Water Resources Development Act of 2026 - Detailed breakdown

Allows the Secretary to accept and use funds from non-Federal interests for a water resources project that has exceeded its maximum authorized cost, without increasing the Federal share.

Adds several new projects and studies in Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Rhode Island, Texas, and Virginia to a list eligible for 'ability to pay' considerations, affecting cost-sharing requirements.

Directs the Secretary to repay the non-Federal interest for the Federal share of advanced funds contributed for the Miami Harbor navigation project in Florida.

Directs the Engineer Research and Development Center to research, develop, and test the effectiveness of natural infrastructure in dryland streams and shoreline stabilization technologies.

Limits the Secretary of the Army's liability under CERCLA for the release of hazardous substances during the removal or remediation of contaminated sediment, if done under a joint plan approved by the EPA.

Amends and expands the program for drought resiliency to include studies and projects for water conservation, sediment management, and construction of small water storage projects.

Directs the Secretary to update regulations for dredged material disposal to align with recent laws and promote the national goal of beneficially using at least 70% of suitable dredged material.

Prohibits the diversion or export of water from the Missouri River or its tributaries for use outside of a Missouri River State without the approval of the governor of each such state.

Authorizes comprehensive watershed and river basin assessments for new locations in Connecticut, Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Texas, and Utah.

Requires the Secretary, upon request, to develop wildfire contingency strategies for water resources projects, including risk assessments and mitigation plans.

Establishes a 10-year pilot program allowing the Secretary to accept services from states for removing sediment from reservoirs to restore storage capacity, prioritizing specific projects in Kansas and Oklahoma.

Adds several locations in New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Texas to the harmful algal bloom demonstration program and requires annual updates to Congress.

Authorizes the restoration and rehabilitation of habitat for fish and native oysters in the East River, Flushing Bay and River, and Bronx River, New York.

Amends mitigation requirements to ensure public transparency of project mitigation needs and plans, and to allow for the use of future delivery mitigation credits.

Directs the Secretary to expedite the completion of a watershed and river basin assessment for the Lower Rouge River Watershed in Michigan.

Directs the Secretary to carry out post-disaster watershed assessments for areas in New Mexico impacted by recent wildfires.

Mandates a shoreline management plan for the Big Sandy Lake project, authorizes shoreline use permits, and requires a study on conveying excess land and easements.

Requires an evaluation of the Cochiti Lake area in New Mexico to determine if it is eligible for the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program due to contamination from early atomic energy programs.

Authorizes a study on water supply, storage capacity, and drought resiliency for the Arbuckle-Timbered Hills Aquifer in Oklahoma, identifying infrastructure needs.

Directs the Secretary to report on the Willamette Valley hydropower project, including a cost allocation review for fish passage and the public value of hydropower operations.

Adds aquatic invasive species identification, containment, mitigation, and eradication to the authorized activities for the Lake Tahoe Basin restoration project.

Requires the Secretary to assess New Hogan Dam and Shasta Dam in California for forecast-informed reservoir operations and adds the Pend Oreille River Basin to a utilization program.

Mandates the establishment of four new offices within the Directorate of Civil Works: Inland Navigation, Water Supply, Technical Assistance, and Alternative Delivery Methods.

Expresses the sense of Congress that the Corps of Engineers should maximize the use of multiyear or continuing contracts and directs the Comptroller General to review their benefits.

Requires the Secretary to establish categorical permissions to streamline the approval process for certain categories of activities that alter or occupy Corps of Engineers public works.

Requires the Secretary to implement an electronic system for submitting and tracking permit applications and federal environmental review documents for Corps of Engineers projects.

Amends the process for Corps of Engineers feasibility studies to improve efficiency, align with non-federal goals, and require concurrent internal reviews and collaboration on schedules.

Mandates the Secretary to consult with federal and non-federal stakeholders on the scope and timeline of maintenance dredging contracts and to communicate any performance changes.

Strengthens requirements for the Secretary to allocate Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund appropriations according to a set formula and mandates annual reporting on compliance.

Mandates that wage employees operating and maintaining the Soo Locks in Michigan be paid according to the same special wage schedules as the Detroit District Office.

Directs the Secretary to update policies for acquiring real estate for water projects, delegate approval authority, and review the appraisal process to improve efficiency.

Requires that for up to 10 water resources projects, the benefits of natural or nature-based features must be considered at least equal to their costs in benefit-cost analyses.

Establishes a U.S. policy for the Corps of Engineers to fully utilize all its authorities and mission areas to comprehensively address local water resources challenges.

Directs the Secretary to realign certain Corps of Engineers districts, transferring parts of Missouri to the Kansas City and St. Louis Districts.

Directs the Secretary to contract for a comprehensive review of the Corps of Engineers' workforce demands and needs to ensure its statutory responsibilities are met.

Mandates the Secretary to expedite the completion of feasibility studies or general reevaluation reports for 53 specified water resource projects across the country.

Requires the Secretary to expedite the completion of final reports from the Chief of Engineers for 11 specified projects so they can be considered for authorization.

Requires the Secretary to expedite the review and coordination of feasibility studies for projects in Baytown, TX; the Lower Rio Grande Basin, TX; the Sabine-Neches Waterway, TX; and Broward County, FL.

Mandates multiple reports from the Secretary on topics including project formulation, water user impacts, reservoir operations, floating cabins, storm reduction easements, and dredged material.

Directs the Government Accountability Office to initiate studies on Corps cost-sharing for recreation, beach renourishment efforts, architectural/engineering services, and compliance with fish and wildlife recommendations.

Requires the Engineer Inspector General to report on the classification of park ranger duties as inherently governmental functions and on the implementation of policies and programs relating to Tribal communities.

Amends previous law to permit the ongoing presence of eligible structures, sewer systems, and septic systems at the Table Rock Lake project until they are abandoned or fail.

