Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-AL) participated in a Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Development Subcommittee hearing to examine the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation. The hearing featured testimony from D. Lee Forsgren, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, and Lt. Gen. William H. Graham, Jr., Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
During the hearing, Senator Britt addressed ongoing infrastructure concerns in Alabama, citing recent failures at the Demopolis, Holt, and Wilson Locks. She emphasized the widespread impact of these failures, particularly on the state’s agriculture, energy, and aerospace industries. Britt noted her previous efforts, including leading a delegation letter last fall, to draw attention to the importance of maintaining the state’s inland waterway infrastructure.
Lt. Gen. Graham acknowledged the Corps’ responsibility and addressed specific issues within the Black Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway system, stating, “We are not providing a reliable transportation system that your constituents can count on… We own that.”
Senator Britt concluded by advocating for beneficial use dredging in Mobile Harbor. She referenced a provision she secured in the FY2024 Water Resources Development Act requiring at least 70% of suitable dredged material to be used for purposes such as habitat restoration, beach nourishment, and wetland creation.
Both Forsgren and Graham affirmed their commitment to maximizing the beneficial use of dredged material, with Graham highlighting ongoing work in Dauphin Island and the broader Mobile District as examples of effective implementation.
