H.R. 9497

Water Resources Development Act of 2026

Sponsor: Sam Graves

3 cosponsors
Follow this bill

Official summary

Written by the Congressional Research Service.

Water Resources Development Act of 2026

This bill authorizes and modifies certain water resource infrastructure projects and programs of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and makes related requirements. For example, the bill authorizes and modifies various water resources feasibility studies and projects of the Corps of Engineers, such as studies or projects to

  • maintain ports and harbors,
  • make certain waterways more navigable,
  • reduce flood and storm damage,
  • restore aquatic ecosystems and protect fish and wildlife,
  • protect shorelines,
  • address harmful algal blooms,
  • rehabilitate dams,
  • manage recreational sites and facilities,
  • support water supply and storage projects, and
  • support other water resources infrastructure.

The bill also directs the Corps of Engineers to establish an Office on Alternative Delivery Methods in order to accelerate project delivery of infrastructure. 

In addition, the bill directs the Corps of Engineers to issue a rule that establishes categorical permissions for certain harbor or river improvements that will cause only minimal adverse environmental effects.

Text of the bill

Expand all

I General Provisions

Sec. 112. Federal standard for dredged material disposal or placement Since introduced

(a) In general. The Secretary shall update the regulations under chapter II of title 33, Code of Federal Regulations that are applicable to establishing the Federal standard for dredged material disposal or placement for a water resources development project—

(1) to align the requirements and policy of such regulations with—

(A) section 1130 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (138 Stat. 3018);

(B) section 125(a) of the Water Resources Development Act of 2020 (33 U.S.C. 2326g), including—

(i) the directive to include the economic benefits and efficiencies from the beneficial use of dredged material in any determination relating to the Federal standard; and

(ii) the national goal established in subsection (a)(1)(B) of such section of beneficially using not less than 70 percent by volume of suitable dredged material obtained from the construction or operation and maintenance of water resources development projects; and

(C) section 1122 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2016 (33 U.S.C. 2326 note); and

(2) taking into consideration—

(A) the capacity of facilities using the confined aquatic disposal methodology to store dredged material, including the available capacity to store contaminated dredged material;

(B) benefits, including monetary value creation, attributable to the beneficial use of dredged material;

(C) any monetary benefits of environmental and coastal resiliency attributable to the beneficial use of dredged material;

(D) the demand on the Corps of Engineers for environmental and ecological restoration projects in coastal areas; and

(E) any incremental cost borne by non-Federal interests in implementing beneficial dredged material placement separately from a project.

(b) Initiation timeline. Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall initiate a rulemaking to carry out subsection (a).

II Studies and Reports

III Deauthorizations and Modifications

IV Water Resources Infrastructure

V Dam Safety