Harbor Maintenance and Dredging: A Legislative Update

CAPT Bill Diehl, USCG (Ret.), P.E.President

Greater Houston Port Bureau

Houston Ship Channel Maintenance Funding

Year Corps Capability President’s Budget Appropriated Percent of

CapabilityFY 2004 $16,289,000 $14,198,000 $13,539,000 83%

FY 2005 $31,476,000 $16,223,000 $16,000,000 51%

FY 2006 $23,380,000 $6,136,000 $17,936,000 77%

FY 2007 $19,860,000 $13,225,000 $13,000,000 65%

FY 2008 $35,055,000 $14,442,000 $16,945,000 48%

FY 2009* $62,600,000 $15,353,000 $61,970,000 99%

FY 2010 $36,275,000 $20,031,000 $19,036,000 52%

FY 2011 $41,573,000 $23,817,000 18,798,000 57%

FY 2012 $83,898,000 $23,364,000 $35,874,000 28%

FY 2013 $52,000,000 $24,000,000

*Includes both general appropriations and ARRA funding

Immediate Impact• August 2012—Shoaling at the inner bar of the entrance

channel reduced draft for Houston, Galveston, Texas City to 43.5’

• Army Corps emergency dredging cleared the shoaling by mid-October

• 18 terminal berths operate at depths of -44.5’ or deeper• Overall impact? Probably 10x the cost to do the emergency

dredging

Terminal Impact• Channel Width restrictions have a direct

impact on two-way traffic availability• Earlier this year, one section of the channel

had a nearly 7’ shoal – restricting use of a newly-dredged 45’ berth operated by a private facility.

HMTF Expenditures and Balance FY 1992 – FY 2010TRUST GAP

The Realize America’s Maritime Promise (RAMP) Act – HR 104

• What does the RAMP Act do?– Requires that Congress appropriate the full

receipts of the Harbor Maintenance Tax to the Army Corps for annual harbor maintenance

• Current Status– 197 Sponsor/Co-Sponsors– S 412 – Corresponding Senate Bill has 37

Sponsor/Co-Sponsors

Inland Waterways Trust FundYear-End Balances 1992-2011

Challenge: Aging Lock Inventory*

0-9

10-19

20-29

30-39

40-49

50-59

60-69

70-79

80+

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Age in 2010 (Years)

Number of Operational Lock Chambers

3

11

14

24

52

2820

56

34

*Includes all operational deep and shallow draft Corps and TVA navigation locks.

57% > 50

Aging Infrastructure

Crumbling lock wall, Lower Mon 3, opened in 1907

Concrete deterioration

at Chickamauga

Leaking miter gates, Upper Miss Lock 19

Project Completion Dates (Status Quo, Major Rehab)

• Olmsted L/D Construction (2020)• Lower Mon 2,3 & 4 Replacement, phase 1 (2027)• Kentucky Lock Addition (2041)• Chickamauga Replacement Lock (2051)• L/D 25 Upper MS 1200’ Lock Addition (2064)• High Island to Brazos River, TX (2053) • Lagrange 1200’ Lock Addition (2070)• Inner Harbor Lock Replacement (2077)• L/D 22 Upper MS 1200’ Lock Addition (2083)• L/D 24 Upper MS 1200’ Lock Addition (2090)

Project Completion Dates (Status Quo, Major Rehab)

• L/D 25 Upper MS Dam (2053)• Lagrange (2064)• Lower Monumental (2065) • ILL WW Thomas O’Brien L/D (2065)• Greenup Dam Rehab PED & Constr. (2079)• JT Myers Dam (2081)• Meldahl Dam (2079)• Montgomery (2084)• Mel Price Upper MS (2086)• No. 2 Lock AR Lock Wall/Bank Slope Rehab (2085)• Willow Island Dam Rehab PED & Constr. (2089)• Marmet Dam (2090)

Waterways are Vital: Economy, Energy, Efficiency, and Environment (WAVE-4), HR 4342

• What Does WAVE-4 Do?– Prioritizes navigation projects across the entire system– Improves the Army Corps’ project management and

processes to ensure on-time and on-budget project deliverables

– Recommends a funding mechanism is affordable and meets the needs of the entire system

• Current Status– 26 Sponsor/Co-Sponsors– Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and

Environment

QUESTIONS?

CAPT Bill Diehl, USCG (Ret.), P.E.President

Greater Houston Port Bureau