Water Resources Development Act of 1996
Encyclopedia
The Water Resources Development Act of 1996 (WRDA 1996) is part of , was enacted by Congress of the United States on October 12, 1996.. Most of the provisions of WRDA 1996 are administered by the United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...

.

Title I: Water Resources Projects

Authorizes specified water resources
Water resources
Water resources are sources of water that are useful or potentially useful. Uses of water include agricultural, industrial, household, recreational and environmental activities. Virtually all of these human uses require fresh water....

 development and conservation
Conservation ethic
Conservation is an ethic of resource use, allocation, and protection. Its primary focus is upon maintaining the health of the natural world: its, fisheries, habitats, and biological diversity. Secondary focus is on materials conservation and energy conservation, which are seen as important to...

 projects for navigation
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...

, flood control
Flood control
In communications, flood control is a feature of many communication protocols designed to prevent overwhelming of a destination receiver. Such controls can be implemented either in software or in hardware, and will often request that the message be resent after the receiver has finished...

, flood and storm damage reduction, environmental preservation and restoration, shoreline erosion protection, hydropower
Hydropower
Hydropower, hydraulic power, hydrokinetic power or water power is power that is derived from the force or energy of falling water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes. Since ancient times, hydropower has been used for irrigation and the operation of various mechanical devices, such as...

, and hurricane damage reduction in California, the District of Columbia and Maryland, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, South Dakota, Texas, and West Virginia. Specifies total costs, estimated Federal and non-Federal costs, and funding sources and requirements.

Authorizes specified projects for navigation
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...

, bluff stabilization, flood control and water supply
Water supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavours or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes...

, storm damage reduction and shoreline protection, streambank erosion protection, hurricane damage prevention, and navigation and safety improvements in Alaska, California, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland and Delaware, and New Jersey in accordance with a final report of the Chief of Engineers
Chief of Engineers
The Chief of Engineers commands the US Army Corps of Engineers. As a staff officer at The Pentagon, the Chief advises the Army on engineering matters and serves as the Army's topographer and the proponent for real estate and other related engineering programs....

.

Directs study and carrying out of specified projects regarding
  • flood control in California, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New York, and Oregon
  • bank stabilization in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee
  • navigation in Alaska, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and New York
  • shoreline protection in Florida and New York
  • snagging and sediment removal in Minnesota; and
  • habitat and environmental restoration in California, Oregon, and Utah.

Title II: General Provisions

Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1986
Water Resources Development Act of 1986
The Water Resources Development Act of 1986 is part of , a series of acts enacted by Congress of the United States on November 17, 1986....

 to
  • revise cost sharing provisions with respect to dredged material disposal areas
  • revise cost sharing requirements with respect to the operation and maintenance (O&M) of dredged material disposal facilities; and
  • require the consideration of funding requirements and the equitable apportionment of costs of O&M in the dredging of commercial navigation harbors.


Increases from 25 to 35 percent the non-Federal share for nonstructural and other flood control projects. Sets forth criteria and procedures relating to the ability of a non-Federal interest to pay for flood control or agricultural water supply.

Requires non-Federal stakeholders to: (1) agree to participate in and comply with applicable Federal floodplain management and flood insurance programs; and (2) prepare a flood plain management plan designed to reduce the impacts of future flood events in the project area. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop guidelines for the preparation of such plans; and (2) conduct, and report to the Congress on, a review of policies, procedures, and techniques relating to the evaluation and development of flood control measures in order to identify impediments to justifying nonstructural flood control measures as alternatives to structural measures.

Requires determination if the operation of a project has contributed to the degradation of the environment; and (2) undertake appropriate environmental restoration and enhancement measures.

Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1990
Water Resources Development Act of 1990
The Water Resources Development Act of 1990 , , was enacted by Congress of the United States on November 12, 1990. Most of the provisions of WRDA 1990 are administered by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.-Title I: Water Resources Projects:...

 to add environmental remediation in the removal of dredged material under a navigation project; and (2) increase funding for the removal of contaminated sediments from navigable waters. Lists specified projects to be given priority in such sediment removal.

Authorizes an aquatic ecosystem
Aquatic ecosystem
An aquatic ecosystem is an ecosystem in a body of water. Communities of organisms that are dependent on each other and on their environment live in aquatic ecosystems. The two main types of aquatic ecosystems are marine ecosystems and freshwater ecosystems....

 restoration and protection project if the project will improve environmental quality, is in the public interest, and is cost-effective. Provides cost limitations and funding for such projects.

Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1992
Water Resources Development Act of 1992
The Water Resources Development Act of 1992 , , was enacted by Congress of the United States on October 31, 1992. Most of the provisions of WRDA 1992 are administered by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.-Title I: Water Resources Projects:...

 to select a disposal method that is not the least-cost option if the incremental costs are reasonable in relation to the environmental benefits.

Directs increased emphasis on, and opportunities for recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...

 at, projects operated, constructed, or maintained by the Corps of Engineers.

Sets forth provisions regarding construction of flood control projects by non-Federal interests, including reimbursement and credit of the non-Federal interest under specified circumstances. Directs agreements with non-Federal interests for the development of specified flood control projects in California and Texas.

Authorizes surveys, plans, and studies and to prepare reports that may lead to work in encouraging innovative and environmentally sound engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...

 and environmental solutions to civil works problems of national significance.

Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1988
Water Resources Development Act of 1988
Water Resources Development Act of 1988 , , is a public law passed by Congress on November 17, 1988 concerning water resources in the United States in the areas of flood control, navigation, dredging, environment, recreation, water supply, beach nourishment and erosion.Many of the provisions of the...

 to require the Secretary to provide appropriate protections for a specified period against the dissemination of information developed as the result of a research or development activity conducted by the Corps that is likely to be subject to a cooperative research and development (R&D) agreement within two years after its development and which would be considered a trade secret or privileged or confidential information if obtained from a non-Federal party participating in a cooperative R&D agreement.

Amends existing law to set forth the National Dam Safety Program Act. Requires Federal Emergency Management Agency
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...

 (FEMA) and the National Dam Safety Review Board (established under this Act) to establish and maintain a coordinated national dam safety program. Requires the FEMA to implement a dam safety improvements implementation plan, provide assistance to States for dam safety programs, and provide training for dam safety. Authorizes a National Dam Safety Review Board. Authorizes appropriations to FEMA for the programs, training, and research authorized under this section.

Authorizes actions to increase the efficiency of energy production or the capacity of hydroelectric power generating facilities.

Authorizes additional capacity at a dredged material disposal facility as long as the non-Federal interest agrees to pay all costs associated with the construction of the additional capacity.

Increases authorized penalties for the obstruction of navigable waters of the United States.

Increases the small project authorization under the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1946.

Amends the Flood Control Act of 1970 to prohibit the inclusion of certain uneconomical cost-sharing requirements in flood control agreements.

Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1974
Water Resources Development Act of 1974
The Water Resource Development Act of 1974, is part of enacted on March 7, 1974, enacted by Congress, which also included the Streambank Erosion Control Evaluation and Demonstration Act and the River Basin Monetary Authorization Act.-WRDA 1974:...

 to increase the authorized assistance to States for project planning.

Amends the Flood Control Act of 1969 to increase from US$3 to $5 million the per project reimbursement limitation for flood control projects.

Amends the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1958 to include the control and eradication of the melaleuca tree within a program for the control of aquatic plant growth.

Includes the development of one or more sediment decontamination technologies as a project purpose under the Water Resources Development Act of 1992
Water Resources Development Act of 1992
The Water Resources Development Act of 1992 , , was enacted by Congress of the United States on October 31, 1992. Most of the provisions of WRDA 1992 are administered by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.-Title I: Water Resources Projects:...

.

Adds to the purposes of Federal shore protection provisions the protection, restoration, and enhancement of sandy beaches on a comprehensive and coordinated basis by the Federal Government, States, localities, and private enterprises. Authorizes the Secretary to establish and conduct a national shoreline erosion control development and demonstration program for six years after the availability of funds for such program.

Directs considering as commercial navigation benefits the economic benefits generated by cruise ships. Directs measures to preserve and enhance scenic and aesthetic qualities in the vicinity of such projects.

Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1990
Water Resources Development Act of 1990
The Water Resources Development Act of 1990 , , was enacted by Congress of the United States on November 12, 1990. Most of the provisions of WRDA 1990 are administered by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.-Title I: Water Resources Projects:...

 to terminate a technical advisory committee for reservoir monitoring.

Title III: Project-Related Provisions

Provides for modifications to specified flood control, navigation, beach erosion control, hurricane damage prevention, and streambank restoration projects in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas and Missouri, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, New York and New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon and Washington, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Reauthorizes specified projects for flood control, navigation, wetlands research, and hurricane-flood protection and beach erosion control in Arkansas, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and New Jersey.

Deauthorizes a portion or all of specified navigation projects in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin.

Directs a credit to Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

 toward its non-Federal share of the cost of the Mississippi River Delta
Mississippi River Delta
The Mississippi River Delta is the modern area of land built up by alluvium deposited by the Mississippi River as it slows down and enters the Gulf of Mexico...

