On Thursday, U.S. Reps Angie Craig, Betty McCollum, and Ron Kind announced that they have successfully secured emergency funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to address the impacts of this spring’s devastating floods along the Mississippi River. In a press release, the representatives stated that the funding was disbursed in response to a letter the representatives sent in September pushing the Office of Management and Budget to distribute the $100 million previously allocated through the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act, which was signed into law in June. As a result of the severe flood season last spring, the Mississippi River and other rivers along the Inland Waterway System have heightened sedimentation in river beds. Every year, the system is responsible for one-sixth of the nation’s intercity cargo and 25% of foreign exports. In order to maintain this level of economic operation, the Army Corps of Engineers must increase dredging efforts to overcome rising sediment levels, allowing barges to navigate successfully.
