions of three federal water projects. It terminates federal authorization for 33 specified flood channels in the Los Angeles County Drainage Area, California, 18 months after enactment, provided the Los Angeles County Flood Control District agrees to operate, maintain, repair, and replace them in perpetuity at its own expense without reducing flood protection. It immediately deauthorizes the Dos Rios Ranch levee system on the Lower San Joaquin River, California. It also deauthorizes a portion of the Harlem River federal navigation channel in New York.

This section requires the Secretary of the Army to submit analyses within 180 days to the Senate and House committees of jurisdiction on the impacts to authorized Corps of Engineers water resources projects if specified federal properties are conveyed to nonfederal entities or if restrictions and reversionary interests are removed. The properties total approximately 456 acres and include sites in Corona, California; Benton County, Washington; Kinzua Dam and Allegheny Reservoir in New York and Pennsylvania; and Granite City, Illinois.

This section limits the Secretary of the Army to no more than $90,000,000 in expenditures under the high hazard potential dam rehabilitation program for the Waterbury Dam Spillway Project in Vermont.

This section sets the federal share of design and construction costs at 90 percent for Rio Grande environmental management program projects that benefit economically disadvantaged communities in Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas.

This section directs the Secretary to use alternative methods for disposing of dredged material when maintaining the authorized Federal depths and widths of Mobile Harbor, Alabama, to the maximum extent practicable, unless such methods would negatively affect authorized project purposes, available operation and maintenance funds are insufficient, or other circumstances prevent compliance. It also requires the Secretary to consider authorities under section 125 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2020 and to minimize thin-layer placement of dredged material.

This section extends the expedited review period for small water storage projects to 11 years (from 10 years) beginning December 27, 2020, and reauthorizes the program through 2031 (from 2030). The program enables the Secretary to study and construct new small water storage projects or enlarge existing ones, in partnership with non-Federal interests, with capacities between 2,000 and 30,000 acre-feet.

This section directs the Secretary of the Army to prepare and submit to the congressional authorizing committees an encroachment resolution plan for the Lake Eufaula, Oklahoma flood control project. The plan must describe the encroachments and their impacts on authorized purposes, analyze alternatives to removal, estimate costs and timelines, and identify resolution options such as easements or licenses. It requires notice to affected owners within 30 days of identification and a public comment opportunity, and it prohibits compelled removal of encroachments unless Congress specifically authorizes such action.

This section deems projects under the Great Lakes fishery and ecosystem restoration program to be water resources development projects eligible for implementation by non-Federal interests. It requires non-Federal interests to ensure removal and remediation of hazardous substances at project sites in accordance with applicable law and to pay those costs separately from total project costs.

This section directs the Secretary to expedite, to the maximum extent practicable, the review of necessary permits submitted by the non-Federal public entity for a recreation project near the intersection of United States Route 60 and Jefferson Road in South Charleston, West Virginia.

This section expands the Secretary's authority to perform dredging at Federal expense within and adjacent to an anchorage area established or designated by the Coast Guard, including any anchorage located within or adjacent to a federally authorized navigation channel. It specifically includes the Pilottown Anchorage on the Mississippi River, Louisiana, extending from River Mile 6.7 to Mile 1.2 Above Head of Passes.

This section expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary should coordinate with other applicable Federal agencies and use all relevant statutory authorities to assist non-Federal entities in the accreditation of levees in Farmington, New Hampshire.

This section expands the harmful algal bloom demonstration program to lakes and reservoirs in Pennsylvania. It increases the authorization of appropriations to $45,000,000 (from $35,000,000) and broadens eligible activities to include mitigation or treatment of harmful algal blooms.

This section requires non-Federal interests to pay 20 percent of the costs to construct land-based and aquatic dredged material placement facilities for operation and maintenance of the Lower Willamette and Columbia Rivers navigation project from Portland to the sea. Non-Federal interests may spread those payments over up to 30 years after construction at the interest rate set under section 106 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986, with land, easements, rights-of-way, and relocations credited toward the share. The Secretary must coordinate construction and placement activities in advance with affected state and local governments and share associated monitoring data.

