WaterLog is a site dedicated to coastal resilience. Here you'll find loads of practical information about sea level rise, climate change, disaster assistance, Federal agencies that aid in coastal resilience, laws that govern U.S. waters, and much more. Special attention is paid to the Army Corps of Engineers because they are the big kahuna when it comes to constructing and maintaining our water resources infrastructure. You'll also find coastal resources by region, info on the regional use of sediment, and lots of important links that will aid you in your quest for knowledge! Click here to view our mission.
House Moving on Funding Bills, but Action Stalled in Senate All of the 12 required appropriations bills will likely have cleared through the House by the end of July, but not one of them has started moving in the Senate. The House has teed up the Energy and Water Development appropriations bill for floor action…
How to Restore a Beach, Naturally By Cassandra Beeler Damming of water has been a major problem for sand getting to the coast. Before all these dams were created, LA had enough extra sand to send to Waikiki! Beaches are a natural defense from coastal storms and rising sea levels and provide essential habitat for…
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What Does the November Election Mean for Coastal America? By Howard Marlowe [Alert: Take a deep breath because there is nothing partisan in this article.] Here is how the outcome of the November election could affect coastal communities. All House seats are up for election every two years. More than 10% of the 435 voting…
Two Senate Initiatives of significant importance to coastal America
Corps Funding from IIJA & Ida Supplemental 2022
WaterLog It's Time to Put out the Coastal 'Fire' Hazard
Here’s your end of 2021 summary of congressional actions affecting the Corps of Engineers brought to you by WaterLog, the free e-newsletter that brings subscribers a monthly update on developments affecting the nation’s coastal water resources. If you aren’t already a subscriber, just click here. Infrastructure Congress finally passed a major infrastructure bill. Known…
Corps Infrastructure How to Get a Piece of the Pie
In the Continuing Resolution pending before the Senate and House today, there is additional funding for the Corps as follows: Investigations: For the initiation and/or completion of flood and storm damage reduction, including shore protection, studies that are currently authorized or that are authorized in the future, to reduce risk from future floods and hurricanes:…
Whats at Stake in the FY22 Corps Funding Bill
The Senate Appropriations Committee has approved $8.7 billion to go to the Corps of Engineers civil works programs for FY22. The full House has already approved funding legislation that provides just slightly less (about $40 million), so the final total when differences between the two bills are resolved should be nearly $2 billion above the…
On the August episode of the WaterLog podcast, Howard & Dan dive deep into the new legal interpretation of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act by the Biden Administration, the MASSIVE infrastructure proposal proving over $11 billion for the Corps of Engineers and other bills that provide funding for NOAA, FEMA and other Federal agencies. This…
The infrastructure bill HR 3684 has finally been unveiled and this is what you need to know: First, before we get too excited, the bill has not been passed yet by the Senate, and the Senate will need to agree with the House on some version of this with likely some amendments, but the importance…
Homeland Security For those not aware, FEMA actually falls into the Department of Homeland Security and is totally separate from the Corps of Engineers. This comes into play specifically with disaster declarations, where special rules take effect that allow FEMA to bypass certain federal restrictions when life, property and safety are at risk where the…
Below are excerpts from the Committee Report on the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies bill: Resiliency for coastal roads and highways.—Coastal roads and highways, which are the lifelines of many communities, are facing major challenges from the effects of climate change, particularly sea level rise and coastal erosion. As DOT makes…
The House Appropriations Committee has proposed nearly $200 million for coastal funding – more than we have ever seen. It will go to the House floor next week and still needs Senate approval, but it’s a great start. Here are some highlights: *Reminder that the House and Senate provide their own versions that are in…
President’s Budget and Earmarks The Big News – $6.8 billion in the budget request for the Corps of Engineers. While we’re waiting for the President’s full budget to be released in late May, the ‘Skinny’ is out, and Congress is caught up with earmarks. If you hadn’t heard, earmarks are back (on the House side…
What Needs to be Done with the Corps of Engineers
Well-placed Hill sources tell us that the chairs of the House and Senate appropriations committees are developing a plan to bring back congressional earmarks next year. This directed funding, which amounted to about 1% of total federal spending, was eliminated by Congress in the wake of revelations that some interests had made political contributions in…
What to Expect First from the Biden Administration_withpic
Local Beach Commission Rejects Federal Dollars
There is action on our two favorite bills: Energy & Water Appropriations and WRDA. We hope you are beating the heat somehow, safely. It’s summer and we’ve broken 90°F every day since July 2nd. Stay cool… WRDA The House has released its version of WRDA20 along with a section by section version. Reminder the Senate…
In this Issue: R.D. James Announces Corps Project Benefits Reformulation Latest from Congress What Coastal Communities Need Public Comments Sought on new Mitigation Rules Hurricane Season Forecast Mother Nature Doesn’t Care
What Coastal Communities Need in the Next Stimulus_Final
In this issue: FY20 Corps Work Plan California Projects Funded New Director of Civil Works WRDA Time in Washington U.S. Coastal Policy is (Literally) a Disaster
In this issue: Corps Work Plan Released Resilient Bridges Airports Going Under Updated Federal Bill Report President’s FY21 Budget Released Where Are My Dunes?
