Congressman García Applauds House Passage of Water Resources Development Act of 2022
Congressman García Applauds House Passage of Water Resources Development Act of 2022
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Jesús "Chuy" García (IL-04), a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, praised today’s House passage of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022. WRDA 2022 is a bipartisan bill that contains key priorities for Chicago and the Chicagoland region and will allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to advance water resources development, navigation, aquatic ecosystem restoration, and flood risk management to make our country more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
"Chicagoland relies on Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes for drinking water, recreation, and economic development, so I’m glad to vote this year’s Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) out of the House”, said Rep. García. “Locally, this legislation will take important steps to restore Bubbly Creek and the nearby Collateral Channel in Little Village, accelerate the City of Chicago’s efforts to rebuild the lakeshore, provide more resources to address water infrastructure needs in Cook County, including flood risk management, and protect the Great Lakes from invasive Asian Carp. Importantly, WRDA 2022 also directs the Corps to increase coordination with Tribal, indigenous, and economically disadvantaged communities to ensure that we meet water resource development needs for all."
Many measures that Congressman García fought for were included in the WRDA bill that passed today including:
- Increasing the federal financial contribution for the Brandon Road Interbasin Project from 80% to 90% of project costs to ease the financial burden on the State of Illinois. The Brandon Road Project would build a critical barrier to prevent the spread of invasive Asian Carp to Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes System.
- Allowing the City of Chicago to use federal resources to rebuild the lakeshore at Morgan Shoal and Promontory Point in the City’s preferred way that includes important recreational amenities that will make biking and walking much easier.
- Directing the Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Environment Protection Agency to resolve the liability issues preventing the restoration of Bubbly Creek and the Collateral Channel in Little Village.
- Increase the authorization amount for water infrastructure projects in Cook County, including resources for flood risk management, from $35 million to $100 million.
- Requiring the Corps to establish a designated liaison with tribal communities in every one of their district offices with a federally recognized tribe in order to assist in carrying out important tribal water infrastructure projects.
WRDA 2022 is now expected to go to an informal conference with the Senate for bicameral negotiations. The Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee unanimously passed their companion water resources bill (S. 4137, Water Resources Development Act of 2022) in early May. Continuing to pass WRDAs every two years ensures that the infrastructure needs of our communities are being met, and that Congress has proper oversight of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
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