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U.S. Senator Katie Britt, R-Ala., recently led Alabama’s Congressional delegation in pressing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reconsider how it allocates Operations and Maintenance, O&M, funding for Alabama’s waterways following a series of major lock failures. The delegation sent a letter to Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Michael Connor, and Commanding General and Chief of Engineers, Lieutenant General William Graham, highlighting concerns over the impact of these failures on supply chains and local industries.
In the letter, Alabama’s Congressional members noted that lock failures this year at the Demopolis, Holt, and Wilson Locks have disrupted business operations reliant on the state’s inland waterway system. They urged the Corps to factor in the reduced tonnage from these disruptions when determining Alabama’s future O&M funding needs.
“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sets O&M budget guidance based on a five-year tonnage average for river systems,” the delegation wrote. “We are deeply concerned that the significantly reduced annual tonnage on the Tennessee-Tombigbee and Black Warrior River Systems in calendar year 2024 due to the closures of the Demopolis and Holt Locks will cause the Corps to underinvest critically needed O&M funds in these river systems.”
The letter continued, “As such, we urge the Corps to adjust the budget guidance for the Tennessee-Tombigbee and Black Warrior River systems by excluding the tonnage data from the calendar year 2024. These vital waterways and their associated industries should not face further hardship, beyond the impacts already resulting from the outages, by an inadequate O&M budget allocations in future fiscal years.”
Joining Britt in signing the letter were Senator Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and Representatives Jerry Carl, Barry Moore, Mike Rogers, Robert Aderholt, Dale Strong, Gary Palmer, and Terri Sewell, D-Ala.
As a Senate Committee on Appropriations member, Senator Britt secured nearly $73 million in the Fiscal Year 2024, FY24, Energy and Water Development Act to support the Corps’ projects in Alabama.
This funding includes:
$20.6 million for repairs at the George W. Andrews Lock and Dam on the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee, and Flint Rivers in Columbia, Alabama;
$18.4 million for dredging and maintenance on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway;
$12.1 million for maintenance on the Black Warrior and Tombigbee Rivers;
$11.2 million for Mobile Harbor operations;
$10.5 million for upkeep of the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River System.
Sen. Britt has also advanced additional funding in the Fiscal Year 2025, FY25, Energy and Water Development Act, totaling $25.07 million.
Key appropriations include:
$20 million to replace the miter gates at Coffeeville Lock and Dam;
$2.9 million for ongoing deepening studies on the Tennessee-Tombigbee and Black Warrior Tombigbee Waterways;
$550,000 for flood risk management studies in Selma, Alabama;
$323,000 and $292,000 for inspections at the Bankhead and Heflin Locks and Dams, respectively;
$955,000 for recreational facilities in Alabama’s Black Belt counties;
$50,000 for maintenance along Luxapallila Creek.
The FY24 Energy and Water Development Act was enacted on March 9, 2024. The FY25 Act awaits a full Senate vote, with Britt continuing to push for investments in Alabama’s critical waterways infrastructure.
