Historic Water Resources Reform And Development Act Enacted Into Law

New Developments

On June 10, 2014, President Obama signed into law the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 ("WRRDA") (Public Law No: 113-121). The primary purpose of the bill is to provide funding for improvements to rivers and harbors, dredge East Coast ports to 50 feet to accommodate post-Panamax depth vessels, and to improve the way the Army Corps of Engineers ("COE") selects and implements its projects. Another vital feature is the streamlining of the environmental review process for projects. The bill is the first water resources bill since 2007, and is noteworthy for being the first water resources bill in the post-earmark era. The text of the legislation is available at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-113hr3080enr/pdf/BILLS-113hr3080enr.pdf.