In this issue: Narrow Beaches by Design Corps Urged to Support GLCRS California Goes Solar Democrats Propose 5-Year Infrastructure Plan
In this Special Edition of WaterLog, find out what went down at the 1st Annual Financing Coastal Resilience Summit and learn our 5 key takeaways. For more information, or to get on the list for next year, reach out to Coastal Strategies: (202) 787-5770 – dan@coastalstrategies.net
In this issue: Corps Work Plan Corps Releases FY19 Supplemental Appropriations FEMA Asked to Put Climate Change Front and Center Impeachment A Focus on Puerto Rico Great Lakes Erosion
In this issue: US Dredging Budget Expanded Beneficial Use Pilot Projects FEMA HMA Grants Get +50m FEMA Buys Reinsurance for NFIP It’s 2020: Who’s Got Your Vote?
In this issue: Round II Appropriations New Director of Civil Works Flood Insurance Can Kicked Communities Enhancement Act (Coastal) New Action on Coastal Bills
In this issue: Merry Impeachmas Update on Federal Funding Congress Eyes Resilience New Bill Could Slash State’s Input on Clean Water Act NFIP: Risk Rating 2.0 Delayed Miscellaneous Use the PDF embedder below to view WaterLog:
In this issue: OMB – The No-Show ASBPA Annual Conference – A Recap Corps Funding Bill Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund Unlocked by House Plastic, Profits and Plastic Profits Use the PDF embedder below to view WaterLog:
In this issue: The Future of Coastal Resilience A Message on FY20 Appropriations In the Meantime… An Early Winter? Use the PDF embedder below to view WaterLog:
In this Issue: Corps Funding Bill Hits ‘The Wall’ in Senate Committee EV Tax for Highway Bill? Not Likely. USFWS Nominee – Some Opposition A Barge Full of Cocaine? Funds for Beach Nourishment Could Come from Leasing of Oil & Gas New Book on Coastal Risk: The Geography of Risk Use the PDF embedder below…
In this Special Edition of WaterLog, Mark Mansfield, Chief Economist at Coastal Strategies and CEO of Shore Consulting Group, demystifies 10 misconceptions about the National Flood Insurance Program and properties that have two or more $1,000+ claims paid out within the past 10 years, also known as “repetitive loss properties.”
In this Special Edition of WaterLog, Joe Rossi, Executive Director of the Massachussetts Coastal Coalition and Flood Specialist at RogersGray, breaks down what you need to know as we approach the expiration of the National Flood Insurance Program on September 30th.
In this issue: Corps Funding Bill Set for Action NOAA, that is Embarassing! Trump’s Decision to Transfer FEMA Funding to Immigrant Detention Centers Storms are Costing Us More than Ever Corporate Responsibility in Action Micro Plastics, Macro Concerns California’s Delegation Making Waves Over Beach Projects NFIP Expiration New Federal Bills Use the PDF embedder below…
In this issue: Good Luck Gettin’ Dunes EPA Announces Federal Partnership to Build Nationwide Resilience to Natural Disasters NFWF Emergency Coastal Resilience Grant Fund & Coastal Resilience Evaluation and Siting Tool Surfrider Foundation Beach Water Quality Portals I’d Buy Greenland, Too. Appropriations Use the PDF embedder below to view WaterLog.
Hurricane Season NOAA updated its hurricane outlook on August 8th, increasing the likelihood of an above-average storm season. Source: NOAA Stay up to date at the National Hurricane Center www.nhc.noaa.gov and with Accuweather’s RealImpact tool. Is Your Beach Getting Dunes? Maybe Not Anymore. A strong decision came from Corps HQ last week to not allow…
We Americans are at our best when we’re on offense, facing enemies and taking advantage of opportunities. As a country, we got our start by taking up arms so that we could achieve our freedom. Then we saw the land lying west of the Mississippi as opportunity and went west with lots of determination and very little planning. In the process, individuals blazed the trails to establish small communities,…
Hurricane Season Stay up to date at the National Hurricane Center www.nhc.noaa.gov and with Accuweather’s RealImpact tool. NEW!! Sediment Management Workgroup on LinkedIn We know how important sediment is to the coast and to you and your job. That’s why we started the Sediment Management Workgroup on LinkedIn. Please join the conversation! The SMW is…
Hurricane Season is Really Here It took since May 20th, before Hurricane season started, to get our first named storm of the official hurricane season. Tropical Storm Barry was upgraded to hurricane status as it made landfall, leaving parts of Louisiana under a foot of water and more than 150,000 residents without power. While the…
House Passes Energy & Water Appropriations Bill The House version of the bill includes $7.36 billion for the Corps of Engineers, and increase of $357 million from FY19 enacted and $2.53 billion above the president’s request. The majority of the bill language is status-quo for coastal projects, and we can expect some more muscle from…
House: Appropriations, Flood Insurance & Climate Change in Congress It sounds like legislators are stepping up to the challenge (maybe) of flood insurance. The House plans to pass its versions of appropriation bills this month. The Senate hasn’t started working yet on its version of spending bills. There is a lot of talk about climate…
Supplemental The FY19 Disaster Supplemental has been signed into law. Click here for the bill. An important distinction in the language is whether or not the funds in each section pertain to natural disasters, or the named storm events. The $19.2 billion dollar bill provides a total of $3.3 billion to the Corps of Engineers…
China to the White House – “Stop the Tariffs or We’ll Stop Buying Your Debt” That’s one way to stop this never-ending commitment to post-disaster spending. Congress has finalized its negotiations for the 2019 Disaster Supplemental bill, H.R. 2157. Trump says he supports it. The $19.2 billion dollar bill provides a total of $3.3 billion…
Energy & Water Appropriations In the midst of Appropriation season, the President, in a rare move, provided Congress with a ‘revised budget’ which included funding for both the Great Lakes and the Florida Everglades under the original budget proposed by the Administration. Everglades: Trump had originally requested $63 million – New Figure $200 million Great…
Energy & Water, Interior & EPA Appropriators are looking at raising overall budget caps to allow the increases in spending that legislators are pushing for. Both Interior-EPA and the Energy & Water bills are expected to have significant (~4%) increases from FY19 based on the House bills. Energy & Water FY19 – $44.6 FY20 –…
