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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) released the following statement after Congress passed the 2024 Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (WRDA), which includes provisions he secured to support important infrastructure projects in Texas.
Following passage, Sen. Cruz said, “I am proud to secure so many key legislative priorities for the Lone Star State in the 2024 Water Resources Development Act. The provisions I championed will authorize new construction projects, keep ongoing projects on schedule, and boost economic growth for Texas and the United States.”
Read the full text of the bill here.
| The following provisions impact the State of Texas: |
| Matagorda Ship Channel Improvement Project |
| Directs actions to address delays, including a Sense of Congress that the Secretary should expedite required documentation. If justified, the Secretary is directed to proceed directly to preconstruction, planning, engineering, and design. |
| Sabine-Neches Waterway Navigation Improvement Project |
| Directs the Secretary to expedite review and coordination of the Section 203 feasibility study for this project. |
| La Quinta Ship Channel Expansion Project |
| Directs the Secretary to expedite review and coordination of the Section 203 feasibility study for this project. |
| Galveston Bay Ship Channel Feasibility Study |
| Authorizes the Corps to study improving and deepening ship channels and barge lanes in the broader Galveston Bay area. |
| Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Coastal Resilience Program, Brazoria and Matagorda Counties |
| Authorizes the Corps to begin construction on the project to improve navigation of the waterway and repair and enhance the existing barrier system for hurricane and storm damage risk reduction. |
| Cedar Port Navigation and Improvement District Channel Deepening Project |
| Directs the Secretary to expedite review and coordination of the Section 203 feasibility study for this project. |
| Process to Release Excess Easements or Transfer of Excess Lands for Harris or adjacent counties |
| Directs the Army Corps to assist in converting a current placement area into a new or expanded container terminal. |
| Waco Lake |
| Directs the Secretary to expedite review and consider the City of Waco’s request to participate in repairing the embankment adjacent to Waco Lake. |
| Matagorda Ship Channel Design Deficiency Cost Share |
| Sets the federal cost-share at 90% to correct design deficiencies in the Matagorda Ship Channel jetties. |
| Expedited Consideration of Future WRDA Projects |
| Allows for expedited consideration of standalone legislation to authorize one or more projects to advance to the next development stage. |
| Cost-Share Change to Navigation Construction Projects |
| Increases from 50-feet to 55-feet the existing 75% federal cost-share for navigation construction projects. |
| Red River Chloride Control Project |
| Reaffirms Congressional support for this project, providing water quality control to the City of Wichita Falls and Sheppard Air Force Base. |
| Cost-Share Change to Navigation Operations & Maintenance Projects |
| Increases from 50-feet to 55-feet the existing 100% federal cost-share for operations and maintenance navigation projects. |
| Operations and Maintenance Building in Galveston |
| Authorizes the design and construction of an operations and maintenance building for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Galveston. |
| New Office Construction in Corpus Christi |
| Authorizes the design and construction of an administration building, maintenance building, and covered boat house for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Corpus Christi. |
| Addicks and Barker Reservoirs |
| Authorizes modifications to the project for flood risk management. |
| Westside Creek, San Antonio Channel |
| Authorizes modifications to the project for ecosystem restoration. |
| Resacas ecosystem restoration, Brownsville |
| Provides the Secretary with the authority to extend pay flexibility to the non-Federal cost-share of the project. |
| Guadalupe County, including the City of Santa Clara |
| Authorizes a feasibility study for the project for flood risk management. |
| Halls Bayou, Harris County |
| Authorizes a feasibility study for the project for flood risk management and ecosystem restoration |
| Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Brazos River Floodgates and Colorado River Locks |
| Directs the Secretary to expedite the feasibility study for the project for navigation |
| Raymondville Drain Project, Lower Rio Grande Basin |
| Directs the Secretary to expedite the review and coordinate the feasibility study for the project for flood control. |
| Buffalo Bayou Tributaries and Resiliency Study |
| Instructs the Secretary to expedite the completion of the study while including recommendations that align with community objectives and deliver the final report by December 31, 2025. |
| Environmental Infrastructure |
| Authorizes funding under the Environmental Infrastructure account towards water and wastewater infrastructure for the following municipalities: |
| Austin |
| Amarillo |
| Brownsville |
| Clarendon |
| Quinlan |
| Runaway Bay |
| Webb County |
| Zapata County |
| Dallas County Region |
| San Antonio Channel, San Antonio |
| Modifies the existing project for flood control. |
| Lakes Program |
| Adds Falcon Lake of Zapata County and Lake Casa Blanca of Webb County to the Lakes Program. |
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