12.10.24

Priorities for WA Maritime Industry & Water Infrastructure Secured in Cantwell-Supported Agreement

2024 Water Resources Development Act will boost port competitiveness, improve the Columbia River channel, support community water infrastructure projects in Central WA, & more

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the United States House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly, 399-18, to pass the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2024, a biennial bill that provides resources to support the country’s ports, waterways, and water infrastructure. The bipartisan bill, which includes language finalized by the House and Senate following negotiations late last week, incorporates provisions to benefit Washington state championed by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

“Washington state waterways support our nearly $46 billion maritime industry and more than 170,000 family-wage jobs. To continue to serve as the Gateway to the Pacific, we must invest in growing our ports and maintaining our marine highways. I look forward to passing and signing the 2024 Water Resources Development Act into law,” Sen. Cantwell said.

The draft WRDA bill, which will now be considered by the Senate, includes provisions that support communities and industries across the state. By region:

SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON:

  • After 59 years of maintaining the Columbia River federal navigation channel, the Dredge Oregon needs to be replaced. This bill allows the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to cover the costs of acquiring a new cutter suction dredge to maintain the Columbia River channel so ships can continue to call on our ports.
  • Between 6 and 8 million cubic yards of sand is dredged every year to maintain the depth of the Columbia River navigation channel. The dredged material must go somewhere, but the Corps is running out of places to dispose of the material. The Corps is working on a 20- year dredge material management plan and has identified a potential long-term option to store dredged material. The bill allows this process to move forward by conducting a study to assess sites and structures, including the cost to determine the best and most cost-effective long-term way to store dredged material for the benefit of ports and river users.
  • The Mt. St. Helens Sediment Retention Structure, located on the North Fork of the Toutle River, was completed in 1989 to manage sediment and reduce the risk of floods for Longview, Kelso, Castle Rock, and Lexington. However, the structure cannot hold back all the sediment, and it flows into the Cowlitz River, impacting the Cowlitz River and the confluence of the Cowlitz and Columbia Rivers. This bill would allow the Army Corps to dredge in this area to remove sediment and maintain the navigation channels.
  • There are 233 pile dikes between the mouth of the Columbia River and Bonneville Dam that protect against erosion and help maintain the Columbia River channel. Many pile dikes have aged, been disconnected from the shoreline, and need maintenance. This bill affirms that the U.S. Army Corps – not the ports or other project sponsors – are responsible for repairing and maintaining the pile dikes to ensure navigation needs continue to be met.
  • Nearly 80% of the land in Skamania County is owned by the federal government, leaving very little land available for development. Currently, the Corps owns approximately 1.6 acres of unused land near Bonneville Dam that the county would like to secure. This bill allows for the conveyance of the land from the federal government to the Port of Skamania for fair market value.
  • Sediment build-up at the confluence of the Grays and Columbia Rivers has led to increased flooding, impacting communities along the Grays River. This flooding can become dangerous in severe storm events, cutting off emergency services and access to I-5. This bill helps address this issue by authorizing new navigation, flood risk management, and ecosystem restoration feasibility studies in Grays Bay and Wahkiakum County that will look at ways to reduce the flooding while addressing navigation and improving the ecosystem functions.
  • This bill would authorize a feasibility study to identify ecosystem restoration projects along the Wind, Klickitat, Hood, Deschutes, Rock Creek, and John Day tributaries of the Columbia River.

“This bill is a big win for Southwest Washington. It helps support our ports and jobs by better maintaining the Columbia River channel, which helps transport over $21 billion in agriculture and goods. It ensures pile dikes are maintained, the channel is consistently dredged, and sediment from Mt. St. Helens is under control so our communities and ports are protected. The bill also addresses dangerous flooding near Rosburg that can impact emergency services and block communities’ access to I-5,” Sen. Cantwell said.

OLYMPIC PENINSULA:

  • Every 20-30 years, the Ediz Hook sand split needs rock revetment and beach nourishment. If Ediz Hook is damaged, it risks blocking access the only road that accesses an essential Coast Guard site, cutting off their ability to access a station that includes air rescue equipment and vehicles. The bill would require the Corps to cover the full cost to maintain and repair Ediz Hook.
  • The Oak Harbor breakwater needs significant repair, and the Oak Harbor channel needs to be dredged to allow for boat traffic and protect the aging marina. Currently, the Corps does not maintain the breakwater and channel, but this bill will require the Corps to evaluate whether it is responsible for maintenance.