The House has passed a supplemental bill – HR 2157: $19.1 Billion dollars – A 12% increase from $17 billion in 2018 – What will next year’s be? We can only hope for fewer wildfires and fewer hurricanes, but there is a lot Congress can do to prepare for future expenditures (which we consider inevitable)…
Here’s what to look for when Congress acts on Corps FY20 Appropriations: We expect the House Subcommittee on Energy & Water Development Appropriations to meet later this month to come up with the House version of the Corps’ budget for the next fiscal year. The President proposed an average 31% reduction across all business lines…
This month on the WaterLog Podcast we dive into the Disaster Supplemental, discuss the Democrats’ big infrastructure plans, and the new WRDA18 guidance and much more…
Website Update **We have updated our Guide to the Corps on our website.** The House Supplemental Appropriations bill is still in committee, HR 2157, but the bill is now registered as a companion bill to the Senate’s version S 572. Nancy Pelosi wants an infrastructure bill that is ‘at least #1 trillion’ She…
Corps’ Funding is Only One Part of a More Serious Problem Can you drive on a flat tire? The President’s proposal for the Corps budget is completely inadequate and must be increased substantially by Congress. It is equally important to say that, as hard as this Committee has worked to increase the Corps’ budget over…
Today Nita Lowey, Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee, introduced a new supplemental disaster appropriations bill: The previous version, HR 268, stalled in the Senate over complications with funding Puerto Rico and other issues. The new bill, HR 2157, does support Puerto Rico, but it also includes $3 billion to address urgent needs resulting from…
Thanks for checking in today – Stay tuned for my E&W Testimony which will be reformatted for release on WaterLog, and an informational article ‘Financing Coastal Resilience – The Future is Now’ by Dan Ginolfi, that will be useful to all of you looking to IMPLEMENT! Congress is Taking the First Step to Deal…
You can find details about the things we talked about today in our latest post on www.waterlog.net. Latest Podcast from WaterLog: Disaster Aid: The Senate will be back in session Monday afternoon trying to settle what has become a bitter partisan dispute over more disaster aid for recent catastrophic weather events. At the heart of…
A Budget for a Better America…? Nearly 50% of America lives within 50 miles of the coast. Think about that for a moment. It’s not all about the beach – it’s the whole coast. From the marshes and bays to the rivers and stream and wetlands, people from all across the globe visit our…
5 Steps So You Can Prepare for the FY20 Corps Budget The President will be releasing his detailed proposal for the Corps’ budget during the week of March 18th – maybe. His overarching budget proposal was released on March 11th and it landed with a thud. A 31% cut, amounting to $2.2 billion, compared to…
NEWS AT COASTAL STRATEGIESInterested in learning about ways to fund coastal projects? Please come see us at our next conference – MARK YOUR CALENDARS – Washington, DC, March 11-13th: We’ll be sponsoring the American Shore & Beach Preservation Association’s Coastal Summit, along with the Coastal Celebration (hosted by the Coastal States Organization and ASBPA) that…
Remembering Rich Ring This week we lost a great friend and team member, Rich Ring, and we’d like to honor him in this issue of WaterLog. In addition to serving as Warwick Group Consultants’ Senior Water Policy & Economic Advisor for nearly 6 years, Rich was a father, US Army Veteran, and continued to serve…
This is a reminder that we will be presenting at 5:05PM Thursday at the Florida Shore & Beach Preservation Association’s Conference on Beach Preservation Technology. Please join us! Our Topic is Improving Beach Nourishment Effectiveness While Reducing Costs Through Regional Collaboration We’d like to start today’s article with a quote: “There’s no guarantee, no guarantee…
Today is the inaugural episode of our WaterLog Podcast. Just like WaterLog, it’s free, and we hope you’ll listen to our insider knowledge to stay informed on how the workings here in Washington, DC affect you, your job, your coastal projects and your community. To listen… https://www.coastalnewstoday.com/podcasts/shutdown-deep-dive We’d like to extend a special thanks to…
COUNTDOWNS: Government Shutdown (-28 days) Today, we need your feedback. We recently posted a blog, “It’s Time to Bring Back Earmarks.” Some say yes, some say no, some say ‘just for the Corps.’ We need to know what YOU think. Historically, earmarks are an important part of the appropriations process, but often get a bad…
COUNTDOWNS: NFIP Expiration (143 days) Government Shutdown (-18 days) Congress Will the President take money and personnel from the Corps to build his wall? Reports from various sources say that he plans to invoke, or threaten to invoke, a 1976 law that allows him to use extraordinary powers during a declared “national emergency”. Existing law…
Happy New Year! We’re still adding some icing to our cake, www.waterlog.net, but there is a tremendous amount of useful information on the Corps of Engineers, climate change, Congress and the coasts. In addition, in 2019 we will be launching our newest venture, Coastal Strategies, LLC, a firm entirely dedicated to bolstering coastal resilience through…
COUNTDOWNS: NFIP Expiration (51 days) Government Shutdown (51 days) New Congress (15 days) The extension’s extension was correctly predicted, and by Friday a continuing resolution will have been passed extending funding for Federal agencies through February 8th and reauthorizing the National Flood Insurance Program. Congress, Climate Change, and the Coasts – If you’re climate aware,…
COUNTDOWNS: NFIP Expiration (7 days) Government Shutdown (7 days) New Congress (20 days) Congress is racing to the edge of the cliff….again! No, they won’t all fall off. Only part of the federal government (not Congress) will shut down a week from today if the President and Congress can’t agree on money for the border…
COUNTDOWNS: NFIP Expiration (14 days) Government Shutdown (14 days) New Congress (27 days) The House and Senate have passed HJRES 143 by voice vote, which now awaits the President’s signature. If signed, the National Flood Insurance Program will be extended until December 21st and the government shutdown set to begin tomorrow will have been averted.…
COUNTDOWNS: NFIP Expiration (2 days) Government Shutdown (2 days) New Congress (29 days) The National Flood Insurance Program was extended on November 30th for 7 days until December 7th under HR 7187. A Senate bill, S 3628, which grants an extension until May 31st, 2019, has been passed by the Senate and sent to the…
