Administration’s fiscal 2017 budget calls for $109.3 million for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District’s Civil Works program

Published Feb. 10, 2016

BALTIMORE – The president’s budget for fiscal 2017 (FY 2017) includes roughly $109.3 million in gross discretionary funding for the Civil Works program of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District. This funding allows Baltimore District to continue to maintain and improve water resources infrastructure, bringing economic and environmental returns to the Nation, while reducing risks to public safety.

“The FY 2017 budgeted line-items for programs and projects support what have historically been Baltimore District’s most significant Civil Works priorities - navigation and flood risk management, with important ecosystem restoration work that complements that navigation mission,” said Baltimore District Commander Col. Ed Chamberlayne. “In addition to funding our flood risk management projects across the Mid-Atlantic region, the proposed budget includes funding for dredging channels in the Baltimore Harbor, which is a serious economic engine for the region and subsequently the nation. It also funds construction at Poplar Island, which brings environmental benefits to the Chesapeake Bay and increases the capacity for the beneficial reuse of dredged material from the Baltimore Harbor and channels for years to come.”

These budgeted funds remain proposed subject to the enactment of the FY 2017 Energy & Water Development Appropriations Act. The funds are distributed between primary program accounts within the District’s Civil Works program:

  • Construction General - $62.9 million
  • Operation and Maintenance (O&M) – $44.145 million
  • General Investigations - $1.375 million
  • Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Plan (FUSRAP) - $850,000

The $62.9 million in the FY 2017 budget for Construction General would be for two projects:

  • Paul S. Sarbanes Ecosystem Restoration Project at Poplar Island, Maryland - $62.3 million – FY 2017 funds for Poplar Island, which would be nearly three times the amount allocated in the FY2016 Work Plan, would be used to continue ecosystem restoration at the existing project while also ultimately increasing the project’s capacity for beneficially placing dredged material from the Baltimore Harbor and channels.
  • Assateague Island, Maryland - $600,000 – FY 2017 funds for this environmental restoration project would be used to continue dredging sand from in and around the Ocean City Inlet navigation channel and beneficially placing it immediately south of the inlet along Assateague Island. This work is done to mitigate the impacts on sediment transport and erosion caused by the Ocean City Inlet and its jetties.

The $44.145 million in the FY 2017 budget for Operation & Maintenance would primarily fund the operation and maintenance activities at existing flood risk management projects owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that have been turned over to local sponsors for operation and maintenance, and maintenance of navigation channels.  It also includes funds for managing Baltimore District’s 12 recreation sites located at certain multi-functioning flood risk management project sites, which hosted an estimated 15 million recreation hours in 2015.

  • O&M of Flood Risk Management Projects owned and operated by Baltimore District - $13.18 million – These FY 2017 funds would be used for the operation and maintenance of 18 flood risk management projects in Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York and West Virginia. In 2015, these project combined to prevent roughly $20 million in flood damages, with many also serving as sites for recreation.
  • Navigation - $24.4 million – These FY 2017 funds would include $20.575 million for dredging channels within the Baltimore Harbor and channels and $2 million for dredging the Wicomico River. Additional navigation funds would be used for other activities associated with the ongoing maintenance of federally-authorized navigation channels, including planning for future dredging activities, conducting hydrographic surveys of channels and clearing drift and debris that could be hazardous to navigation from around designated harbors.

The $1.375 million in the FY 2017 budget for General Investigations would primarily fund progress on two studies.

  • Chesapeake Bay Comprehensive Plan - $1 million – These FY 2017 funds would be used to continue this watershed assessment that identifies environmental opportunities in the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem and synchronizes similar existing federal, state and local efforts. This study is being done in coordination with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, but ultimately will involve coordination with several additional federal, state and local partners.
  • Washington D.C. and Metropolitan Area Coastal Flooding - $300,000 – These funds would be used to study coastal storm risk management alternatives for the District of Columbia, and nearby communities along the Middle Potomac and Anacostia rivers also vulnerable to coastal flooding. This study is a direct result of the North Atlantic Coast Comprehensive Study commissioned by Congress after Hurricane Sandy.

The $850,000 in the FY 2017 budget for FUSRAP would be used for continued funding of the ongoing environmental remedial activities at the W.R. Grace and Company Curtis Bay Facility site in Baltimore.

The FY 2017 Civil Works budget press book for the entire U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is available online at http://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/Budget.aspx, under the heading Program Budget: Press Books.


Contact
Chris Gardner
410-962-2626
christopher.p.gardner@usace.army.mil

Release no. 16-007