This section directs the Secretary of the Army to assess the ownership and condition of the approximately 1,850-foot-wide and 40-foot-deep concrete cutoff wall spanning the Mississippi River between the 3rd Avenue Bridge and the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that was constructed between 1874 and 1876. It permits reliance on geophysical investigations commissioned by the State of Minnesota and requires a briefing on the results to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

This section directs the Secretary to carry out the navigation project at Port of Nome, Alaska, in accordance with the Chief of Engineers' recommended plan dated May 29, 2020. It prohibits the Secretary from materially reducing the project's scope or functional capability when preparing a decision document under section 902 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 in a manner that diminishes national security, Arctic access, navigation safety, regional economic activity, or regional community viability.

This section directs the Secretary to expedite the assessment of repairs needed for the Dardanelle Lock and Dam navigation project on Lake Dardanelle, Arkansas.

This section directs the Secretary to evaluate and give due consideration to including a new dredged material dewatering facility in the dredged material management plan for Ashtabula Harbor, Ashtabula, Ohio, to the maximum extent practicable.

This section expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary should address the frequency and severity of ice jams along the Missouri River in Nebraska when updating the Master Water Control Manual for the Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir System. It further states that the Secretary should consider operational changes to reduce resulting power outages and public safety impacts, and increase coordination with affected Nebraska stakeholders, to the maximum extent practicable and consistent with the system's authorized purposes.

This section sets the Federal share of the cost of the coastal storm risk management project for Rhode Island Coastline, Rhode Island, at 90 percent.

This section increases the authorization of appropriations for Puget Sound and adjacent waters restoration in Washington to $80 million (from $60 million) and to $15 million (from $10 million) for a related component.

This section directs the Secretary to expedite, to the maximum extent practicable, the review of documentation necessary for a long-term lease agreement between the United States and the Town of Duck, North Carolina, for the parcel at 1259 Duck Road, including improvements on that land.

This section expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary should maintain water levels necessary to support the authorized purposes of the Garrison Dam project, including municipal and industrial water supply, when updating the Water Control Manual for Snake Creek Embankment and Lake Audubon Reservoir, North Dakota.

This section expands the rural water supply program under section 595 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1999 to include Colorado and South Dakota. It increases the authorization of appropriations to $880 million (from $850 million) and sets the federal cost share at 90 percent for projects benefiting economically disadvantaged communities.

This section authorizes the Secretary to carry out small flood risk management projects in West Virginia under the procedures of 33 U.S.C. 701g. For projects benefiting economically disadvantaged communities, it deems benefits to exceed costs and reduces the non-Federal cost share to 10 percent. It authorizes appropriations of $15,000,000 for each fiscal year.

This section authorizes the Secretary to enter into cooperative agreements with any Indian Tribe whose land in New Mexico is occupied by a Corps of Engineers flood control project. The agreements may cover operation and maintenance, land or natural resources management, and recreation development or management activities at the project.

This section directs the Secretary to use all applicable statutory authorities and programs to monitor, control, and eradicate invasive species, including zebra mussels, in South Dakota to the maximum extent practicable.

This section directs the Secretary of the Army to address issues raised by landowners with property adjacent to Corps of Engineers land in North Dakota, to the maximum extent practicable and consistent with applicable authorities. It requires the Secretary to consider granting easements on such land, subject to terms and conditions necessary to protect federal interests.

This section authorizes the Secretary of the Army to study extending federal participation in the shoreline restoration feature of the Assateague Island project in Maryland and Virginia under the existing authority to extend periodic beach nourishment beyond the fiftieth year after construction.

This section expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary should coordinate with relevant stakeholders in Ohio to address dredging and dredged material placement needs at the Toledo Harbor federal navigation channel, and ensure the channel's continued navigation to support access to the Great Lakes Navigation System and regional economic activity.

This section directs the Secretary of the Army to continue implementing projects under section 202 of the Energy and Water Development Appropriation Act, 1981, in accordance with historical guidance, policies, and procedures, including those in Engineer Circular CEORDR 1105–2–4 (March 10, 1992). It prohibits application of any subsequent nonstructural flood risk management guidance developed for the Corps of Engineers civil works portfolio.

