Inland Waterways Users Board Discusses Economic Stimulus, Plans for Future

ALEXANDRIA, VA  — March 9, 2009. The 60th meeting of the Inland Waterways Users Board (IWUB) was held 20 February at the Engineer Research and Development Center's (ERDC) Coastal & Hydraulics Lab in Vicksburg, MS. A key topic at the meeting was the stimulus bill.

Brigadier General Michael Walsh, USACE Mississippi Valley Division (MVD), provided welcoming remarks and a Division overview. He noted that the Mississippi represented America's "Center Coast" and added that the authorization of navigation improvements in the 2007 Water Resources Development Act provides an opportunity for system modernization and ecosystem restoration on the Upper Mississippi.

Major General Bo Temple, USACE Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency Operations, provided opening remarks as the Board's Executive Director, as did participating Federal Observers, including Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) John Paul Woodley, Jr. MG Temple commended the meeting hosts for ERDC's recognition as Army Lab of the Year. He also noted the robust funding for the Corps' Civil Works program, including $4.6 billion in the recent stimulus bill, the $5.3 billion expected for the Corps' fiscal year 2009 Civil Works appropriation, and the prospect of a 2010 budget in a similar range that together offered a rare opportunity for a substantial commitment to infrastructure.

Gary Loew, USACE Chief of Programs Integration, noted the Corps has received $5.7 billion in supplemental appropriations. Projects targeted for stimulus funds will be identified in the next few weeks with funds dispersed thereafter. Mr. Loew noted the stimulus legislation does not require cost-sharing for projects that would normally be funded 50 percent from the Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF). In addition, the Corps' 2009 appropriation exempts major lock rehabilitations from cost-sharing. Together these acts offer a window of opportunity to keep lock modernization projects on track at a time when the IWTF is depleted.

Board members heard presentations on contracting lessons learned from Task Force Hope underway in New Orleans; an overview of navigation construction and major rehab projects in MVD; and a draft White Paper on the "Inland Marine Transportation System Investment Strategy" by Jeanine Hoey, with the participation of Chairman Wilken on behalf of the Board. Ms. Hoey is on a temporary assignment at Corps HQ from Pittsburgh District and is the action officer for a HQ Program Management Team (PMT) set up to address the IWTF shortfall.

The meeting was preceded the day before by a tour for Board members.  The tour included a visit to ERDC's vessel simulator, which was conducting simulations of navigating the planned hurricane surge barrier on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway east of New Orleans. The barrier is controversial because navigation stakeholders, the Coast Guard and the state of Louisiana have all expressed concern that the 150-ft width of the planned gates is insufficient for safe navigation.  Board members also visited physical scale models of a planned lock expansion on the Upper Mississippi and of spillway modifications to reduce juvenile salmon mortality at dams on the Columbia-Snake system.  Afterwards Board members had a waterside tour of port facilities at Vicksburg.

Outgoing Chairman Royce Wilken (American River Transportation Company, Decatur, IL) conducted the meeting.  This was also the last meeting for vice-chair Jerry Grossnickle (Bernert Barge Line, Portland, OR). Mark Pointon from Corps HQ serves as the Board's Executive Secretary.  Ken Lichtman, the Executive Assistant to HQ for the Board, and David Grier, the Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF) program analyst, attended from IWR and provided support for the meeting in Vicksburg.

Presentations and a meeting summary will be available on the Board's website.

About Inland Waterways Users Board

The Board is an industry Federal advisory committee established by Section 302 of Public Law 99-662.  The eleven-member Board represents all geographic areas on the fuel-taxed inland waterways system of the United States. The Corps of Engineers is the Federal proponent for the Board and IWR provides logistical and technical support for each Board meeting. The composition of the Board also reflects a balanced industry focus, including shipper and carrier members from companies of different sizes and specializing in the transport of different commodities.

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• Inland Waterways User Board