Rep. Nancy Mace on the Passage of the Water Resources Development Act of 2022 (WRDA)

Washington, D.C. – Rep Mace released the following statement on the passage of the Water Resources Development Act:

"It was just a little over two weeks ago the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022 passed out of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee with a bipartisan vote. Last night, I am elated to say the House voted in favor of this Act,” said Rep. Mace.

“WRDA will have positive impacts throughout the Lowcountry, as it directs important resources to our ecosystem restoration projects, water conservation, and natural environmental infrastructure projects. This is a win for our district, and I am excited to see how WRDA will be implemented throughout the Lowcountry firsthand.”

Historically WRDA projects have had a large scope, reaching national, regional, and local significance. Federal dollars directed to South Carolina’s First Congressional District through this legislation will help strengthen the nation's global competitiveness, grow the economy, move goods throughout the country and abroad, protect communities, and create jobs.

This year, WRDA policies and environmental infrastructure proposals focused on three main areas:

-   Flooding 

-   Port and harbor improvements

-   Water quality and sanitation

The following proposals submitted by Rep. Mace and included in the final bill are:

• Berkeley County, S.C.
  • A project for ecosystem restoration and flood risk management.
• City of Charleston, S.C.
  • Address and improve the traffic operations due to a high volume of flood related impacts prompting the necessity for pumps and significant additional mitigation measures. The pumps have tremendous benefits to the local community long and short term.
• Beaufort County, S.C.
  • Address and improve the traffic operations due to high volume of flood related impacts prompting the necessity for clearing and replacing drainage conveyances and installation of six tidal flap gates. Short and long term benefits to the local community.
• Mount Pleasant, S.C.
  • Installation of critical stormwater infrastructure in two largest drainage basins in the area.
• Folly Beach, S.C.
  • Coastal storm risk management. Re nourishment.
• Charleston Peninsula
  • Project for hurricane and storm damage risk reduction.
• Clarification of WRDA 2018 and Eligibility for Reimbursement, Adjust Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund Donor Port designation requirements, Align cost-share for maintenance of harbors with modernized harbor depths by increasing eligible depths to 55 feet.
  • Dredging and deepening prioritization and implementation for the ports.
• Lakes Marion and Moultrie, S.C.
  • Designated to provide safe and reliable potable water and wastewater services throughout a rural region of SC. System will include multiple elevated storage tanks from 0.3 to 1.0 million gallons, raw and finished water pump stations, and a water treatment plant designed to initially supply up to 8 million of gallons per day, with the capability of increasing capacity to 12 million of gallons per day to meet future system demands.
• National Low-Head Dam Inventory
  • Establishes and maintains a database which contains an inventory of low-head dams in the U.S. This database will ensure the location, ownership, description, current use condition, height, and length of every low-head dam.

To read the full bill text, go here.