John Boozman

08/18/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/18/2026 10:52

Boozman Celebrates Completion of Three Rivers Project


Boozman address attendees at Three Rivers Project Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.

WASHINGTON-Last week, U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) joined Congressman Rick Crawford (R-AR) and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle to mark the completion of the Three Rivers Project, a major infrastructure investment designed to protect the reliability of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS).

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Little Rock District hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony at the project site in Tichnor. The enhanced infrastructure on the MKARNS was completed under budget and will help ensure viable commercial navigation by preventing the convergence of the Arkansas River and White River, which would threaten an estimated 55,000 jobs and multiple industries that rely on the system to move goods and services.

"Completing the Three Rivers Project is a major step forward in strengthening MKARNS and ensuring this critical waterway remains reliable for Arkansas farmers, businesses and communities. This investment will help address longstanding navigation challenges and keep goods moving efficiently through our state. I appreciate the Army Corps of Engineers and our state and local partners for getting this project across the finish line," Boozman said.

Under Telle's leadership, the Corps launched an initiative to cut down on bureaucratic red tape and deliver more critical projects, more efficiently with lower costs. Completion of the Three Rivers Project is a clear example of the "Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork" mission in action.

"If the worst happened here, and the White River and Arkansas River converge, it would shut down and cut off everything from here all the way to the Catoosa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. You have main industries that have grown up as a result of this navigation system and invested in it. This is the choke point that enables all of this to be connected to the world. That's why this project is so important. And that's the jobs that you are seeing being preserved because of this project," Telle said.
Boozman has long championed a push to modernize the MKARNS, including through the Three Rivers Project, while urging the Corps to prioritize funding for its operations and maintenance.

Click play to view the video or follow this link https://youtu.be/HHCeQ2e0mz8?si=RN_h4DyCt98Hu3y5&t=1492

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