COUNTDOWNS: NFIP Expiration (1 days) Government Shutdown (8 days) The National Flood Insurance Program Reauthorization bill S. 3628, was hotlined at 5:30 this evening requesting that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration, read the bill a third time, and pass it. The NFIP expires tomorrow. Members of Congress have had enough with this Administration’s…
It’s Time to Bring Back Earmarks by Howard Marlowe [yop_poll id=”1″] It has been nearly eight years since Congress gave away control over spending. Next January when the new House of Representatives meets to adopt its rules, it can correct that mistake by striking its “temporary” ban on congressionally-directed-funding, or earmarks. Since 2008, Congress has only once passed a few funding bills on time, and the Congressional…
COUNTDOWNS: NFIP Expiration (4 days) Government Shutdown (11 days) The Work Plan is OUT!!! Click Here to view it. Here are this year’s totals: FY2019 Work Plan Totals Investigations $125,000,000 Construction $2,351,396,840 Operation & Maintenance $3,739,500,000 FUSRAP $150,000,000 Mississippi River & Tributaries $368,000,000 Grant Total $6,733,896,840 Click Here for our table of…
COUNTDOWNS: NFIP Expiration (9 days) Government Shutdown (16 days) The Work Plan is OUT!!! Click Here to view it. Here are this year’s totals: FY2019 Work Plan Totals Investigations $125,000,000 Construction $2,351,396,840 Operation & Maintenance $3,739,500,000 FUSRAP $150,000,000 Mississippi River & Tributaries $368,000,000 Grand Total $6,733,896,840 Click Here for our table of beach…
COUNTDOWNS: NFIP Expiration (10 days) Government Shutdown (17 days) No Work Plan yet, and it hasn’t made its first stop to the House and Senate appropriations committees. Today remains a maybe, but with the Holiday coming up it is possible that we won’t see it until next week. We will report out as soon as…
COUNTDOWNS: USACE Work Plan (6 Days) NFIP Expiration (16 days) Government Shutdown (23 Days) (As of 11/14/18 at 6:00PM) The Government Accountability Office said in a report last Wednesday that the Corps currently lacks indicators of deferred maintenance, which prevents it from executing project maintenance on schedule. The study was called for by ‘persistent schedule…
Democrats have taken control of the House, ending the GOP’s 8-year reign. So what does that mean for Water Resources? One thing is infrastructure. Trump wants infrastructure, so do Democrats – Nancy Pelosi, the likely Speaker of the House in the next Congress, spoke about how a wave of infrastructure, supporting the economy by…
The National Flood Insurance Program will expire in 1 month – On November 30th, 2018 the NFIP will expire. That is, unless Congress can put together another extension – We don’t see reforms coming, though we know what they should be. Some alarming trends have developed in the past decade. Congressman DeFazio introduced a bill…
The Water Resources Development Act has been signed into law. If you missed our briefing on the important topics in WRDA, please see it on our website. Remember, due to Senator McConnell’s final amendments, the bill will not go into effect until 5 days from now, October 28th, 2018. The Corps’ Work Plan has supposedly made…
Today’s issue is a briefing of the Water Resources Development Act of 2018 (WRDA18). The main topics discussed are provisions related to transparency, dredging, non-Federal interests, disaster and nature & environment. There is an extraordinary number of provisions that were drafted as a ‘sense of Congress’ in earlier versions of the House and Senate bills. These…
WRDA has passed the Senate by unanimous consent – Well, 99-1.. We’ll be putting together a briefing for you of what you need to know. If you have specific requests, please let us know what you are interested in. Meanwhile, Hurricane Michael has made landfall in the Florida panhandle – This storm is going to…
There is a bit going on here in today’s update – Brett Kavanaugh cleared the senate, making way for WRDA. The DRRA was signed into law. Trump’s building and rebuilding, but not rebuilding ‘smart.’ DOI personnel appear to be screening keywords that highlight human effects on climate change. The Corps’ NJ Back Bays discussion still…
Congress- The first minibus, HR 5895, was signed by the President on Friday. Start the clock – A Corps of Engineers Work Plan is due by November 20th. The bill includes FY19 appropriations for energy and water, the legislative branch, military construction and veterans affairs. The $147 billion spending package allocates $6.9985 billion for the…
FEMA’s Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program is now seeking applicants, apply now! Eligible applicants are States, U.S. Territories, Federally-recognized tribes, and local governments. Local governments are eligible Subapplicants and can sponsor applications on behalf of homeowners to submit to the Applicant. The program is designed to assist States, U.S. Territories, Federally-recognized tribes, and local communities in…
FEMA has failed to incorporate climate change impacts into their Risk MAP program, flood maps, and other disaster planning systems. While continuously criticized for having outdated Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), the maps are what FEMA officials currently use to rank the likelihood of a household flooding. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi from Illinois issued the following…
Myrtle Beach survived the storm with little damage – foliage and other natural debris is spread throughout the roads but most will be cleared quickly. Myrtle Beach is currently getting their beaches buffed up by renourishment by Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, but the project was paused during Florence. After the storm, damage is…
Florence has dissipated but wet weather remains throughout the area as the storm’s bands move into the Northeast. Flooding continues in the Carolina’s. Florence was not the only storm endangering US territory – Typhoon Mangkhut, 2018’s strongest storm on record, slammed into Guam and the Philippines on September 15th at peak strength with sustained winds…
Hello! We’re tracking Florence – Due to the size and slow tracking speed, the most vulnerable regions, like New Bern, North Carolina, are experiencing a life-threatening 11-foot surge with hundreds needing rescue. As of 12 noon, the Category 1 storm is tracking slowly WSW at 3 mph with a maximum sustained wind speed of 80…
