U.S. House passes Water Resources Development Act of 2026

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2026, a bipartisan bill aimed at improving national water infrastructure. The legislation focuses on enhancing flood and storm protection, ports, harbors, and inland waterways.

Key provisions of the act include the authorization of 133 new feasibility studies for locally proposed water projects and 14 projects already vetted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The bill also introduces policy changes intended to accelerate infrastructure development by granting local stakeholders more influence in feasibility studies and improving access to Army Corps resources.

The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) has expressed support for the bill, noting its importance for the reliability of the waterways used by the U.S. agricultural sector, specifically citing the Columbia-Snake River System. Additionally, the legislation includes an emphasis on studying nature-based flood-management solutions.