While this was the best possible outcome for the appropriations process in the short-term, the CR expires on December 11th and Congress will have to re-visit the appropriations process shortly after the mid-term elections. At that point, Congress will have to pass the appropriations bills or vote for another CR to a date after the new year, or through September 30th. Therefore, the agencies are only funded for the next four months and thus will be limited by the amount of work they are able to complete or initiate. 

The good news for the waterway is that we received $42.433 million in FY26 compared with $32.825 million in the President’s budget for FY27 so work will continue under the CR at the higher FY26 level. However, we could receive additional funding for FY27 on top of the base amounts depending on which earmarks get approved in the final appropriations bill. Those decisions will be made after the election as the House and Senate will only be in session four and 14 days, respectively, between now and election day in November.

Join us this November 17-19th where you’ll connect with all waterway stakeholders to learn recent navigation successes, updates from the Corps districts, and what to expect from advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C. Together with the Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND), the AIWA annual meeting is proud to be a partner as the kickoff event for FIND’s 100th year in 2027!

We have extended invitations to our federal partners at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA, and the Maritime Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation. 

Register and view sponsorship opportunities on the annual meeting webpage.

The conference will be held at the Dune House in Atlantic Beach, Florida. A limited number of rooms are available at the group rate of $294 per night (inclusive of all taxes and fees) until October 19th. 

If you have any questions, please reach out to Brad Pickel, brad.pickel@atlanticintracoastal.net. 

During June, Brad attended the National Dredging Meeting (NDM) in Norfolk, Virginia. This was the first NDM held along the waterway in over a decade and offered us the opportunity to interact with leadership of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineering (USACE). After presentations by MG Jason Kelly, USACE Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency Operation; and Mr. Stephen Hill, USACE Director of Operations and Regulatory Programs, and others, attendees were invited to speak directly with USACE District and Division staff to discuss upcoming projects and issues of concern. We used this valuable time to inform our partners on our Commercial Operators Stakeholder Group and learn more about upcoming projects while stressing the need for dredging along all five of the Corps districts along the waterway.

We also conducted a Waterway Inspection Tour in South Carolina in July. AIWA executive director Brad Pickel (with a little help from his friends!) traveled from AIWA headquarters in Beaufort, SC to the downtown Safe Harbor marina in Charleston SC. Along the way, we passed numerous commercial and recreational users while also getting a chance to see the enhancement of dredge material management areas near the Ashepoo-Coosaw cutoff. This is a much needed project in an area without a beneficial use opportunity for dredged sediment.

On August 25-27, Brad attended the National Waterways Conference Annual Meeting. The NWC is the pre-eminent organization representing all of the USACE major programs. Brad represents the AIWA on the NWC Executive Committee and Board of Directors. The NWC Annual Meeting “connects water resources leaders from across the country for policy discussions, regional perspectives, project tours, and candid conversations about the decisions shaping America’s water resources future.”