The Water Resources Development Act has passed the House by unanimous vote. It is still unclear where it is in the Senate but it could be next week. Click here to view the version the House voted on. Preparing for Florence – Now downgraded to a Category 2, Florence is still a dangerous storm. It…
Hello! Our investigative pigeon on Capitol Hill tells us that WRDA will be on the floor this week, likely Thursday, and maybe minibus #1. Officials are racing to beat the storm. Storm or no storm, we are satisfied with the progress Congress has made with this year’s key appropriations bills. According to Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen,…
History is about the present. Think about it. People had to live their lives centuries ago just like you do today. Food, shelter, and safety were their concerns, as well as yours. In the early 1800’s, they didn’t have all the comforts of daily life we take for granted today. For example, transportation from one place to another was literally…
Hello! EAST COAST – SOUTH CAROLINA, NORTH CAROLINA, VIRGINIA – Prepare for Florence. Conditions are expected to be life threatening as Florence makes landfall as a major hurricane sometime between Thursday and Friday morning. The storm is currently a Category 3 tracking WNW at 13mph with a maximum sustained wind speed of 115 mph. As…
Valley Park, MO – September 6, 2018 The decision process for water infrastructure projects is always driven by property values and economic return that a project will bring. That is why a single levee system was built between the Meramec river and Valley Park, MO, a city of only 3,200 people, rather than implementing over…
Hello! It’s September! As I predicted, the Atlantic is lighting up. Tropical Storm Gordon and Hurricane Florence are out doing their thing. While TS Gordon is tracking up into Louisiana through Mississippi, Florence will be staying out to sea and sending swell to the Caribbean and the East Coast over the next week. By the…
What’s the word on WRDA? Not this week. Staff from both chambers are pre-conferencing so that the bill may move more rapidly when the Senate finds floor time to pass its version post labor day. Water Resources Appropriations – The appropriations minibus HR 5895 must be conferenced through final passage before the end of September…
WaterLog is being updated! We’re crafting a new look and feel. We’ll be doing some reorganizing, please let us know what you’d like to see most and what you find most useful! If you encounter any problems report them here. Senator Bill Nelson has called upon Senate leadership to bring WRDA to the floor as…
The Atlantic Storm Season has remained quiet, and scientists think that will continue to be true. NOAA forecasters have lowered the Atlantic hurricane season prediction. Keep in mind, it wasn’t until late August last year that Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria formed and caused the devastating damages that contributed to the most costly hurricane season…
The headlines for June 21, 2018 weren’t much different from most over the past 18 months. Immigration dominated the headlines, with the major story being the presidential decision to end the forced separation of immigrants crossing into the U.S. It was also the day the Trump administration announced its plan for a major reorganization of parts of the Federal…
As the Atlantic storm season remains quiet (click here for the Pacific outlook), we want to bring up some important state disaster related policy and information. The Pew Trusts released a report on state spending during disasters. In that report is a discussion of how states can provide useful information on disaster and mitigation response…
Many of you have been to the beach this summer while others of you have worked in your offices. Your play places and workplaces have one thing in common: sand. Last October, we highlighted the critical issue of the dwindling world supply of sand. Recently, I’ve seen several articles on the subject, including this one…
The National Flood Insurance Program was extended via S 1182 until November 30th, 2018. This will require further action from Congress in middle of midterm elections to find another legislative vehicle for another extension. This time, an amendment that contained language for the extension was substituted into the original HR 2519 – The American Legion…
The Senate is scheduled to vote on its WRDA bill (HR 8) later this week or next. It’s been delayed by other matters by at least two weeks already, so we won’t be surprised if there are further delays. The House has already passed its version of HR 8. When the Senate completes action, the…
The National Flood Insurance Program will lapse tomorrow, Tuesday, July 31st. But what actually happens if the program expires? Currently, the program provides over 5 million policies totaling roughly $1.28 trillion in coverage, and there is no ‘sunset provision’ involved if the program lapses. The NFIP has been extended more than 25 times since 2008,…
Today, Members of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation participated in a roundtable discussion on a recently released report ‘Impact of the U.S. Jones Act on Puerto Rico.’ The report provides data-based comparative analyses of the real impacts of the Jones Act that have not been reported before. The findings demonstrate that the…
A new CRS report on the FY19 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act is out, highlighting another one of the president’s budget cuts – the Corps of Engineers. We know this number is low-balled by the Administration and will be bumped back up by Congress, but it’s still a shame that the Man with the…
We can expect some homers tonight at the Home Run Derby, which is in DC this year! We are looking for some home runs in this years Water Resources Development Act of 2018. A new committee report has been issued – click here to view it and check out any of the sections I mentioned…
Senator Cassidy (R-LA) has included a NFIP extension provision into the minibus appropriations act HR 5895 (Note: the bill text has not been updated since June 25th). This is the second effort to grant an extension to the NFIP since the topic appeared in the Farm Bill HR 2. The extension will provide 6-months coverage…
You may have noticed we’re moving locations from our old site, www.aldenst.com/waterlog, to our new site www.waterlog.net . Please help us by letting us know if you encounter any broken links, content errors or have any general feedback. Thanks! There are two new additions to the our site: A ‘Legislator Lookup’ widget, courtesy of GovPredict,…
The Corps Supplemental funding is OUT! See it here on the Corps Budget page. We are digging into the details. Stay tuned!