"This bill will boost federal investment in the Port Angeles waterfront by restoring Ediz Hook -- ensuring reliable operations at Coast Guard Station Port Angeles, which provides critical public safety, environmental response, and homeland security operations for the region,” Sen. Cantwell said.

PUGET SOUND & NW WASHINGTON:

  • To remain competitive, the Port of Seattle is working to deepen its waterways to ensure large ships can call on the port. This language directs the Corps to expedite the completion of the deepening of the East Waterway and will reduce the cost of the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma’s deepening projects so the Northwest Seaport Alliance can remain competitive, attract business, and grow port jobs.
  • The Port of Seattle is working to transform a 10-acre former industrial site at Terminal 25 South in the East Waterway to estuarine habitat. This will involve making parts of the East Waterway shallower than the depths the Corps is required to keep in the navigation channel. This bill would deauthorize the portion of land the port plans to restore to ensure the project can move forward.
  • The Corps and Pierce County are currently working on a feasibility study to address flood risk at the Jones Levee to protect the City of Orting. Language included in the bill would allow the feasibility study to move forward, reducing delays in completing the study.
  • Authorizes $4 million for the City of Ferndale to extend sewer service to northwest Ferndale, allowing for future development in the area.
  • Authorizes $4 million for the City of Lynden to construct a new sewer pump station and sewer infrastructure to serve the Pepin Creek area.
  • Allows the Corps to enter into a cooperative agreement to conduct research on water quality, aquatic ecosystem restoration, and the resiliency of water resource development projects to natural disasters in the Pacific Northwest.

“In order to stay competitive, the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma need to ensure that large ships are able to navigate in and out of the port while still preserving vital estuarine habitat – this bill would do just that,” Sen. Cantwell said. “The bill would also provide more funding for communities working to prevent flood damage, ensure safe drinking water, and improve the reliability of local water service while minimizing costs to local ratepayers.”

CENTRAL & EASTERN WASHINGTON:

  • Authorizes $14 million for the City of Othello to construct a water treatment plant to support the city’s water supply and provide safe water to its community.
  • Authorizes $9 million for the City of Chelan to support the Lake Chelan Water Resilience and Efficiency Project, which will help make Chelan’s water supply more resilient to wildfires.
  • Authorizes $5 million for the City of College Place to expand the city’s water system by building a new water reservoir to serve the growing community.

"This $28 million in federal investments will help ensure the cities of Othello, Chelan, and College Place have reliable access to safe drinking water and improve resilience to wildfires and extreme weather while community water rates low,” Sen. Cantwell said.

STATEWIDE:

  • Reauthorize and increase resources for a program that provides environmental assistance to non-federal interests in several Western Washington counties. The authorized counties include Chelan, Island, King, Kittitas, Pierce, San Juan, Snohomish, Skagit, and Whatcom (Island and San Juan counties would be newly eligible this year). The program would assist counties with design and construction of water-related environmental infrastructure including wastewater treatment facilities, water supply, environmental restoration, and surface water protection. Draft bill language would also increase annual resources for the program from $200 million to $240 million.
  • Authorize the Army Corps to pay Canada for the pre-planned flood storage included in the Columbia River Treaty. Specifically, it will allow the Army Corps to pay Canada $37.6 million for pre-planned flood control for 2025, 2026, and 2027.
  • Authorize the Corps to conduct comprehensive studies for riparian and coastal flooding in the State of Washington. These studies will analyze current riparian and coastal flooding and corresponding risk reduction measures, project sea level rise, and develop tools and models to evaluate data on coastal hazards.

Sen. Cantwell is a champion for the state’s maritime industry, as well as increasing resources for Washington’s water and wastewater infrastructure. During 2022 WRDA negotiations, she fought to secure $304.5 million for investments in Washington state’s stormwater and wastewater infrastructure, as well as authorization to open 100-plus miles of prime salmon and steelhead habitat above the Howard A. Hanson Dam in Pierce County, deepen the Blair Waterway at the Port of Tacoma, dredge the Port of Clarkston, and more.

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