	Most Recent Developments

Congress generally authorizes new Army Corps of Engineers water resources studies and projects before appropriating funds for these activities. Authorization typically occurs in a Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). WRDA 2007 ( P.L. 110-114 ) became law on November 9, 2007, authorizing approximately 900 projects, studies, and modifications to existing authorizations. The President vetoed WRDA 2007, citing "excessive authorizations" and a lack of fiscal discipline and priorities. This was the first congressional override of a veto by President George W. Bush. Authorization Level

A central issue in the debate over WRDA 2007 was its level of authorizations. A Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis of the conference report estimated the 15-year impact at $23 billion. The Administration supported limiting authorizations to projects in the Corps' primary missions (navigation, flood and storm damage reduction, and ecosystem restoration) that demonstrated an economic and environmental justification for federal participation. WRDA 2007 also established a safety assurance review process for hurricane protection and flood damage projects; it gave the Corps' Chief of Engineers discretion regarding when to call for a safety review. Regional Project Authorizations

Other issues that shaped WRDA 2007 included different opinions about the specifics of project authorizations, including the billion-dollar regional authorizations for:
Coastal Louisiana wetlands restoration, flood and storm protection, and navigation projects (including authorization of the Morgana-to-the Gulf project, and the authorization levels and specifics of wetlands restoration activities for coastal Louisiana); Florida Everglades ecosystem restoration projects (including authorization of activities under the Modified Water Deliveries Project); and Upper Mississippi River Illinois Waterway (UMR-IWW) navigation and ecosystem restoration projects (including concerns about linking the funding of navigation and restoration activities). Other Issues

WRDA 2007 created a Committee on Levee Safety to make recommendations for a national levee safety program. It also authorized the Corps to participate in more than 200 municipal water and wastewater infrastructure projects (called environmental infrastructure at the Corps). Upper Mississippi River-Illinois Waterway

WRDA 2007 authorized $2.2 billion in navigation improvements and $1.7 billion in ecosystem restoration activities on the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway (UMR-IWW).
Congress generally authorizes new Army Corps of Engineers water resources studies and projects in a Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) before appropriating funds to them. WRDA 2007 (P.L. 110-114) became law on November 9, 2007. This was the first congressional override of a veto by President George W. Bush. WRDA 2007 authorized approximately 900 Corps projects, studies, and modifications to existing authorizations.
A central issue in the debate over WRDA 2007 was its level of authorizations. A Congressional Budget Office analysis estimated its 15-year impact at $23 billion. The President returned WRDA 2007 to Congress, citing its lack of fiscal discipline and priorities. The Administration supported limiting authorizations to projects in the Corps' primary missions (navigation, flood and storm damage reduction, and ecosystem restoration) that demonstrate an economic and environmental justification for federal participation. Other issues that shaped the WRDA 2007 debate included different opinions on Corps reform measures (such as independent review and project planning) and the need for prioritizing among authorized projects, increases in the federal cost for some water resources activities and nonfederal cost share credits, and expansion of the Corps' authorizations in municipal water and wastewater infrastructure (called environmental infrastructure projects).
WRDA 2007 authorized more than $2 billion in construction activities to restore wetlands in coastal Louisiana, as well as $6 billion in actions to improve hurricane protection in New Orleans. Authorizations for navigation improvements ($2.2 billion) and ecosystem restoration ($1.7 billion) on the Upper Mississippi River-Illinois Waterway, and Florida Everglades restoration (around $2 billion), also are included. WRDA 2007 created a Committee on Levee Safety to make recommendations for a national levee safety program. It also established a requirement for independent technical review of plans for Corps projects exceeding $45 million and a process for determining which flood and storm damage construction activities would undergo a safety review.