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Opening remarks, as prepared, of Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Mike Collins (R-GA) from today’s hearing, entitled, “Water Resources Development Acts Implementation: Review and Oversight of Past Provisions”:

I’d like to thank Assistant Secretary Telle and General Graham for joining us today as we review the Corps’ performance and implementation of recent Water Resources Development Acts (WRDAs). I want to give special congratulations to you, Assistant Secretary Telle, on your confirmation by the Senate by an overwhelming bipartisan vote just over a month ago.

Based on the conversations we’ve had, I am confident that you will provide much-needed leadership to the Army Corps of Engineers. I look forward to working with you to ensure the Corps fulfills its critical missions. I know that you both share the same goal as I do: to make the Corps act faster, more efficiently, and more economically. Unfortunately, Corps project delivery often falls short of where it should be.

I have a background in the trucking business, where delivering on time is what keeps the doors open. My goal as Chairman of the Subcommittee is to get the Corps to complete its projects on time, under budget, and correctly. I understand some of the budgetary problems the Corps faces, but these are not excuses for study delays, years-long dredging backlogs, and mismanagement of repairs to vital locks and dams on our inland waterway system.

Earlier this year, I was able to visit Wilson and Chickamauga Locks in Alabama and Tennessee: crucial assets that serve America’s economic and national security by ensuring two of our nation’s largest rivers are navigable to the Gulf of America.

These locks and dams are a testament to the Corps’ legacy of building America, but like so many other inland waterway projects, they are past their prime. Rehabilitating and replacing them is taking too long and costing taxpayers far more than it should. We have a responsibility to invest and manage Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars wisely and efficiently. While these projects are expensive, the Corps can and must do better. I am hopeful that Section 1126 of WRDA 2024, which changed the cost-share of these projects required to come from the Inland Waterway Trust Fund, will help the Corps move these projects along.

Another area where the Corps can improve is the consistent dredging of America’s harbors. My home state of Georgia’s economy relies heavily on consistent dredging of the Ports of Savannah and Brunswick. 2025 represented the busiest year on record for the Port of Savannah, and the Port of Brunswick recently became America’s number one port for automobiles.

Despite this incredible growth at Georgia’s sea ports, it has been years since Brunswick Harbor had been dredged to its federally authorized depth, leading to shoaling and threats of ship groundings. While I am pleased that the Corps has made Brunswick a priority this year, this vital port should not have gone this long without routine maintenance. The challenge at Brunswick is why I’ve made streamlining the Corps’ dredging processes, including contracting practices and environmental windows that seem to prevent consistent maintenance of federal channels, a top priority. 

WRDA 2024 and other recent WRDAs have also focused on Corps recreation projects. I look forward to the Corps’ implementation of these provisions to allow greater local control of the Corps’ recreation sites to ensure public access.

Recent failures by the Corps to manage and provide access to recreation sites at Lake Lanier in Georgia were a wakeup call that more needs to be done. Ultimately, I would like to get the Corps out of the business of running campgrounds and maintaining recreation sites so it can focus resources on navigation and flood control.

Finally, I urge the Corps to prioritize implementation of Section 1315 of WRDA 2024 regarding the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam in Georgia. This issue has been around for decades, and Section 1315 provides clear legal guidelines for the Corps to follow, protecting the water supply behind the dam, providing for rehabilitation of the lock and dam, and clarifying cost-share requirements.

The Corps must prioritize finalizing the engineering necessary to complete the project and provide an accurate cost estimate so that all parties involved understand the costs of completing the project and can work to secure the appropriations necessary to put the issue to rest once and for all.

Click here for more information from today’s hearing, including video and witness testimony.