Subcommittee on Transportation and Infra

Water Resources Subcommittee on Transportation and Infra

The United States Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Program has played a significant role in the development of the Nation's water resources and currently manages an extensive national water resource infrastructure portfolio. This includes maintenance of 13,000 miles of coastal navigation channels, 12,000 miles of inland waterways, 715 dams, 241 locks, 14,000 miles of levees and hydropower plants at 75 locations. These projects help provide risk reduction from flooding in our river valleys and along our coasts, facilitate the movement of approximately 2 billion tons of waterborne commerce and provide up to 24 percent of the Nation's hydropower. There are about 250 million recreational visits a year to Corps lands and reservoirs, making the Corps one of the top Federal recreation providers. Corps water resource investments bring significant value to the Nation. For example, the United States maritime and transportation industry supports approximately $2 trillion in commerce with over 2 billion tons of commerce moving through harbors, channels and waterways constructed and maintained by the Corps. Approximately 98 percent of the United States overseas trade by weight and 99 percent by volume enters or leaves the United States through a U. S. coastal port. The inland waterways support this commerce by facilitating the export of approximately 60 percent of U. S. grain, 22 percent of coal and 22 percent of petroleum products. U. S seaports will invest $154.8 billion and create 1.6 million jobs by 2020 and 82 percent of that investment will occur in the U. S. gulf. Ports are doing their part to grow the economy and provide significant return on Federal investment. The time has now come for both the Administration and Congress to give equal weight to seaports when grappling with infrastructure investments. Under-investment and under-funding the Corps' Civil Works Program results in inefficient, poorly maintained harbors, thereby increasing shipper costs, reducing our global competitiveness, aggravating the maintenance, dredging backlog, adversely impacting our tax base and job market.