NWC NEWS ALERT (April 7, 2026)

USACE RELEASES FY2026 WORK PLAN

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) today released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Civil Works Work Plan, providing additional detail on how the agency intends to allocate funds provided in the recently enacted FY2026 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, which was included in the Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026 (Public Law 119-74). The law was signed on January 23, 2026, and, under the statutory language, the Corps was required to submit its work plan within 60 days.

This year’s work plan looks somewhat different from prior years. Rather than focusing only on the allocated amount, the tables also include the FY2026 budget, the FY2026 explanatory statement amount, the additional work plan amount, and the total FY2026 allocation. The tables further break out total FY2026 allocations between district salaries and expenses and other project funding. As stated at the top of the work plan tables, the format is “for illustrative purposes only” and shows how projects would be funded if district salaries and expenses were funded in a separate account in FY2026. In prior years, district salaries and expenses were included in total project amounts and not displayed separately.

That separate breakout is notable in light of the Administration’s recent emphasis on salary transparency. In the President’s FY2027 budget request released last week, one of the proposals was a new district salaries line intended to provide greater transparency regarding those costs. The FY2026 work plan’s presentation appears consistent with that broader push.

At the account level, the FY2026 work plan includes the following:

Investigations

  • FY2026 work plan amount: $9,000,000
  • Total FY2026 allocation (w/appropriations): $150,384,000
    • District salaries and expenses: $117,053,440
    • Other project funding: $33,330,560
  • Allocation in FY2025 work plan: $144,119,017
  • Allocation in FY2024 work plan: $147,480,000

Construction

  • FY2026 work plan amount: $225,388,000
  • Total FY2026 allocation (with appropriations): $3,169,966,000
    • District salaries and expenses: $492,504,600
    • Other project funding: $2,677,461,400
  • Allocation in FY2025 work plan: $1,854,688,000
  • Allocation in FY2024 work plan: $3,323,936,000

Operations and Maintenance

  • FY2026 work plan amount: $1,587,811,000 (with a 1% set-aside)
  • Total FY2026 allocation (w/appropriations): $6,013,217,000 (with a 1% percent set-aside)
  • Allocation in FY2025 work plan: $5,552,816,000
  • Allocation in FY2024 work plan: $5,553,786,000

Mississippi River and Tributaries (MR&T)

  • FY2026 work plan amount: $6,094,000
  • Total FY2026 allocation (w/appropriations): $531,588,000
  • Allocation in FY2025 work plan: $368,037,000
  • Allocation in FY2024 work plan: $368,037,000

The MR&T work plan reflects funding for three investigations, nine construction, and 44 operations and maintenance.

Resources

Julie A. Ufner

President and CEO
National Waterways Conference (NWC)
703-203-4795 (cell)
waterways.org