 Region project.

Title IV: Studies

Requires
  • a report on rural sanitation projects in Alaska
  • credit toward non-Federal cost share a study of projects in Arizona
  • plans and studies for various projects review in California
  • completing a limited reevaluation of the authorized St. Louis Harbor Project in the vicinity of the Chain Rocks Canal, Illinois
  • specified environmental impact assistance to Illinois
  • investigation of potential solutions to flooding and related problems in South Dakota.


Directs feasibility studies with respect to projects in Arkansasm California, Indiana, Michigan New York, Oregon, and Texas.

Directs specified studies of
  • flooding in Arizona
  • fish and wildlife
    Wildlife
    Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....

     habitat
    Habitat
    * Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...

     improvement measures in California
  • acquiring land in California for environmental mitigation
    Environmental mitigation
    Environmental mitigation, compensatory mitigation, or mitigation banking, are terms used primarily by the United States government and the related environmental industry to describe projects or programs intended to offset known impacts to an existing historic or natural resource such as a stream,...

     and flood control purposes
  • flood damage and reduction, water supply, and other water resources in the Savannah River Basin
  • water infrastructure
    Infrastructure
    Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...

     of specified drainage districts in Illinois
  • restoring wetlands and lakes in Indiana
  • environmental, flood control, and navigation impacts of the construction of a navigation lock in Louisiana
  • wetland restoration and erosion control in Nevada
  • flooding in New Hampshire
  • a greenway trail project in New York
  • the navigation needs at the Port of New York-New Jersey
  • flooding in Ohio and Virginia


Requires certain environmental studies with respect to land use in California, Indiana, and South Carolina.

Directs specified reconnaissance studies for in Florida water reuse, channel improvements near in Nevada, and secondary channels of rivers in New York.

Authorizes navigation studies in the Pacific region of American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Directs the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Interior
United States Secretary of the Interior
The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior.The US Department of the Interior should not be confused with the concept of Ministries of the Interior as used in other countries...

 to evaluate procedures and requirements used in the selection and approval of materials used in the restoration and nourishment
Beach nourishment
Beach nourishment— also referred to as beach replenishment—describes a process by which sediment lost through longshore drift or erosion is replaced from sources outside of the eroding beach...

 of beaches.

Title V: Miscellaneous Provisions

Provides for Federal land conveyances in Alabama, California, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, and Washington. Redefines the Federal lands to be included as Columbia River Treaty fishing access sites for specified Native American Indian tribes.

Designates specified visitors centers, lakes, and locks and dams in California, Kentucky, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania.

Authorizes technical, planning, and design assistance to non-Federal interests for carrying out watershed management
Watershed management
Watershed management is the study of the relevant characteristics of a watershed aimed at the sustainable distribution of its resources and the process of creating and implementing plans, programs, and projects to sustain and enhance watershed functions that affect the plant, animal, and human...

, restoration and development, greenway, and environmental assistance projects at specified locations in Arizona, California, Georgia, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Indiana, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and West Virginia.

Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1986
Water Resources Development Act of 1986
The Water Resources Development Act of 1986 is part of , a series of acts enacted by Congress of the United States on November 17, 1986....

  • to increase the authorization of appropriations for a Corps feasibility study for the conservation of fish and wildlife in various geographical areas.
  • Includes Virginia as part of a Chesapeake Bay study under such Act.
  • to include additional lakes in New York and Illinois within a lakes restoration program.


Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1990
Water Resources Development Act of 1990
The Water Resources Development Act of 1990 , , was enacted by Congress of the United States on November 12, 1990. Most of the provisions of WRDA 1990 are administered by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.-Title I: Water Resources Projects:...

 to authorize specified assistance to nongovernmental entities in the development and implementation of remedial action plans.

Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1992
Water Resources Development Act of 1992
The Water Resources Development Act of 1992 , , was enacted by Congress of the United States on October 31, 1992. Most of the provisions of WRDA 1992 are administered by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.-Title I: Water Resources Projects:...

 to
  • change funding and appropriations authorize appropriations for specified environmental infrastructure construction projects
  • to require the Special Area Management Plan for the Hackensack Meadowlands area, New Jersey, for the acquisition of significant wetlands.
  • to revise project sharing costs with respect to the Broad Top Region of Pennsylvania.


Directs
  • periodic beach nourishment
    Beach nourishment
    Beach nourishment— also referred to as beach replenishment—describes a process by which sediment lost through longshore drift or erosion is replaced from sources outside of the eroding beach...

     for 50 years at specified projects (subject to periodic review of need) in Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, and New York; and
  • design and construction assistance to non-Federal interests for specified projects in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.


