WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, applauded the unanimous passage of the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act of 2022 (WRDA 2022) out of committee. The legislation includes several provisions prioritized by Padilla to authorize the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ civil works activities including flood control and dam safety, navigation, and ecosystem restoration throughout California and across the country. The marked-up bill now goes to the full Senate for consideration.

“Every day, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers carries out the vital work necessary to ensure the safety and resiliency of Californian communities and support commerce along our coasts and river systems,” said Senator Padilla. “Americans depend on reliable water infrastructure to keep our economy moving and this bipartisan effort will help California remain the largest economic power in the country. I’m pleased that so many of my requests for California ports and waterways, including for new environmental infrastructure projects, were included in the final version of the bill, and I look forward to seeing its swift passage in the full Senate.”

Padilla’s provisions in the Water Resources Development Act of 2022 would help various areas of California.

The bill will protect communities from damaging flood events by:

• Constructing and modernizing levees along the American River and Lower San Joaquin River;
  
• Improving and constructing new levees along the Lower Cache Creek to protect schools, utilities, and communities along the I-5 in Yolo County;
  
• Preventing coastal flooding in high seismic hazard areas like the Port of San Francisco.

Support environmental infrastructure and ecosystem projects across the state by:

• Authorizing environmental infrastructure projects in Alameda, Calaveras, Los Angeles, Placer, and Yolo counties;
  
• Restoring more than 600 acres of habitat in the Prado Basin and along the Santa Ana River, and protect groundwater water within San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange counties.

Improve the operation, maintenance, and safety of waterways by:

• Directing the Corps to expedite completion of the Los Angeles County Drainage Area Disposition Study;
  
• Improving navigation and safety for existing and prospective commerce at the Port of Long Beach.

WRDA 2022 would authorize much-needed investments in the projects and programs of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers across the country. For the first time since 2007, the bill authorizes new environmental infrastructure projects and modifies existing ones. It also directs the Corps to expedite the completion of several ongoing studies and projects that are critical to addressing coastal and inland flood risk mitigation, navigation, and ecosystem restoration.

For a section by section of WRDA 2022, click here.

For a bill summary of WRDA 2022, click here.

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