This section directs the Secretary to ensure the Alaska District of the Corps of Engineers has adequate staffing and resources to carry out its essential missions and functions, including regulatory activities, taking into account the district's geographic boundaries and other relevant characteristics.

This section increases the authorization of appropriations for projects of alternative or beneficially modified habitats for fish and wildlife to $150 million (from $120 million). It expands such projects in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries to include restoration and rehabilitation of freshwater mussels, authorizes construction and upgrading of facilities for propagation and rearing of freshwater mussels and host fish, and requires related activities to follow restoration plans and strategies.

This section directs the Secretary to provide full credit toward the non-Federal share of costs for the Pajaro River flood risk management project in Watsonville, California, for the value of required land acquired in fee title by the non-Federal interest.

This section expands the water resources development program for Southeastern Pennsylvania and the Lower Delaware River Basin to include the Upper Delaware River Basin. The basin is defined as the Upper Delaware, Lackawaxen, Lehigh, and Middle Delaware subwatersheds located in Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey.

This section increases the authorization of appropriations for water resources development projects in southern West Virginia to $220,000,000 (from $170,000,000).

This section sets the federal cost share at 90 percent for the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal restoration project near Cumberland, Maryland, when the project benefits an economically disadvantaged community (as defined in the Water Resources Development Act of 2020).

This section directs the Secretary to maintain the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway at its authorized depth and width in Texas and Louisiana to the maximum extent practicable. It requires the Secretary to brief the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure within 30 days if maintenance cannot be achieved.

This section directs the Secretary to amend Contract DACW43–88–C–0088, within 90 days of a request from the Governor of Illinois, to release all state rights to utilize water storage space in Rend Lake. It relieves Illinois of obligations to pay its allocated shares of annual operation and maintenance expenses, major replacement costs, and major rehabilitation costs for the reservoir project.

This section releases 375 acre-feet of future use storage under water supply contract DACW43–88–C–0036 for the Clarence Cannon Dam and Mark Twain Lake project in Missouri, and 13,100 acre-feet under contract DA–01–076–CIVENG–65–362 for the Okatibbee Reservoir in Mississippi. It relieves the State of Missouri and the Pat Harrison Waterway District of obligations to pay the associated share of annual operation and maintenance expenses, major replacement costs, and major rehabilitation costs for unused storage until use begins, and relieves the District of any such obligations owed on the date of enactment.

This section directs the Secretary to reimburse the non-Federal interest for advanced funds provided as the Federal share of construction costs for the Brazos Island Harbor Channel Improvement Project, Texas, as soon as practicable after completion of each contract.

This section expresses the sense of Congress that the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet ecosystem restoration project in Louisiana, authorized in 2007, is important for restoring critical habitat. It authorizes the Secretary to use easements to satisfy the project's real estate requirements.

This section expresses the sense of Congress that the McClellan–Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System is a critical component of the inland waterways system supporting regional manufacturing, agriculture, energy, and freight mobility; that reliable operation is essential to preventing supply chain disruptions and economic losses; that the System faces a critical maintenance backlog; and that the Secretary should prioritize funding for its operation, maintenance, rehabilitation, and modernization to the maximum extent practicable.

This section expands the Northeastern Minnesota water resources development project to include Lake of the Woods and increases the authorization of appropriations to $83 million (from $80 million).

This section extends the authorization of appropriations for the aquatic invasive species control program under subsection (g)(2) through FY2031 (from FY2029). It establishes a 65 percent federal cost share for support activities under the program. It expands the geographic scope to include the Wood–Pawcatuck River Basin and the Narragansett Bay and South Coastal Drainage Basins, adds Eurasian watermilfoil to the species addressed, and directs the Secretary of the Army to support management and prevention of aquatic invasive plants, including hydrilla and Eurasian watermilfoil, in the Lake Erie Drainage Basin and the Ohio River Basin in Ohio.

This section expresses the sense of Congress that commercial fishing provides regional and national economic benefits, including domestic food security and workforce opportunities in Alaska. It requires the Secretary to brief the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure within 180 days on the incorporation of commercial fish landings data into benefit-cost analyses for federally authorized navigation projects in Alaska, including any barriers.

This section authorizes the Secretary of the Army to apply the pump station rehabilitation program to an eligible pump station evaluated in a general or limited reevaluation of the associated flood or coastal storm risk management project or in a study of modifications to that project.