A new bill, HR 6300, gives the Obama Administration Executive Order 13547 the full power of law. Executive Order 13547 – Stewardship of the Ocean, Our Coasts, and the Great Lakes adopts the recommendations of the Ocean Policy Task Force and implement them under the guidance of the National Ocean Council. The recommendations provided by…
The Senate has passed HR 5895 – Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019 As you can see from the title, this is a bundled appropriations bill – called a ‘minibus’ – that together account for three of the 12 appropriations Acts Congress is supposed to pass before…
Two Water Resource bills are working their way through Congress, the House’s version H.R.8 (Water Resources Development Act of 2018) and the Senate’s S.2800 (America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018). These are abbreviated WRDA18 and AWIA18, respectively. Both bills were introduced and marked up in committee during the week of May 28th. Before we discuss…
This year’s Work Plan is out (about 3 weeks late) and there is much to discuss. Click Here to view a concise spreadsheet of Federal Shore Protection Funding. For the folks in New Jersey, the Back Bays study, which investigates how back bays can be used to prevent the harmful effects of shoreline erosion…
Hurricane Season: June 1st marks the beginning of hurricane season with a bunch of named storms predicted this year. Until Maria hit Puerto Rico last year, it was fairly accurate to say that the U.S. is good at responding to disasters. Not that responses to Katrina and Ike were faultless by any means, but we…
Let’s start with the Good News! The House will act on its WRDA bill next week. The time for filing amendments has passed, although we don’t yet know which will be allowed. HR 8 is the bill number WAIT, THERE’S MORE. Because you’ve been so patient, we also expect that the House will act on…
The birthing watch remains on for the Corps’ FY18 Work Plan. Unspecified Issues between ASA & OMB continue to hold this up. It could come out any day this week.
As we send this message, it’s after Midnight ET and the FY18 Corps Work Plan has not been posted. Our sources reported Tuesday afternoon that it was being worked on with plans to go well into the evening at the Assistant Secretary’s office. We think they were having a tussle with the folks at the…
Ok—that was an overstatement. I liked Bishop Curry’s preaching and Meghan’s dress. But this IS a big week for water resources in DC. Work Plan: It should come out tomorrow (Tuesday). Check here for the list of projects receiving Corps funding in FY18. Supplemental Funds: The first recipients of the massive amount of supplemental funding…
WRDA The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman, Bill Shuster (PA), has introduced a WRDA 2018 (props for having no silly name). It’s text can be found here: HR 8 Among the provisions that may be of interest to WaterLog subscribers are these: A produce that would automatically appropriate all Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund revenues…
Expect the Draft House Water Resources Development Act (whatever it’s name may be) to be introduced tomorrow, Friday the 18th with action by the full committee next Wednesday. We hope you watched ASA R.D. James WRDA testimony today before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. It was enlightening for what he said about his…
Two men argue over sea level rise, one from Alaska, one from Alabama. The man from Alaska claims the sea level is falling while the man from Alabama claims the sea is rising. Both are correct. Many physical influences determine local sea level fluctuation. It’s a surprise to most that the surface of the ocean…
Please read this if you follow the Corps’ Budget for Coastal Risk Management Projects and Studies While we wait a few more days before we get the Corps issues a Work Plan for FY18, the House Appropriations Committee will act Wednesday morning (watch here), on its recommendations for the Corps budget for FY19. Click here…
A Senate committee will be holding its second hearing on a key water resources bill on May 17th. Assistant Secretary of the Army, R.D. James will be providing the Administration’s views about the bill. You can watch the hearing here. My colleague Dan Ginolfi has prepared this analysis of some of the bill’s key provisions.…
The House Energy & Water Appropriations Committee meets at 5:30 pm ET today to act on its version of the Corps’ funding bill for FY19. You can find the text of the draft bill and watch the “markup” meeting here. Note: I taught government at the high school and undergrad college levels before I came…
Lots of May water resources activity in Congress! The Water Resources Development Act of 2018 is about to get legislative legs. This is the legislation that authorizes (but doesn’t provide funding for) new Corps projects and studies and also will likely contain new policy initiatives. Senate WRDA: The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has…
While we (patiently?) wait for the Corps to release its FY18 Work Plan, a House Appropriations subcommittee has announced that it will vote on a Corps budget for FY19 on May 7th 4. You can get more information, including a link to watch the “markup” or business meeting here: https://appropriations.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=395272 Our sources tell us the…
One Federal Decision: The White House has announced that it has come up with a way to shorten the time it takes for environmental permit reviews. Saying “No longer will we allow the infrastructure of our magnificent country to crumble and decay,” the President is quoted as declaring, “While protecting the environment, we will build…
A month ago, I bemoaned March as the month of now Federal holidays. But at its very end, it gave us Passover and the start of the baseball season. Then came Easter as we embarked on April and out came some flowers, still not any more sure than humans whether Spring had arrived here in…
The following blog post was written by Dr. Thomas Herrington, UCI Associate Director, who generously let me share his thoughts with WaterLog readers: Back-to-back nor’easters between March 1 and 8 had many residents along the Mid-Atlantic seaboard dreading the next high tide cycle. High astronomical tides combined with the powerful cyclone that developed off…