Requires under specified conditions,
  • the maintenance of specified navigation channels in California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Rhode Island, Texas, and Washington;
  • a pilot program to provide environmental assistance to non-Federal interests in the Chesapeake Bay
    Chesapeake Bay
    The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...

     watershed
  • accelerate R&D activities for developing innovative technologies for improving survival of salmon.


Directs an assessment of the general condition of confined disposal facilities on the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...

.

Extends the geographic jurisdiction of the Mississippi River Commission.

Directs promoting Federal, non-Federal, and private sector cooperation in creating public recreation opportunities and supporting infrastructure at Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...

' projects.

Authorizes specified assistance to non-Federal interests for wastewater treatment and related facilities in Alabama.

Directs an agreement with Heber Springs, Arkansas, to provide specified water supply storage in Greers Ferry Lake
Greers Ferry Lake
Greers Ferry Lake is the reservoir formed by Greers Ferry Dam, a United States Army Corps of Engineers dam in Northern Arkansas. It is located about north of Little Rock.-Geography:...

 in Arkansas.

Authorizes technical assistance to non-Federal interests for reclamation and water quality projects in California.

Directs design and construction of shoreline protection measures for the coastline adjacent to the Faulkner Island Lighthouse, Connecticut.

Directs a comprehensive plan for restoring, preserving, and protecting the South Florida ecosystem. Establishes the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force.

Authorizes a program to provide environmental assistance to non-Federal interests in southern and eastern Kentucky.

Amends the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act to provide the 1996 and 1997 Federal share of the cost of certain coastal wetlands restoration projects in Louisiana.

Directs engineering, design, and construction of projects for flood control and improvements in specified areas of Louisiana and Montana.

Directs
  • Expediting of the Assateague Island
    Assateague Island
    Assateague Island is a long barrier island located off the eastern coast of Maryland and Virginia. It is best known for its herds of feral horses, pristine beaches, and the Assateague Lighthouse. The island also contains numerous marshes, bays and coves, including Toms Cove...

    , Maryland and Virginia, restoration project
  • transfer of funds to Maryland for an access road to William Jennings Randolph Lake
  • and other projects in Maryland.


Authorizes assistance for the restoration of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, abbreviated as the C&O Canal, and occasionally referred to as the "Grand Old Ditch," operated from 1831 until 1924 parallel to the Potomac River in Maryland from Cumberland, Maryland to Washington, D.C. The total length of the canal is about . The elevation change of...

 and for reclamation and water quality protection projects in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and West Virginia.

Directs
  • specified projects in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina for the control of aquatic growth in lakes and rivers
  • alternative methods for the decontamination and disposal of dredged material in Minnesota
  • assisting the Minnesota Lake Superior Center authority in the construction of an educational facility
  • a study and strategy for reducing flood damage, improving water quality, and creating wildlife habitat in Minnesota
  • and specified projects in Mississippi.


Prohibits certain counties located at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers from having their participation in the national flood insurance program revoked or suspended due to raising levees along an alignment approved by the relevant circuit court.

Authorizes capital improvements to the New York State Canal System.

Directs a study for shoreline protection in New York.

Authorizes specified projects for dredged material containment facilities in New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Tennessee.

Declares a specified portion of Long Island City in New York, as nonnavigable waters of the United States, requiring improvements to such area.

Directs revisions to the water control manuals for the Jamestown Dam
Jamestown Dam
The Jamestown Dam is a rolled-earth dam spanning the James River in Stutsman County in the U.S. state of North Dakota, serving the primary purpose of flood control. It is located north of the city of Jamestown, North Dakota. Built from April 1952 to September 1953, the dam measures long at the...

 and Pipestem Dam
Pipestem Dam
Pipestem Dam is an embankment dam on the Pipestem River located north of Jamestown, North Dakota. The dam was constructed for flood control, habitat conservation and recreation. Construction began in June 1971 and the dam was complete in 1973....

 in North Dakota.

Authorizes specified projects for flood control in Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Montana, and Washington.

Amends the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 to add permit requirements with respect to site designations for the dumping of dredged, chemical, radioactive, and other materials.

Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to extend through FY 2001 the authorization of appropriations for the Office of the Management Conference of the Long Island Sound Study.

Title VI: Extension of Expenditure Authority Under Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund

Amends the Internal Revenue Code
Internal Revenue Code
The Internal Revenue Code is the domestic portion of Federal statutory tax law in the United States, published in various volumes of the United States Statutes at Large, and separately as Title 26 of the United States Code...

 to extend expenditure authority under the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund.
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