This section increases the authorization for the Lower Blackstone River, Rhode Island project to $20 million (from $15 million) and sets the federal cost share at 90 percent. It directs the Secretary to validate and carry out a cost-effective project plan submitted by the non-federal interest and permits the non-federal interest to accelerate its cash contribution before appropriations are available.

This section permits funds provided by a Federal agency for work carried out by the non-Federal interest on the Grand Prairie Region and Bayou Meto Basin flood control project in Arkansas to count toward the non-Federal share of project costs, notwithstanding the date of the project partnership agreement.

This section requires the Secretary to brief the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, not later than 180 days after enactment of the Water Resources Development Act of 2026, on any technical and cost estimation assistance provided for the Wilson Lock Floating Guide Wall.

This section expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary should prioritize flood risk management along the Platte River, Nebraska, to the maximum extent practicable and consistent with authorized purposes, in order to reduce future flooding risks and protect human life and property.

This section sets the non-Federal cost share at 10 percent for authorized flood risk management projects or separable elements in the Upper Guyandotte River Basin, West Virginia, that benefit economically disadvantaged communities and result from the study authorized by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on February 25, 2004.

This section expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary should use the final environmental impact statement and record of decision signed October 21, 2014, for the Shoreline Restoration and Management Plan at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to reduce costs and timelines for the feasibility study of the shoreline damage reduction project at Burns Waterway Harbor, Indiana, authorized by section 1009 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007.

This section increases the federal share of costs for the Westminster, East Garden Grove flood risk management project in California to 90 percent if the national economic development plan benefits an economically disadvantaged community, providing up to $150,000,000 in additional funds.

This section directs the Secretary to brief the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, within one year of enactment, on the impact of recent extreme weather events on Corps of Engineers navigation projects along the Tennessee River, including any identified challenges to continued operations during and after such events and any necessary repairs to restore project function.

This section extends the Columbia River Basin program through 2029 (from 2027).

This section expresses the sense of Congress that federally authorized shallow draft and recreational harbors in the Great Lakes Navigation System are critical to the economic vitality of coastal communities in the Great Lakes region and that the Secretary should use existing statutory authorities to address their dredging needs to the maximum extent practicable.

This section directs the Secretary to coordinate with relevant federal agencies and state and local agencies in North Dakota, and to expedite activities necessary to address risks associated with the Williston Levee, to the maximum extent practicable.

This section directs the Secretary to coordinate with relevant Federal agencies, to the maximum extent practicable and consistent with applicable authorities, to facilitate the safe and efficient movement of goods at the Port of Mobile, Alabama, and associated connecting channels.

This section converts the terrestrial noxious weed control pilot program into a permanent program and requires the Secretary of the Army to prioritize, to the maximum extent practicable, identification and development of strategies to control noxious weeds on Federal land under the Secretary’s jurisdiction in the Upper Missouri River Basin.

This section authorizes the Secretary to increase channel dimensions at entrances, bends, sidings, and turning places in the St. Mary’s River navigation project in Michigan if the Secretary determines such increases are necessary to allow for the free movement of vessels.

This section authorizes the Secretary to reimburse the non-Federal interest for the Coos Bay, Oregon navigation project for the lesser of its reasonable incremental costs or the estimated federal maintenance dredging costs to restore the project to authorized depth during construction of deepening and widening improvements. Total reimbursement is limited to $10 million in any fiscal year.

This section excludes low-head dams listed as State-regulated dams from the inventory used to allocate two-thirds of annual National Dam Safety Program funds among qualifying States in proportion to the number of such dams.

This section requires the Secretary of the Army to develop a contingency plan at federal expense, in coordination with downstream communities and other federal agencies, to address increased turbidity levels from Detroit Dam operations in the Willamette River Basin, Oregon, that could halt downstream water treatment systems. It also authorizes the Secretary to provide emergency supplies of clean water under existing emergency authorities if such cessation occurs.

