Water Resources Reform and Development Act Signed into Law

Water Resources Reform and Development Act Signed into Law

Last week the Water Resources Reform and Development Act was signed into law. Executive Director of the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association Kristin Meira explains why this should matter to PNW farmers.
Meira: “This is very important legislation. It outlines the policy that governs how the U.S. Corp of Engineers maintains and operates all of the navigation projects that we care about in the Pacific Northwest including: the navigation locks, our deep draft and our inland navigation channels as well as the jetties that protect the entrance to our entire river system. So this is important law legislation and it was long overdue.”
This is very good news indeed for any ag producers relying on the river transportation systems to get their product to market. Meira shares that that the direction of Congress is to get on a path toward of full spending Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund which provides 100 percent of the funding for the Corp to maintain our deep draft navigation channels — especially the Deep Draft Lower Columbia river that serves all of the big export facilities.
Meira: “We need that channel to be maintain to its authorized depth of 43 feet so these ocean-going ships can be loaded with all of our wheat from the Northwest. So this bill helps lay out a path toward better funding for these kind of projects. So now it is all of our jobs to make sure we keep the pressure on to ensure that the funding comes through.”

 

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