The yearly Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) passed almost unanimously 399-18 on Wednesday, and Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL) can say he personally contributed "various key legislation wins," as he posted to X (formerly Twitter).
"Water is the heartbeat of our SWFL community & our Great Sunshine State. It is critical that we improve, conserve, & protect our nation's waterways. S. 4367 – "The Water Resources Development Act" has PASSED the House with various key legislative wins proposed by me & my team," Rep. Donalds posted.
Water is the heartbeat of our SWFL community & our Great Sunshine State.
It is critical that we improve, conserve, & protect our nation's waterways.
S. 4367 – "The Water Resources Development Act" has PASSED the House with various key legislative wins proposed by me & my team. pic.twitter.com/HkDniDt9UJ
— Congressman Byron Donalds (@RepDonaldsPress) December 11, 2024
Among the various amendments to WRDA introduced by Rep. Donalds are expediting the completion of the Western Everglades Restoration Project, Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration, and the Picayune Strand Restoration Project in Collier County.
More specific directives have been given to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), including instructions for expanding the Harmful Algal Blooms Demonstration Program to include the Lake Okeechobee Watershed, deeming the Caloosahatchee River as a focus area for harmful algal blooms, encouraging the use of oyster gardens as a natural water filtration source across America, research into nature-based solutions, and promoting better use of acter-action reports to maximize taxpayer-funded water work.
Rep. Donalds' provisions to the WRDA come on the heels of the equally bipartisan passage of his "Fishery Improvement to Streamline untimely regulatory Hurdles post-Emergency Situation (FISHES)" Act, which expedited disaster relief for American fisheries last week.
"Following Hurricane Ian, Southwest Florida's seafood industry incurred catastrophic devastation, and its impact still persists. Waterways are the lifeblood of our economy and our community. It has always been my commitment to advocate for the vitality of water—which ultimately benefits countless families, businesses, and the overall development of the Sunshine State. I am proud to receive the broad, bipartisan support of my colleagues on this critical proposal and look forward to its successful passage on the floor of the United States Senate," the Florida Congressman previously said.
