Bill > S601

This bill, the Water Resources Development Act of 2013, aims to conserve and develop water and related resources by authorizing the Secretary of the Army to undertake various projects for improvements to rivers and harbors across the United States. It introduces reforms to water resource project implementation by the Corps of Engineers, enhancing local partnerships, ensuring the continuation of important programs, modernizing feasibility studies, and improving dam and levee safety through new programs and studies. The bill also addresses policy reforms, including changes to continuing authority programs, fish and wildlife mitigation requirements, and project deauthorization processes. Furthermore, it establishes pilot programs for non-Federal implementation of feasibility studies and projects, promotes hydropower development at Corps of Engineers facilities, and revises provisions related to harbor maintenance and inland waterways. The legislation also includes measures for extreme weather preparedness, establishes a National Endowment for the Oceans, and makes miscellaneous adjustments to existing laws, such as those concerning vegetation management on levees and the applicability of spill prevention rules for farms.