This section authorizes the Secretary to carry out 15 water resources development projects for navigation, flood risk management, ecosystem restoration, hurricane and storm damage reduction, and modifications. The projects include the Gulfport Harbor navigation project at $548 million total, the New York–New Jersey Harbor flood risk project at $278 million total, the Central Everglades Planning Project at $12.3 billion total, the Kentucky Lock Addition at $2.7 billion total, and the Chickamauga Lock Replacement at $1.6 billion total, with federal and non-federal cost shares as specified in the designated Chief’s reports dated between July 2025 and June 2026.

This section deauthorizes the North Topsail Beach portion of the Surf City and North Topsail Beach coastal storm risk management project in North Carolina, effective upon enactment, in accordance with the Supplemental Report of the Chief of Engineers dated December 9, 2025.

This section reduces annual funding for the emergency grant program for public water systems to $30,000,000 for fiscal years 2027 through 2030 (from $35,000,000 for 2022 through 2026). It increases annual funding for technical assistance to small public water systems to $26,000,000 for fiscal years 2027 through 2030 (from $15,000,000 for 2022 through 2026).

This section expands uses of Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund amounts to include addressing emerging contaminants such as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, replacing lead service lines, and projects that improve drinking water service while providing wildfire suppression benefits in high-risk or rural communities. It authorizes appropriations of $3.75 billion for FY2027, $4 billion for FY2028, $4.25 billion for FY2029, and $4.5 billion for FY2030. It requires grant amounts to reflect congressionally directed spending and directs the Administrator to update related guidance within one year.

This section expands grants under the Safe Drinking Water Act small and disadvantaged communities program to include projects addressing emerging contaminants, with a focus on perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. It authorizes $140 million annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2030 to carry out the program. This section also expands eligibility for drinking water infrastructure resilience and sustainability grants to include institutions of higher education with cybersecurity institutes that partner with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. It adds reducing cybersecurity vulnerabilities as a grant purpose alongside increasing resilience to natural hazards, extends the program through fiscal year 2030 (from 2026), and reauthorizes $25 million annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2030.

This section extends the authorization of appropriations for the program to reduce lead in drinking water to $100 million annually for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2030 (from fiscal years 2022 through 2026).

This section extends the authorization of appropriations for grants to improve the operational sustainability of small public water systems to $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2030 (from fiscal years 2022 through 2026).

This section decreases annual funding authorization for the midsize and large drinking water system infrastructure resilience and sustainability program to $40 million (from $50 million) for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2030 (from fiscal years 2022 through 2026).

This section increases to 15 percent (from 4 percent) the share of funds reserved for tribal education agencies and other specified recipients under the voluntary school and child care program lead testing and reduction grant program. It authorizes $50 million annually for the program for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2030.

This section authorizes appropriations of $75,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2030 to carry out the Indian Reservation Drinking Water Program.

This section establishes a grant program administered by the Administrator to assist owners and operators of public water systems and treatment works serving rural areas or areas with critical water supply needs in designing, constructing, operating, and maintaining digital infrastructure technology for water projects, including training and cybersecurity measures. It authorizes $15 million annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2030, limits grants to entities in critical water supply need areas to $5 million, and directs the Comptroller General to report on water loss and related issues within 5 years of first disbursing funds.

This section establishes a pilot program to award grants to states, municipalities, Tribal governments, and other eligible entities for purchasing and distributing point-of-use filtration systems certified to reduce lead, perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances, or other contaminants below maximum contaminant levels. It prioritizes applicants with detailed remediation plans and requires even distribution of grants among EPA regional offices. The section authorizes $10 million annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2030 and directs a report to Congress within two years of establishment.

This section authorizes appropriations of up to $75 million per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2030 to carry out research, investigations, training, and information activities under subsections (b)(3), (b)(8), and (g) of section 104 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, of which at least $50 million must be used for subsection (b)(8).

This section decreases the annual authorization of appropriations for the pilot program for alternative water source projects to $5 million for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2030 (from $25 million for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026).

This section extends the authorization of appropriations for sewer overflow and stormwater reuse municipal grants at $280 million per year through fiscal year 2030 (from fiscal year 2026). The grants support planning, design, and construction of treatment works for combined sewer overflows, sanitary sewer overflows, and stormwater management, as well as public notification systems.

