Posted on April 29, 2026
Let’s be clear about something: the men and women of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are among the most capable project delivery professionals in the federal government.
The problem with inland navigation isn’t them. The problem is that the current structure asks them to do something nearly impossible:
→ Manage mega-projects that span multiple states, Districts, and Divisions,
→ and across three separate Headquarters directorates (Operations, Programs Integration, Engineering & Construction),
→ with annual funding that depends on Congressionally directed spending because the projects don’t fit standard OMB budgeting,
→ while treating a dedicated, cost-sharing partner (the Inland Waterways Users Board) as if the program were 100% federal.
The answer isn’t more pressure on project managers. It’s a program structure built for how these projects actually work.
