MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- President Joe Biden signed the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (WRDA 2024) into law, Jan. 4, 2025.
The WRDA 2024 is a comprehensive legislative package that provides for the conservation and development of water and related resources. Congress uses the WRDA process to authorize water resources development projects for the nation.
It is important to note that Water Resources Development Acts (WRDAs) strictly authorize legislation and do not include funding for WRDA-authorized studies and/or projects.
Included in the WRDA 2024 are two projects from the Memphis District: the North Desoto County Stormwater Project and the Hatchie-Loosahatchie Ecosystem Restoration Project.
The North Desoto County project addresses channel instability and flooding from stormwater, aims to restore environmental resources, and purposes to improve aquatic habitat and the quality of water entering the Mississippi River and its tributaries.
Specifically, the North Desoto County project provides flood risk management (FRM) measures to reduce flooding risks to public, commercial, and residential infrastructure in the Mississippi cities of Horn Lake, Southaven, Olive Branch, and Hernando.
Finally, this project's non-federal cost-sharing sponsor is the DeSoto County Board of Supervisors.
The Memphis District's second WRDA-authorized project is the Hatchie-Loosahatchie Mississippi River Ecosystem Restoration project, the largest ecosystem restoration project in the district's history.
The Hatchie-Loosahatchie Project covers a 39-mile reach of the Mississippi River and the Mississippi Flyway.
The Mississippi Flyway is host to the world's largest bird migration. It connects the Arctic to South America, over 300 species of migrating birds, and approximately 70 percent of the nation's migratory waterfowl.
The Mississippi River also supports more than 90 freshwater fish species, approximately 50 native mussel species, and several federal threatened or endangered species.
The Hatchie-Loosahatchie project addresses the loss of habitat complexity. It aims to restore and sustain ecosystem health, productivity, and biological diversity, address habitat fragmentation problems, and consider the social and economic goals of the surrounding communities.
The project also seeks to restore the environment for ecosystem restoration in harmony with other USACE mission areas: navigation and flood risk management.
Another key objective includes managing flood risks and promoting sustainable environmental practices, ultimately benefiting wildlife and local communities in the region.
This project authorization supports a broader strategy to enhance the Lower Mississippi River's ecological integrity as it aims to secure environmental health and biodiversity for future generations.
WRDA-authorized studies and projects are funded separately through the annual Energy and Water Development Act appropriations process and, every now and then, through supplemental appropriations.
Work on WRDA-authorized projects or studies without corresponding appropriations cannot and will not proceed.
For project-specific information regarding the North Desoto County Stormwater project, please visit https://www.mvm.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environmental-Stewardship/North-DeSoto-County-Feasibility-Study/.
For project-specific information regarding the Hatchie-Loosahatchie Ecosystem Restoration project, please visit https://www.mvm.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environmental-Stewardship/Hatchie-Loosahatchie-Mississippi-River-Ecosystem-Restoration-Study/.