WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, the biennial, bipartisan Water Resources Development Act of 2024 was advanced by the Senate. The bill contains several of U.S. Senator Peter Welch’s (D-Vt.) priorities for flood-impacted communities. It now heads to President Biden’s desk for his signature.
“The Water Resources Development Act will help repair and strengthen Vermont’s flood-impacted infrastructure, protect our watersheds, and make our communities more resilient to extreme weather. Now more than ever, we need to support the Army Corps of Engineers as they work with our communities and the State to protect our communities from flooding,” said Senator Welch. “I look forward to President Biden signing this bipartisan bill, and I thank my colleagues Bernie and Becca for their partnership in getting these Vermont-focused priorities over the finish line.”
The Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (WRDA 2024) authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to perform vital projects including flood control, water navigation, and ecosystem restoration. Senator Welch’s priorities for Vermont in the bill include:
- Lowering the Non-Federal Cost-Share of the Lake Champlain Watershed Environmental Assistance Program for Vermont: With this legislation, the cost share will be 10% non-federal for underserved communities, down from 35%. This change will make the program more affordable to the towns that most need it.
- Lowering the State of Vermont Cost-Share for Work on the Waterbury, Wrightsville, and East Barre Dams: The cost share for the three dams would be lowered to roughly 7.1% non-federal, down from 35% for East Barre and Wrightsville. (This cost share adjustment was achieved for Waterbury in the 2022 WRDA reauthorization.) Wrightsville’s dam was nearly breached in the July 2023 floods, and this change will make projects on these three dams more affordable for the state of Vermont in the future.
- Authorizing a New Flood Control Study of the Winooski River: This bill will authorize a new flood control study of the Winooski River watershed, which would examine how to make the Winooski River and neighboring communities along the river more resilient to future floods and other climate change-fueled natural disasters.
- Reauthorizing the Aquatic Plant Control Program: The Aquatic Plant Control Research Program is valuable to Vermont’s efforts to combat the spread of water chestnut, a nonnative plant that has threatened to disrupt ecosystems and water access in Lake Champlain. Reauthorization ensures the state can continue using the program in years to come.
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