WRDA Works for America’s Water Infrastructure

Photo portrait of Congressman Bill Shuster

On October 23, 2018, the president signed into law the America’s Water Infrastructure Act, a legislative package that features the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2018. The enactment of WRDA 2018 marked the third such bill signed into law since I became chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in 2013. I […]

Building a Flood Control System for the 21st Century

Photo portrait of Congresswoman Doris Matsui

Managing water in the West is a balancing act. It requires great coordination between our water resources managers and our flood control managers. While the water resources managers must carefully maximize water allocations each year, flood control managers must prepare for worst-case flood scenarios. In California’s Sacramento Valley, we are blessed with rivers and tributaries […]

Sustainable Resource Management in San Antonio

At the spot where water from the San Antonio Water System’s (SAWS) Dos Rios Water Recycling Center cascades 50 feet down into the river, a visitor from a group of international guests gently wept. When asked if everything was alright, he nodded. “I’m ok,” the visitor said. “It’s just that in my country, we don’t […]

Getting to Yes on Flood Protection

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Nebraska’s Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District (P-MRNRD) share a common goal of preventing loss of life and property through effective floodplain management. However, while trying to achieve this critical goal, both organizations found themselves struggling to effectively work through a permission process required to perform federally mandated enhancements […]

Facilitating Flood Control in Kansas City

Twenty years in the making, Kansas City’s Turkey Creek Flood Control Project is marking the beginning of its last phase this year. The project addresses a flood -prone area adjacent to Turkey Creek, a tributary of the Kansas River that runs through the southwestern side of the city and Wyondotte County near Interstate 35 and […]

McCook Reservoir

In early January, a winter rain brought an inch of precipitation to Chicago’s already-snow-covered yards and streets. The otherwise unremarkable rain marked an important stage in the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago’s (MWRD) Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP): For the first time, stormwater entered MWRD’s McCook Reservoir on Chicago’s southwestern side. [siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Headline_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] […]

Overcoming Inundation in The Woodlands

Photo of Hurricane Harvey flooding in The Woodlands Division of San Jacinto River Authority

Not many water agencies have to grapple with 20,000-year flood events. Last August, Hurricane Harvey inundated much of southern Texas with record-breaking rainfall, posing significant challenges to drinking water delivery and wastewater treatment. The staff of the San Jacinto River Authority’s (SJRA) Woodlands Division, however, took those challenges in stride, providing seamless operations over the […]

Hunkering Down for Hurricane Harvey

Aerial photo of flooding in a Texas suburb cause by Hurricane Harvey

Hurricane Harvey struck Houston, Texas, on August 26, 2017, and went on to become one of the most devastating natural disasters on record. Entire neighborhoods were flooded or severely damaged, and thousands of people were forced to evacuate. While the efforts to protect people and homes are well known, the story of the efforts of […]