The Northeast has been hit by the third major Nor’easter storm this winter as March does its best to remind the East Coast that winter isn’t finished with us. Meteorologists are calling DC a “weather hole.” We’ve been called worse, but this honor is being bestowed because it has snowed to the south and north…
Welcome to March, the month without a Federal holiday, but the month that baseball gets started with Spring Training!! Hold onto your seats, and not just if your along those parts of the East Coast being battered by strong winds and precipitation caused by a nor’easter. We’ve got a lot to cover today. Infrastructure: …
I’ll bet you thought earmarks were already a thing of the past. WRONG Most people say that the President’s budget is dead on arrival. WRONG While Congress prohibited itself from congressionally-directed spending (aka earmarks) in 2011, they didn’t stop the President from earmarking. I’m not talking about funding this program and not funding that one. …
Corps FY19 Budget: In this update, here’s the link to the President’s Corps earmarks for FY19. As you probably know, each Corps study, project and (most) programs are funded by earmarks. The President can make his; Congress cannot make any of their own. Here’s the link to the document that provides all the information about…
Another bad year for coastal storm risk management (aka shore protection) as far as President’s budgets go. The chart below is my listing of everything I could fine in the budget for FY19 released by President Trump moments ago. There are $0 entries wherever I assumed that a study funded by the President last year…
Have we got news!! BTW, don’t forget to check out the WaterLog website at www.aldenst.com/waterlog for background info on coastal resilience, the Corps process etc. There are TWO items in this update. Funds for Corps projects in the budget bill just passed and a link to the Federal Register announcement on applications for the beneficial…
Welcome to our new WaterLog subscribers. This is an update of the scene here in DC – and it’s not pretty. We’re headed toward another shutdown deadline by Thursday midnight. The House Republican leadership will propose another short-term solution that won’t make it past Start in the Senate. There’s some hope the Senate will come…
Tonight’s State of the Union Address: For those of you plan to view the “SOTU” this evening, here’s what to be on the lookout for via Politico. Infrastructure Initiative: I tweeted the leaked Trump infrastructure plan last week and posted it on WaterLog. Much of the Federal money in the plan are focused in an…
On December 7th, the White House announced that it will release its long-awaited plan for a national infrastructure overhaul in early January. To be clear, the plan is not a complete bill, but instead will provide a 70-page framework from which Congress can build actual legislation. With details still to be made public, here’s what…
In this Update, we cover Infrastructure, can-kicking, benefit-cost-ratios, and a fresh face at the Assistant Secretary’s office. Plus new grant opportunities. The “I-word” makes its reappearance Now that the tax bill is just a giant step from being finished, the buzz about a major infrastructure initiative is getting new life. As much as the Nation…
Happy December and a warm welcome to our many new WaterLog subscribers!! Here’s the latest from your Nation’s Capital. With Senate passage of the tax bill, that chamber’s version will have to be reconciled with a somewhat different tax bill previously passed by the House. I mention this issue for two reasons., First, the future…
A House Appropriations Committee panel will hold a hearing on the new disaster resilience Community Development Block Grant (which will actually be a competitive grant) proposed in the latest Administration-requested supplemental we reported on to our subscribers last week. For new subscribers who didn’t get that update, please email me and I’ll send it to…
The Administration send its third request for a post-disaster supplemental appropriation last Friday. Congress has already passed $35.8 billion for the hurricanes and flooding events plus $16 billion in debt forgiveness for the NFIP. This latest request is for $44 billion. Given the fact that this won’t be the last request for the slew of…
Recently, a House subcommittee held a roundtable discussion that focused on concepts that ought to be included in the next Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). Now that you won’t have any new House of Cards episodes to watch, you probably are looking for an hour or two to fill some of that void in your…
The House has passed a measure to make several significant changes to the National Flood Insurance program by a vote of 237-189. Of most immediate importance, it reauthorizes NFIP, whose statutory authorization expires on December 8th. The Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), has previously called the NFIP “a bankrupt…
* New ASA(CW) The Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing last week on the nomination of R.D. James to be Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. Here’s a summary put together by my colleague, Zack Moody – Sen. Blount (R-MO) introduced James and vouched for him as a civil engineer, farmer, and…
The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee will hold a Nov. 2 hearing focused on Central Takeaways from the Unprecedented 2017 Hurricane Season. Details have not been posted yet, but check back here in a few days. You can still listen to the roundtable discussion the committee held on Friday the 27th by clicking here. This…
For those of you who are missing the warmth of summer, head to Miami. The House Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee is having an October 27th roundtable discussion on “Concepts for the Next Water Resources Development Act”. Details, including background and witnesses, can be found here. Already booked that weekend for a trip to view…
In a statement on the floor on October 16th, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas noted that the $36.5 billion supplemental appropriations bill that passed the House last week “will not move through the Senate until it meets the needs of Hurricane Harvey victims as defined by the state’s governor. Apparently the Speaker has assured Gov.…
