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SENATE PASSES WRDA BILL
"WRDA IS CRUCIAL FOR OKLAHOMA AS WE WORK TOWARD MEETING OUR CRITICAL WATER RESOURCE NEEDS."

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, today welcomed Senate passage of S.728, the Water Resource Development Act (WRDA) of 2006. The WRDA bill, which Senator Inhofe managed on the Senate Floor over the past two days, passed the Senate by voice-vote tonight. The WRDA bill is typically reauthorized every two years, but has not been reauthorized since 2000.

"WRDA is crucial for Oklahoma as we work toward meeting our critical water resource needs," Inhofe said. "Just as the Highway Bill signed into law last year -provides much needed funding for our nation's infrastructure, passage of this WRDA bill will provide much needed funding for water resources development and protection of our nation's waterways.
"After six long years, the Senate took a significant step forward today to improve our nation's water resource needs. We should now move quickly to conference with the House so that we can work out our differences and vote on a final package."

Specific Oklahoma provisions within the WRDA bill include:


Lake Eufaula - This provision establishes
recreation as a project purpose and creates a lake advisory committee that will allow citizens to give recommendations to the Corps regarding the operations of the lake. This section would also authorize a reallocation study.

McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation Channel -
The WRDA bill directs the U.S. Corps of Engineers to continue toward construction of the 12-foot navigation channel leading to the Port of Catoosa. The deeper channel will accommodate heavier barges carrying increased loads, opening Oklahoma to a sector of business previously unattainable and keeping the Port of Catoosa thriving well into the future. Additionally, wheat farmers out west and many others in the state will be able to take advantage of an extremely cost effective method of transportation.

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