Boozman Advances Arkansas Water Infrastructure Priorities

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, secured measures that will strengthen Arkansas water resources in legislation approved by the committee Wednesday.

The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2026 authorizes flood risk management, navigation and ecosystem restoration projects for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in addition to reauthorizing the Environmental Protection Agency's drinking water and wastewater infrastructure programs, including increasing the State Revolving Funds. The biennial bill, which passed the committee unanimously, includes multiple provisions championed by Boozman to address water infrastructure needs in The Natural State.

"Without reliable water infrastructure, communities in Arkansas and nationwide would suffer economically and face threats to public health. It underpins our country," Boozman said. "This bipartisan bill is critical to support efforts to modernize and maintain water systems, from ports and inland waterways to drinking and wastewater access. I was pleased to secure important wins that will enhance our state's ability to meet water needs across communities and industries."

Boozman-authored measures in the package include:

• The bipartisan Futureproofing Local Operations for Water Systems (FLOWS) Act that would establish a grant program for publicly owned water or treatment systems in rural or critical need areas to deploy technology that improves reliability as well as strengthens cybersecurity. The program would provide $15 million for these grants from Fiscal Years 2027-2030.

• The bipartisan Advancing Water Research and Collaboration (AWRC) Act to reauthorize and update a federal-state partnership through Water Resources Research Institutes - including the Arkansas Water Resources Center located at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville - to address local, state and regional water challenges with critical research and information sharing initiatives.

• A provision to expedite the assessment necessary to determine the scope and scale of needed repairs at Dardanelle Lock and Dam at Lake Dardanelle and to support operations at Arkansas Nuclear One.

• Language that enhances the partnership agreements for the Grand Prairie Region and Bayou Meto irrigation projects.

• Adding the University of Arkansas as an authorized entity for partnerships with the Corps to conduct research on supply chains within the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS).

• Reinforcing the importance of continued funding for MKARNS system improvements.

• Requiring an update on implementation of the LAKES Act allowing Corps-managed recreation sites to reinvest a portion of on-site collected fees back into maintenance and repairs.

WRDA 2026 also incorporates a Boozman-backed effort to expand funding eligibility for projects with fire suppression benefits in high-risk rural areas, known as the Firefighting Infrastructure for Rural and Exurban Smaller Municipalities Augmenting Residential Fuels Treatments (FIRE SMART) Act.

The legislation now heads to the Senate floor for consideration.

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