The President has nominated RD James to be Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. Here’s my LinkedIn post with info about Mr. James. BTW, please connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6321839869484167168/ There’s a report today in E&E News that Mr. James “owns property affected by one of the most contentious flood-control projects in…
When you think of Earth’s dwindling supply of natural resources, a few things immediately spring to mind. Clean air and water top the list when it comes to what we want to preserve for future generations. There is little disagreement that forests and endangered species of animals must be protected, and then of course there’s sand… Wait, sand? …
Many thanks for subscribing to WaterLog. Unfortunately, the Google FeedBurner system will not let us include you as a subscriber until you respond to the email the system sent to you when you subscribed and VERIFY your email subscription. I am sending you this email update as well as this link to my latest Blog. …
Most subscribers to this blog have been reading my insight for years, so you know I don’t write scare headlines to get readers. This isn’t intended to be scary, nor is it an attack. I have learned so much over the past 35 years from Corps personnel, and I respect their abilities and dedication. So,…
We will be recovering from Harvey and Irma for a surprisingly long time because of the size of these major storms. They are reminders of our continued vulnerability to the ravages of strong winds and high waves, but they are also tokens of the progress we have made in developing more resilient coastal communities. I…
Amidst the strange but welcome bipartisanship of the last 36 hours, led by President Trump, the Senate has approved a measure that doubles the initial aid package for Hurricane Harvey to $15.25 billion. Harvey will require much more Federal aid, and Irma even more. FYI: The Corps will need a supplemental appropriation to respond with…
It seemed like a good idea to the House leadership. Instead of shooting to get all 12 appropriations bills passed by the August recess, take the four most likely to pass, give the package a name, and go home to cheers. Except, once again the leadership is falling all over itself trying to shoot itself…
Image source: The Library of Congress Post by Howard Marlowe The photo’s a little fuzzy, but if you click on it you’ll see clearly that it’s Eleanor Roosevelt, the first presidential spouse to testify before Congress, in 1940. Perhaps Melania Trump will show off her best fashion in a similar setting soon! It’s a big…
By Howard Marlowe Normally, I’m not that negative. I mean, over-the-top headlines get readers, but this one is meant to reflect my utter disappointment. The system of representative democracy our Founders established is one that works. I’ve seen firsthand what can be done when local and state elected officials organize to fight back against government…
By Howard Marlowe Memorial Day marked the unofficial start of summer, and for Americans from all 50 states as well as the territories, that means going to the beach. I’ll bet that more than a few of you reading this post are at the beach right now or just came back. A few years…
By Howard Marlowe The development of the Corps budget is different from most other Federal agencies. As proposed by the President, it is earmarked- always has been since I started working on Corps projects for local governments in the 1990s. The Appropriations Committee adds money to the President’s request. That money goes into “pots” like…
By Howard Marlowe While we’re waiting on Congress to pass a budget for the fiscal year that started last October 1st, I wanted to give a shout out to SAGE – a multifaceted program that that has brought federal and state agencies and stakeholders (that’s folks like you) together to promote knowledge of the…
This is the fourth in what we plan as a series of posts on what the Administration and Congress may do to address the nation’s ailing infrastructure. By Howard Marlowe This has been an amazing 100 days. You can feel a slight breath of relief in DC right now because Congress has joined in the…
By Howard Marlowe Dear Director Mulvaney, Congratulations on your appointment as Director of the White House Office of Budget and Management. You have been given a unique opportunity to have a voice in our nation’s fiscal management and steer our country’s financial priorities in a positive direction. As you begin your tenure at the helm…
This is the third in what we plan as a series of posts on what the Administration and Congress may do to address the nation’s ailing infrastructure. By Howard Marlowe I recently spoke to the members of the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) at its conference. It has been just over 20 years…
This is the second in what we plan as a series of posts on what the Administration and Congress may do to address the nation’s ailing infrastructure. By Howard Marlowe Over the last week, we have seen a sudden spurt of activity in Congress on infrastructure. On February 1st, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee…
This is the first in what we plan as a series of posts on what the Administration and Congress may do to address the nation’s ailing infrastructure. By Howard Marlowe Earlier this week, a list of priority infrastructure projects of the Trump administration surfaced on the Internet. While the authenticity of the list is unclear,…
By Howard Marlowe As Congress comes back after weeks of electioneering, the political landscape in Washington is on the cusp of changing dramatically. With a Republican President on January 20th and a Republican-controlled Congress on January 3rd, you would think that the lame-duck Republican-controlled Congress would prefer to put everything on hold until next year…
By Howard Marlowe Well, to say this one was a shocker is an understatement. The newly-elected President doesn’t take office until January 20th, and this Congress doesn’t officially expire until January 3rd. So, for the moment, we’re looking at the same President and the same composition of Congress that has been in place for the…
By Howard Marlowe With the recent Senate passage of its version of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2016, and possible House passage before the end of the year (if not by the end of this month) it’s a good time to look at what lies ahead in 2017. To do that, however, we…