Requires the Secretary to submit annual updates to Congress on the implementation status of the National Academy of Sciences study on the Upper Rio Grande Basin.

Requires a disposition study for the Foster Joseph Sayers Reservoir and Dam to identify excess easements and land suitable for release, transfer, or conveyance.

Authorizes studies for conveying lands along the Columbia River to local public entities and transferring lands into trust for the benefit of Tribal entities.

Amends the process for deauthorizing inactive water projects and requires the Secretary to publish updated deauthorization lists every six months.

Extends authorizations for Civil Works R&D, the Lower Missouri River program, non-Federal feasibility studies, and non-Federal dredging authority, and adds new lakes to the Lakes program.

Authorizes the conveyance of federal properties to the City of Corona, CA; Town of Duck, NC; City of Toledo, OH; and Umatilla County, OR, for public purposes.

Authorizes a land exchange between the United States and The St. Joe Company in Florida, releasing certain federal easements in exchange for non-Federal land.

Clarifies that the Secretary shall retain ownership and maintenance responsibility for the underwater cutoff wall at the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam in Minnesota.

Deauthorizes the features within the State of Nevada for the Truckee River and tributaries flood protection project.

Creates an eleven-member Levee Owners Board to develop and make recommendations to the Secretary and Congress regarding the reliability of levee systems throughout the United States.

Establishes a new program for the Secretary to study and implement modifications to existing flood risk management projects to improve their effectiveness or meet federal standards.

Requires dredged material management plans for water resources projects to provide for a minimum of 10 years of dredged material placement capacity, unless deemed not feasible.

Requires the Secretary, in coordination with FEMA, to establish a formal methodology through rulemaking for conducting risk assessments of levees for certification purposes.

Adds the shorelines of Puerto Rico, Blackstone River (RI), Rio Grande bordering counties (TX), and Passumpsic River watershed (VT) to a shoreline and riverine protection and restoration program.

Amends federal policy to clarify that flood control includes reducing comprehensive flood risk from various sources and requires equal consideration of structural and nonstructural approaches in studies.

Authorizes the Secretary to conduct feasibility studies for 107 new projects for water resources development, conservation, flood risk management, and ecosystem restoration across the United States.

Authorizes the Secretary to conduct feasibility studies for modifications to 24 existing water resource projects for purposes like navigation, flood management, and ecosystem restoration.

Mandates the Secretary to expedite completion of dredged material management plans for Homer, Alaska, and Ashtabula and Cleveland Harbors in Ohio.

Requires the Secretary to expedite updates to the water control manuals for the Terminus Dam and Lake Kaweah Project in California.

Modifies the feasibility study for navigation in Unalaska (Dutch Harbor), Alaska, to also include coastal storm risk management and shoreline erosion protection.

Modifies a feasibility study for the area from Alexandria, Louisiana to the Gulf of Mexico to include Vermilion Bay.

Directs the Secretary to conduct a comprehensive study evaluating the condition, reliability, and needs of the U.S. inland and intracoastal waterways system and report the findings to Congress.

Requires the Secretary to expedite the completion of any authorized inland navigation project that is subject to an emergency declaration to ensure continued functionality and structural integrity.

Requires an assessment of the Calumet Harbor Dredged Material Disposal Facility and a plan for its closure, remediation, and conveyance to the Chicago Park District.

Deauthorizes federal responsibility for numerous flood channels within the Los Angeles County Drainage Area, transferring operation and maintenance to the local Flood Control District.

Deauthorizes portions of the federal navigation channels in the Harlem River, Hudson River, and Newtown Creek, New York.

Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1992 to authorize funding for over 190 new water and wastewater infrastructure projects across the United States and Puerto Rico.

Increases the total authorized funding for 86 existing environmental infrastructure projects and, in some cases, expands the scope of authorized activities for those projects.

Adds the state of Colorado to the Western Rural Water program, authorizing $150,000,000 for water-related projects in the state and increasing overall funding for the program.

Expands the project to include the entire Delaware River Basin across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Delaware, and increases total authorization to $92,690,000.

Directs the Secretary to expedite a technical report and develop recommendations for permanent flood control mitigation for glacial lake outburst floods affecting Juneau, Alaska.

Authorizes the Secretary to carry out flood risk management projects in the Lower Missouri River, consistent with the Lower Missouri Flood Risk and Resiliency System Plan.

Directs the Secretary to conduct a general reevaluation of the Río Puerto Nuevo flood control project in Puerto Rico, focusing on natural and nature-based alternatives.

Directs the Secretary to expedite the completion of the Buffalo Bayou Tributaries and Resiliency Study in Texas and submit a report to Congress within two years.

Authorizes a second phase of a study for the Washington Metropolitan Area water supply to identify a secondary water source and additional storage capabilities.

Authorizes various water resources development projects for navigation, flood risk management, ecosystem restoration, and hurricane and storm damage risk reduction across the United States.

Directs the Secretary to expedite the completion of numerous specified projects for flood control, navigation, shoreline protection, and ecosystem restoration across various states.

Mandates the Secretary to expedite the completion of the Pima-Maricopa Irrigation Project, associated with the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona, under the Tribal partnership program.

Amends the National Dam Safety Program Act to increase board membership from 2 to 7, extend the authorization for state assistance programs to 2031, and refine the scope of the dam removal grant program.

Directs the Secretary to maintain equivalent recreational access when a project affects a public amenity and to include a plan to minimize disruptions in feasibility studies.

Authorizes the Secretary to convey excess real property from the Kinzua Dam project to the Seneca Nation of Indians without consideration, for a public purpose.

Designates the breakwater at Grand Marais Harbor, Michigan, as the "Jack Hubbard Memorial Breakwater".