Bipartisan legislation containing $15 million
for beach renourishment in St. Johns County
Last night, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 8, the Water Resources Development Act of 2018 (WRDA). This bipartisan legislation provides for improvements to the nation’s ports, inland waterways, locks, dams, flood protection, ecosystem restoration, and other water resources infrastructure. Upon passage of the bill, Congressman John Rutherford released the following statement:
“Water infrastructure is critically important to Northeast Florida’s economy, promoting trade, commerce, and jobs. The House passage of the Water Resources Development Act is a significant step toward vital investment in our nation’s ports and waterways, as well as protecting our communities against natural disasters like we saw in last year in Jacksonville with Hurricane Irma,” said Rutherford. “This bill contains several important provisions that will invest in Northeast Florida and I am proud to have voted in favor of it. I commend my colleagues in the House for recognizing the need to strengthen our water infrastructure and look forward to working with them in the future to further improve our communities.”
Highlights from the Water Resources Development Act of 2018:
- $15.2 million for beach renourishment in St. Johns County for hurricane and storm damage risk reduction
- $16 million for hurricane and storm damage risk reduction in St. Lucie County, Florida.
- Authorizes Army Corps to increase the level of protection of flood control projects when conducting repairs following a natural disaster. (Current law requires project repairs to restore the “design level of protection.”)
- Expedite completion of the regulation schedule for Lake Okeechobee in Florida to coincide with delivery of the Herbert Hoover Dike project.
