New WRRDA Authority Gives Promise To Recreational Boating And
Fishing Groups
NWC Newsletter
November 2014
Hampered by reductions in commercial lockages on the Upper
Allegheny and Upper Monongahela rivers, the Upper Monongahela
River Association (UMRA) has spearheaded an effort to use a
provision in the newly enacted Water Resources Reform and
Development Act to use contributed funds to increase hours of lock
operations along those waterways.
WRRDA Section 1017 calls for the establishment of a pilot program
to enable the acceptance and expenditure of funds contributed by
non-Federal interests to increase the hours of operation of locks
at water resources development projects.
UMRA, faced with the negative economic impact from lock closures
in recent years, as evidenced by a loss in tourism and rising
unemployment, has partnered with the Allegheny River Development
Corporation and is working with the USACE Pittsburgh District, to
use this new authority to keeps these rivers open for recreational
boating and fishing.
In its comments on WRRDA implementation, NWC urged the Corps to
implement this new authority in an expeditious manner to allow
these local communities to reap the benefits that recreational
boating and fishing bring to their communities.