This section extends through FY2030 (from FY2026) the authorization of appropriations of $50 million per year for grants to private nonprofit organizations to assist low- or moderate-income households with the construction, repair, or replacement of decentralized wastewater treatment systems.

This section expands eligible uses of Clean Water State Revolving Fund assistance to include projects addressing emerging contaminants, including perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and capital investments for assessment and monitoring. It requires the EPA Administrator to base grant awards under section 603(d)(7) on total annual appropriations to the title, including any Community Project Funding or Congressionally Directed Spending. It authorizes $3.5 billion annually for the program for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2030.

This section directs the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator to update the America's Water Sector Workforce Initiative within one year of enactment to focus on workforce development in small and rural communities. It expands the Innovative Water Infrastructure Workforce Development Program to include cybersecurity training in the water sector and increases annual funding to $15 million for fiscal years 2027 through 2030 (from $5 million for fiscal years 2022 through 2026).

This section expands grants to the State of Alaska for rural and Native villages to include operations and maintenance for emergency repairs of public water and wastewater systems. It authorizes appropriations of $60 million for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2030.

This section authorizes $65,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2030 for the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation program. It extends the $5,000,000 annual cap on administrative costs through fiscal year 2030 (from 2026). It also requires annual reporting on the average time the Administrator and the Office of Management and Budget take to process each loan application.

This section includes the growing artificial intelligence industry among the private industries whose interests are promoted in research and technology development to reclaim wastewater and convert saline and other impaired waters. It authorizes $16 million annually for FY2027 through FY2030 for water resources research and technology institutes and requires that 20 percent of those amounts support research on water problems of an interstate nature.

This section extends the authorization of appropriations of $5,000,000 per year for groundwater research on enhanced aquifer use and recharge in support of sole-source aquifers through FY2030 (from FY2026).

This section authorizes appropriations of $475,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2030 to carry out the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. The program supports efforts by the Environmental Protection Agency and partner agencies to restore and protect the Great Lakes ecosystem.

This section reauthorizes Long Island Sound grants at $40 million per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2030 (from fiscal years 2019 through 2023) and Long Island Sound stewardship grants at $25 million per year for the same period (from fiscal years 2019 through 2023).

This section reauthorizes annual funding of $30 million for grants under the Columbia River Basin Restoration Program for fiscal years 2027 through 2030 (from fiscal years 2020 and 2021). The grants support projects to reduce pollution, clean up contaminated sites, improve water quality, and monitor environmental trends throughout the Columbia River Basin.

This section increases the annual authorization of appropriations for the National Estuary Program to $50 million for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2030 (from $26.5 million through 2026). The program supports state-led development of comprehensive management plans to control point and nonpoint pollution in estuaries of national significance.

This section reauthorizes the Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Program at $35 million annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2030 (from 2023 through 2027). It also requires the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator to submit a report to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure within two years assessing the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission’s effectiveness as fiscal agent for the program, including recommendations on improvements or replacement.

This section establishes the Southeast New England Program in the Environmental Protection Agency to protect, enhance, and restore coastal watersheds in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts that drain into waters between Long Island Sound and the Gulf of Maine. It authorizes the Administrator to award grants to states, local governments, tribes, nonprofits, and other eligible entities for pollution reduction, site restoration, ecosystem protection, water quality improvement, stormwater management, and related activities, with a federal cost share not to exceed 75 percent, and authorizes appropriations of $7.5 million annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2030.

This section directs the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a program within one year to support community water systems and treatment works' participation in the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center by offsetting membership costs, expanding incident data sharing on threats, and enhancing monitoring and preparedness tools against malevolent acts or natural hazards. It authorizes $10 million annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2030 and requires a report to Congress within three years on water sector cybersecurity challenges and recommended legislative changes.

This section extends the authorization of appropriations for the post-consumer materials management infrastructure grant program and the drinking water infrastructure grants through 2030 (from 2025).

This section requires the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator to revise regulations within 180 days of enactment to allow exemptions for nonpotable aquifers to be used for Class VI wells. Exemptions apply if the aquifer does not currently serve and will not in the future serve as a drinking water source, or if total dissolved solids content is between 3,000 and 10,000 mg/l and the aquifer is not reasonably expected to supply a public water system.