The American Soybean Association (ASA) is urging the U.S. Senate leadership to bring S. 728, the Water Resources Development Act of 2005 (WRDA) to the Senate floor for a vote before the end of the current congressional session. Water resources contribute mightily to this country’s economic and environmental well-being. Ports and waterways are integral to the national transportation system and contribute $718 billion to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) while ensuring domestic and international trade opportunities and safe, low-cost, eco-friendly transportation. The U.S. House of Representative overwhelmingly passed WRDA in July by a vote of 406-14.

"It has been five long years since a WRDA was passed, leaving a number of projects vital to the well-being of the nation languishing in limbo," said ASA President Bob Metz, a soybean producer from West Brown Valley, S. Dak. "Not only does this WRDA contain authorizations for greatly needed ports, locks and dams, flood control projects, including beach re-nourishment, and environmental restoration projects, it also contains a number of crucial project modifications.

S. 728 is founded on the principle that water resources projects provide quality of life benefits through economic growth and the health of our environment. The legislation keeps the nation’s commitment to non-Federal sponsors for timely authorizations that solve critical problems, and authorizes not only projects critical to the economy, but also authorizes some of the largest and unprecedented ecosystem restoration efforts in the world.

"The bill positions the Corps of Engineers to meet contemporary water resources needs with fully modern tools, including streamlined studies, peer review that adds value to planning and science-based mitigation," Metz said. "It also codifies improvements the Corps has and is making to ensure confidence in its studies and recommendations."

Letters, which were signed by ASA, were sent to Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) and Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) from the National Waterways Alliance pointing out that the legislation represents a bi-partisan compromise that is the best hope of ending the recent WRDA stalemate while restoring a predictable biennial WRDA cycle. In light of the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, this WRDA would ensure that the Corps undertakes a risk-analysis approach to water resources planning, including considering the potential for loss of life in flood areas. It also allows for the multi-benefits of projects to be identified, thereby allowing congressional leaders to make more informed judgments.

"Ports are our gateways, allowing us to be competitive, and their channels must be enhanced and maintained to accommodate the new generations of ships sailing to our shores," Metz said. "The U.S. maritime transportation system moves more than 60 percent of the nation’s grain exports and 95 percent of the nation’s imports. Over 50 percent of our locks and dams have aged beyond their life cycle and many are crumbling. These facilities must continue to be modernized while sustaining the aquatic environment."

The U.S. flood damage reduction program saves lives and prevents almost $8 in damages for each dollar spent. In the lower Mississippi Valley, flood control projects return over $24 per dollar spent in property damages saved. Corps hydropower facilities supply 24 percent of the hydropower generated in the U.S. Shore protection projects provide safety from hurricanes and other storm events for transportation, petroleum and agriculture infrastructure around coastal waterways and deltas, as well as recreational benefits, returning $4 in benefits for each dollar invested. Projects for water supply, irrigation, recreation and wildlife habitat provide innumerable benefits. Investing in water resources sustains economic growth and the American worker, directly eases growing congestion on U.S. roads and railroads, and provides a better quality of life.

Recently, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave the nation’s waterways a "D-minus" (their lowest grade) because of their steadily deteriorating condition and reliability. The U.S. simply cannot afford for this trend to continue. WRDA, as reported, will finally set the nation back on the track of reversing the trend to realize substantial returns on investment in water resources.

"By bringing WRDA to the floor, Senators Frist and Reid can assure common sense policies to meet contemporary water resources needs as well as reliable and efficient water resources infrastructure from our coastlines to our ports and inland rivers and Great Lakes," Metz said. "It will help provide our children with the infrastructure necessary for an economically and environmentally sustainable future."