ALSOBROOKS VOTES TO ADVANCE WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2026

July 15, 2026

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works' (EPW) Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, attended the EPW's Committee markup of the Water Resources Development Act of 2026. After the markup, Senator Alsobrooks voted "yes" along with Committee colleagues to unanimously advance the Water Resources Development Act of 2026.

WATCH ALSOBROOKS' FULL QUESTIONING HERE

"Every family, every business, every school, and every community depends on safe, abundant, reliable water-and on the partnerships that cross municipal lines and unite rural and urban communities to manage flood risk and harness the economic opportunities afforded to us by our waterways. In Maryland-whether you're from the Eastern Shore or Mountain Maryland, Baltimore or the suburbs, we are all connected by the same rivers, the same streams, and the Chesapeake Bay," said Senator Alsobrooks.

Senator Alsobrooks is proud of the real results for Maryland included in this legislation:

Environmental Infrastructure Implementation

• Amends Section 219, which authorizes the Army Corps to assist non-federal partners with local environmental infrastructure and water-related projects, to allow non-federal interests to lead design and construction and receive reimbursement for the federal share of costs, which will streamline implementation and lower costs.

Potomac River Basin Water Supply Study

• Much of Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Washington, DC, and parts of Northern Virginia rely on the Potomac River for drinking water. If the river were contaminated by a chemical spill, major infrastructure failure, or other emergency, there is only a limited amount of stored treated water available. The Army Corps has noted that some systems have only 24 to 48 hours of supply if the Potomac became unusable. This study will evaluate long-term and large-scale secondary water supply options in the Potomac River Basin, primarily for Montgomery County, Prince George's County, and DC.

Assateague Island Shoreline Restoration

• Assateague Island has been eroding at an accelerated rate and is extremely vulnerable to breaching. This bill authorizes a study to extend federal participation in the shoreline restoration project.

Chesapeake Bay Oyster Recovery Program Authorization Increase

• The Chesapeake Bay Oyster Recovery Program focuses on the restoration and rehabilitation of reef habitat to provide for self-sustaining native oyster populations and associated fish and wildlife habitat within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The program is roughly $38M away from its authorized cap of $120M. The bill increases authorized funds for the oyster recovery program from $120,000,000 to $150,000,000, allowing for critical oyster recovery work to continue.

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Re-Watering Cost Share Adjustment

• Under previous WRDA authorities, the federal government is responsible for 65 percent of project costs, and the City of Cumberland is responsible for 35 percent of the project costs. This high cost ratio is overly burdensome for Cumberland's budget, and work is currently halted for the project. The cost share for the C&O re-watering project is adjusted from 65-35 to 90-10, allowing the Corps and Cumberland to begin to move forward with the project. The project will restore and rewater the historic C&O Canal terminus, supporting downtown revitalization, tourism, and economic development while complementing Cumberland's broader flood risk management efforts.

Mussel Restoration Authorization

• Adds mussels to the Chesapeake Bay Oyster Recovery Program, allowing Maryland to continue its mussel restoration work.

Curtis Creek Maintenance

• The Curtis Creek Federal Navigation Channel serves the U.S. Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore, the Coast Guard's only shipbuilding and major repair facility. The existing federal maintenance dredging authorization is limited to a depth of 22 feet, which no longer reflects the operational needs of the modern Coast Guard fleet. The Coast Guard is currently funding and completing an initial dredging of the channel to accommodate newer vessels. However, once that work is complete, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will only be authorized to maintain the channel at its currently authorized depth of 22 feet. This bill fixes that and allows the Corps to dredge to maintain a depth of 27 feet, provided the Corps determines that it is economically justified, important for national security benefits, and environmentally acceptable. Maintaining reliable access to the Yard is not just critical for our national security, but it is also important to Maryland's economy. The Yard supports more than 6,500 jobs and generates approximately $900 million in annual economic output. Ensuring the channel can continue accommodating modern Coast Guard vessels protects these jobs, sustains Maryland's maritime industrial base, and preserves the Yard's long-term operational capability.

###