U.S. House passes Water Resources Development Act that includes measures for North Carolina

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - A bill introduced to address activities concerning water resources development, including water supply and waste water infrastructure, passed the U.S. House Wednesday.

Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC7) co-sponsored the bill that will authorize the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to take measures to address issues with water supply and waste water infrastructure, flood control, navigation, and ecosystem restoration, such as shoreline restoration.

“Today’s passage of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022 is a critical win for the U.S. economy and our communities throughout North Carolina,” said Rouzer in a news release. “This WRDA bill brings focus and priority to important projects in our state and throughout the country that will help to better protect families from flooding and includes initiatives to improve the strength and durability of our ports and inland waterways.

North Carolina projects that are mentioned in the bill include:

• Authorization of North Carolina National Coastal Mapping Study to map inland and coastal waterways to identify potential hazards that may increase flood risk. Once mapped, the authorization includes a feasibility study for dredging inland waterways.
• Shoreline and Riverine Restoration to permit the USACE to undergo projects that will help protect riverbanks from erosion and protect coastal shorelines. This authorization identifies Southport as a priority for repairs caused by erosion.
• Coastal Storm Risk Management Projects that will increase funding for beach renourishment projects where costs are higher because of a legal requirement to use sediment other than the lowest cost option. These coastal management projects include Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach.

“This bill also includes federal support of beach renourishment projects in the district by funding the additional costs incurred on these projects caused by the re-interpretation of the Coastal Barrier Resource Act by the Biden Administration’s Department of Interior,” added Rouzer.

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