AIWA Updates Industry on Proposed Increase in Funding for USACE and Waterway

On January 5, 2026, top appropriators in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives released text of three bicameral, bipartisan fiscal year appropriations bills: the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development; and Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies bills. All signs point to bipartisan support for passing the minibus bill prior to the upcoming deadline of January 30; however, no vote has yet been scheduled as of this article.The proposed Energy and Water Development bill would provide $58 billion in FY2026 funding to the Department of Energy, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), and the Bureau of Reclamation. The allocation for the totals $10.44 billion, which is $1.74 billion over the FY2025 amount of $8.70 billion. Of specific interest to our association is the Operations & Maintenance Account (O&M Account) that funds dredging and associated projects along the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. The O&M Account includes $2.33 billion and the AIWA-specific breakdown is shown in the table and described below.

VA – Albemarle Chesapeake Canal – President’s Budget Request- $3.597M, Final Appropriations Bill Amount – $3.597M
VA – Dismal Swamp Canal – President’s Budget Request – $1.816M, Final Appropriations Bill Amount – $1.816M
NC – President’s Budget Request – $12.490M, Final Appropriations Bill Amount – $16.712M, an increase of $4.222M over the President’s Budget
SC – President’s Budget Request – $9.213M, Final Appropriations Bill Amount – $9.213M
GA – President’s Budget Request – $6.265M, Final Appropriations Bill Amount – $6.265M
FL – President’s Budget Request – $4.830M, Final Appropriations Bill Amount – $4.830M
Total for the AIWW/IWW – President’s Budget Request – $38.211 Million, Final Appropriations Bill Amount – $42.433 Million
Total for the New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway – President’s Budget Request – $1.715 Million, Final Appropriations Bill Amount – $1.715 Million

The great news for the waterway is that Appropriators included Congressman Greg Murphy’s Community Project Funding request for an additional $4.222 million for North Carolina in their final bill. This funding was an advocacy goal for the Association for FY2026 and we are grateful for Congressman Murphy’s support.

We also have the opportunity to secure additional funding through the Additional Dredging Needs funding pots included in the appropriations bill listed below:
General Navigation – $509.482 million
Inland Waterways – $47.243 million
Small, Remote or Subsistence Navigation – $300 million

Looking ahead

We are hopeful that Congress will vote on the Energy & Water appropriations bill prior to January 30, especially since it is the result of bipartisan negotiations between the House and Senate. Fortunately, work continues unimpeded along the waterway and more projects are underway and planned for 2026 and beyond. We are also beginning to formulate our funding requests for FY2027, and will be meeting with Congressional members and staff in the coming months.

Resources
Below are links to the FY26 Energy & Water Appropriations Bill of interest to our members:

Energy and Water Development bill summary

Energy and Water Development bill report language with individual project listings

Community Project Funding (House) and Congressionally-Directed Spending (Senate) for Energy and Water Development projects 

AIWA Board of Directors ~ Gratitude for your support and service!

As we begin the new year, we offer gratitude for all of our supporters and members in 2025, especially the organizational sponsors highlighted below. We would not be successful without your financial contributions to ensure our abilities as the Voice of the Waterway.

We would like to introduce our association leadership for 2026:

The board is led by David Kennedy, Chair, BoatU.S.; Janet Zimmerman, Vice-chair, Florida Inland Navigation District; Devon Carlock, Treasurer, Cottrell Contracting Corporation; and Kristin Meira, Secretary, American Cruise Lines. Board members include: Dennis Barbour of NC Beach Inlet & Waterway Association, Paul Barger of Colonial Group, Ken Craig of Taylor Engineering, Mark Epley of McDonough Marine Service, Michael Gerhardt of Muddy Water Dredging Solutions, Richard Jaques of Cross State Towing, LA Mullis of Vulcan Materials Division, Ben Murray of the National Marine Manufacturers Association, Bos Smith of Stevens Towing, John Vannoy of Orion Group, and Kevin Wikar of Moffatt & Nichol. Thank you all for your service in 2026!

With the southern migration underway to warmer anchorages, we wanted to share the following blog posting from our friends and partners atAquamap:Savvy navigators know that planning a passage includes a careful blend of seamanship, navigation, meteorology, and oceanography.  Even if the trip is one you make every season, the solution will differ because some variables will change.   I developed this 10-step methodology to ensure that all the bases are covered, and I use it when teaching marine weather and passage planning to students, and when planning my own voyages. It breaks the process into discrete, manageable chunks and is scalable for short hops or long voyages. Following these steps will allow you to optimize all the factors involved for a safe, efficient passage.

1. Know your boat – performance and constraints.  This includes performance under both sail and power.  Sailing polars are part of the picture, but ensure they are scaled for a cruise-laden boat with a non-racing crew.  When inshore, will your boat’s mast height or draft be a factor? Assess your boat’s cruising speed, available fuel, and range under power. Consider your available fresh water, including tankage and watermaking capacity. Does your crew have constraints, whether timing or physical?  Do you have the communications gear to support your navigation plan?  Evaluate your distance offshore against the range of VHF, cellular, or satellite communications.
2. Climatology.  Studying long-term patterns for weather and currents over a geographic area is often the most overlooked step in the passage-planning process.  There are numerous resources, including pilot charts (paper and digital), cruising guides, the National Hurricane Center, and NOAA’s 6-month Climate Forecast System (CFS) model. Studying climatology helps you select the right ocean for the right season and provides insight into what to expect and prepare for. Some sources provide route guidance based purely on climatology – that’s a great starting point for long-range planning.
3. Navigation plan. Whether you prefer paper or electronic, you need to use reliable, accurate charts of an appropriate scale.  I like to have a planning chart that depicts the entire route, and to supplement it with large-scale (small-area) charts for the departure, destination, and en route portions that require high-resolution data. You can find the correct scales in chartbooks or in electronic apps like Aqua Map.  If you primarily use a chartplotter underway, be sure to have backup charts on a smartphone or tablet. Plot the shortest navigable route to your destination, considering your draft and air draft. Use meaningful, transferable waypoints, especially if you’re working between paper and electronic charts.  Modify your route based on climatology (e.g., do you need to get east before turning south, anticipating trade winds?). Using a realistic cruising speed (remember step 1) and the distance on your navigable route, calculate the estimated time en route. Plot your anticipated daily progress on your chart – this will help focus your weather analysis.

By: Captain Lisa Batchelor Frailey, Kinetic Sailing

Source