Water Resources Development Act of 2005

WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - July 14, 2005)

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(Mr. BOSWELL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate sharing with the committee I used to serve on.

As you know, Mr. Chairman, we just came from talking to Iowa corn growers a few minutes ago, and this is a terribly important thing to Iowa and many States which I will mention as we discuss this very important matter.

Today we have the opportunity to support and extend the vitality of the Nation's economy by supporting the upper Mississippi River locks and dams projects included in this bill.

The upper Mississippi River waterway system is in severe need of update and repair. Until these projects are completed, many of our farmer owners who ship out of Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri will continue to experience costly delays and inefficient transportation.

This legislation is crucial to preserving U.S. agricultural competitiveness in markets worldwide.

Last year we saw an emergency closure of Lock & Dam 27 in Granite City, Illinois. The effect of a 2-week closure at a single site can be felt in the pocketbooks of many of my constituents. If we do not act now to repair these locks and dams, we continue to risk shut-down at any number of sites, the effect of which would be disastrous.

Barge traffic on the Mississippi River represents the most efficient, most cost-effective, most environmentally sound means of transporting commodity goods from this region of the country to market. If we move away from the barge traffic, the expense we would have of creating new roads and rail to accommodate this traffic would be daunting. Each year hundreds of millions of tons of commerce move through the upper Mississippi River system; this is equivalent to roughly 67,000 barges. To replace barge traffic with truck and rail traffic would require 1 million rail cars or 4 million trucks. This is the most cost-efficient way to support and maintain the agriculture economy in our Nation.

The 2005 Water Resources Development Act is important in many ways; but at its heart it is about job creation, reducing the burden of transportation costs of American producers, promoting U.S. agriculture exports, and supporting the most environmental friendly mode of transportation.

For the good of our environment, the good of the economy, and the good of the Nation, I strongly urge support of the upper Mississippi locks and dams project.

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