Pulaski Times

U.S. Senator John Boozman, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, has praised the Senate's approval of legislation aimed at enhancing water resources in Arkansas and nationwide. The bill, known as the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (WRDA), has already passed the House of Representatives and is now awaiting the president's signature to become law.

The WRDA focuses on authorizing water and wastewater projects, investing in ports and inland waterways, and improving U.S. Army Corps of Engineers programs. "Reliable, efficient water infrastructure underpins our entire economy. It is incredibly important for Congress to come together in a bipartisan way to preserve and enhance it so our economy can grow and our quality of life continues to improve. I’m proud to have secured crucial support for projects in Arkansas that will impact communities across our state," Boozman stated.

Several provisions authored by Boozman aim to invest significantly in Arkansas's water infrastructure. These include advancing a reallocation study for the Beaver Water District, modifying Osceola Harbor to manage increased barge traffic supporting regional economic growth, prioritizing funding for the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System to address cost overruns with a cost-share adjustment, creating strategies for managing the Lower Mississippi River while implementing restoration practices in Arkansas and Tennessee, addressing levee safety guidelines development, examining digital infrastructure through a study on water distribution optimization, encouraging reinvestment of recreation fees into facility improvements where collected, and reauthorizing the Economic Development Administration along with its subsidiary Delta Regional Authority.

Additionally, Boozman led a bipartisan initiative establishing an Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience within this framework to formalize economic recovery efforts in communities affected by natural disasters.