NWC NEWS ALERT (Dec 22, 2025)

NWC Testifies in front of Congress on WRDA 2026

December 22, 2025

On Wednesday, December 17, 2025, NWC President and CEO Julie Ufner testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment for the hearing, “The Water Resources Development Act of 2026: Stakeholder Priorities.”

In her testimony, Ufner emphasized that the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) is fundamentally a partnership among Congress, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), and Non-Federal sponsors, where Congress authorizes projects, sets policy, and appropriates Federal funding; the Corps provides technical expertise, conducts studies, develops guidance, and delivers projects; and non-Federal sponsors bring local funding, local knowledge, and long-term responsibility.  She stressed the need for strong communication between non-Federal sponsors, the Corps, and Congress across all project stages to identify successes and challenges and to identify feasible solutions moving forward.  Ufner reminded the Committee that WRDA works best when these three partners are aligned.

Ufner highlighted the critical role that non-Federal sponsors play throughout the WRDA process, as they identify water resources challenges, share project costs, assume long-term responsibilities, and invest public dollars to deliver nationally significant water resources projects. When that partnership between non-Federal sponsors, the Corps, and Congress has clear communication and predictable processes and timelines, communities are in better positions to plan, invest, and deliver water resources projects efficiently and effectively.

Drawing on input from NWC members across the country, Ufner highlighted several recurring challenges non-Federal sponsors face throughout different stages of the WRDA process and project implementation.  She noted that some of these challenges arise from long-standing policies that predate recent WRDA reforms, while others relate to newer provisions in WRDA 2024 that are still awaiting implementation by the Corps.  In still other cases, sponsors are responding to evolving Federal practices or administrative directives that are creating uncertainty in planning and project delivery.

Some of the more significant challenges that NWC members raised and Ufner highlighted in her testimony include the need for clear policy guidance reinforcing the use of only the minimum real estate interests necessary for projects; addressing inconsistencies and delays in the PL 84-99 emergency assistance program and with Section 408 reviews; managing and reconciling project risk, cost overruns and delivery delays, design maturity expectations, and Section 902 cost limits; better recognition of multi-use benefits in the evaluation and implementation of Corps projects; improving non-Federal delivery mechanisms; clarifying inconsistent inclusion and application of project partnership agreement provisions across the Corps; addressing navigation funding issues; and providing meaningful consultation and communication with the Corps for actions such as permitting, feasibility studies, and project delivery, which can further extend projects that have already faced delays.  Ms. Ufner’s  written testimony can be found here.

Ufner also stressed in her testimony that not every challenge raised by sponsors requires new legislation but may require more Congressional oversight to identify pain points to allow for a more successful and seamless WRDA process.

In closing, Ufner underscored the importance of maintaining WRDA on a steady biennial schedule.  When the process is consistent, communities benefit, and partners can plan with confidence.  Predictability allows non-Federal sponsors to plan and invest with confidence across multiple WRDA cycles, and projects are better positioned to move forward from one WRDA cycle to the next. She also stressed that, despite ongoing challenges faced by the Corps and non-Federal sponsors, WRDA has had success in bringing critical water resources projects to communities across the country, and concluded with, “WRDA is a partnership that works.”

As Congress prepares to work on WRDA 2026, NWC remains committed to working with the Corps and legislators to ensure that NWC members and other non-Federal sponsors have a voice in shaping meaningful legislation.

Those wishing to watch the hearing can do so here.