The House and Senate recently approved a comprehensive water resources infrastructure bill with provisions championed by U.S. Reps. Tom Cole (R-OK), Bill Huizenga (R-MI) and Mike Bishop (R-MI).
The House approved the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act, S. 612, on Thursday by a vote of 360-61. The sweeping legislation will authorize improvements in America’s locks, dams, and harbors and support targeted flood protection and environmental restoration needs. The Senate approved the measure by a vote of 78-21 late Friday. The bill now goes to President Barack Obama for his signature.
Furthermore, Cole said, “It will address the ongoing water issues in Flint, Michigan, provide federal funds for numerous water infrastructure projects and consummate many water settlements for Native American tribes across the United States. For Oklahomans, it will finalize the water settlement between the Chickasaw and Choctaw Nations and Oklahoma City.”
The Oklahoma Water Rights Settlement between Oklahoma City, the state of Oklahoma, the Chickasaw Nation and the Choctaw Nation, has been litigated for more than five years. The conflict arose over questions about water rights ownership and regulatory authority.
“This is important to many people. But we must realize that tribal sovereignty, the right to govern and the defining of those rights must be honored for the Chickasaws and the Choctaws. This settlement allows them to retain that distinction, protects the interests of the people living in those areas and provides security for Oklahoma City’s water needs.”
The agreement limits the amount of water that Oklahoma City can take from Sardis Lake each year, and it establishes a $10 million fund to support recreational activities at Sardis and Atoka lakes.
The WIIN Act also included a provision led by Huizenga to permanently prioritize Army Corps of Engineers funding for the Great Lakes Navigational System, an international waterway extending from Lake Superior to the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
“Not only does this important legislation permanently prioritize funding for the Great Lakes Navigational System, it goes a step further by ensuring that a greater portion of the revenues intended for water infrastructure and harbor dredging from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund actually get used for that purpose,” he said.
“Ports and harbors across the Great Lakes are engines of economic growth that generate over $18 billion in economic activity and support 130,000 good-paying jobs, and this bill will strengthen Michigan’s ‘Blue Economy’ even further,” the congressman said.
Huizenga also has focused on finding a bipartisan solution to help the people of Flint recover from the water crisis, which he said depicted a failure of government at all levels.
“I am proud to see my colleagues in the Michigan delegation put party affiliation aside, unify and focus the conversation in Congress on achieving meaningful and positive results for Flint,” Huizenga said.
Bishop, meanwhile, said his support of the bill was focused on securing Michigan priorities and getting Flint residents the long overdue help they need.
“The Great Lakes are an important focus of these bills as well,” Bishop said. “Formally authorizing the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative allows us to protect our environment for future generations to enjoy. We’re also investing in water infrastructure projects, which will make a big difference for Michigan jobs and the economy.”