From The Greeley Tribune:
Passage of comprehensive water bill drawing wide praise
Lawmakers and a variety of agriculture groups have been in near unanimous praise of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act since the Senate recently approved it by a 91-7 vote, sending it to President Barack Obama’s desk for signature.
The Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) will spend $12.3 billion and authorizes 34 water resources projects across the country that have cleared technical reviews by the Army Corps of Engineers.
WRRDA also eliminates as much as $18 billion in planned projects by the Army Corps of Engineers that have never gotten off the ground. It also is expected to accelerate project planning and development times that have stretched to longer than 15 years in some cases. The Corps would have three years to do feasibility studies and have a $3 million cap.
A number of ag groups — such as the National Corn Growers Association, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and others — have stressed the measure improves the inland waterways system, which is needed by U.S. farmers and businesses, who rely upon such transportation channels to create economic opportunities at home and supply markets abroad.