Kaptur Secures Wins for Northwest Ohio in House Passed National Water Projects Bill

Washington, DC — Tonight, by a strong bipartisan vote of 415-9 the US House of Representatives passed H.R. 9497, the Water Resources Development Act of 2026 (WRDA), which provides authority for the US Army Corps of Engineers to improve our Nation’s ports and harbors and work with State and local partners to construct flood control, storm risk reduction, and environmental restoration projects.

Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur has championed this bipartisan legislation as Ranking Member of the House Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee, which takes the lead in shaping annual legislation funding these Army Corps of Engineers programs and projects.

“I am pleased this bipartisan bill contains several projects I proposed and requested be included. Among these items are additional dollars for the Corps of Engineers to upgrade drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure in Toledo and Oregon, expanded authority for the Corps of Engineers to construct in partnership with the Village of Kelleys Island a new sanitary sewer system for Kelleys Island, and permission for the Corps of Engineers to study the feasibility of stabilizing and revitalizing the riverbank in downtown Toledo with Federal funds as part of the City’s ‘Grass City Riverwalk’ project,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09). “These water projects protect life and property, grow our economy, and represent the best of what can be accomplished when the Federal Government works together with local partners to plan, construct, and implement infrastructure solutions to the challenges we face in Lake Erie’s Western Basin, the heart of the our Freshwater Kingdom.”

This bill now moves to the US Senate which is working on its own version of the legislation. A single compromise version reconciling the House-passed and Senate bills will ultimately be needed before the end of the year if it is to become law. Congress has a successful track record of enacting comprehensive water resources legislation every two years for the past decade—since 2014.

Key provisions included as a result of Congresswoman Kaptur’s efforts in H.R. 9497, the version of the legislation passed by the full US House of Representatives today are—

• Support for Toledo and Oregon Water Infrastructure (Lucas County). An additional $34.5 Million is authorized for the US Army Corps of Engineers to help the Cities of Toledo and Oregon upgrade water, wastewater, and stormwater systems—bringing the total authorized Federal support for these projects in law to $45 Million. A similar provision is included in the pending Senate version of the legislation (S. 4949) and the City of Toledo formally submitted a proposal for these infrastructure upgrades to the US Army Corps of Engineers last year.
• New Wastewater System for Kelleys Island (Erie County). A $16 Million authorization would allow the US Army Corps of Engineers to design and build a new sanitary sewer system and treatment plant in cooperation with the Village of Kelleys Island. This would shift homes and businesses on Kelleys Island away from reliance on septic tanks, reducing risks to Lake Erie’s water quality and public health as seen during the historic rainfall and flooding on the island this past summer. This Federal investment would also support the island’s tourism economy and residential community. The pending US Senate bill does not contain a similar provision.
• Study of the Maumee River Waterfront in Downtown Toledo (Glass City Riverwalk). The US Army Corps of Engineers would be authorized to work with Metroparks Toledo to study the feasibility and develop an economic justification of constructing with up to 65% of Federal funding flood protection, riverbank stabilization, environmental improvements, and recreation opportunities along the Maumee River near downtown Toledo from the Anthony Wayne Bridge upriver toward Miami Street. The project is part of an overall initiative led by Metroparks Toledo to bring high-quality public greenspace, trails, and programs to downtown Toledo’s riverfront neighborhoods, and was formally submitted last year by Metroparks Toledo to the Army Corps for consideration. The pending US Senate bill includes a similar provision.
• Streamlined and Prioritized Partnerships for Beneficially Reusing Dredged Material from Ohio Harbors. The US Army Corps of Engineers would be given streamlined authority to work with local governments and nonprofit organizations in the State of Ohio to create sites for beneficially reusing material dredged by the Corps from Federally maintained harbors in Ohio, including at the Port of Toledo (Lucas County) and Port of Sandusky (Erie County) which together represent the largest dredging budget in the entire Great Lakes. This provision helps facilitate the process for bringing additional dredge material placement and disposal sites online so the material could be beneficially repurposed for shoreline protection, habitat restoration, and other beneficial uses. Overall, this provision—which Congresswoman Kaptur authored and has been strongly advocating for in recent years—is designed to help resolve longstanding logistical challenges and capacity constraints with containing the large volume of material dredged from harbors in Lake Erie and to keep these harbors navigable and open to commerce. The US Army Corps of Engineers has committed—at Congresswoman Kaptur’s urging—to beneficially use at least 70% of dredged material by 2030. The pending Senate bill contains a related provision encouraging the Army Corps to coordinate with relevant stakeholders in Ohio to address the dredging and dredging placement needs for Toledo Harbor.
• Improving Safety and Navigation for the Toussaint River Navigation Channel (Ottawa County). The House bill authorizes the US Army Corps of Engineers to dredge the Toussaint River navigation channel at full Federal cost in the future, lifting a financial burden currently on Carroll Township, which under current Corps policy dating to 1989 is required to finance 28 percent of dredging costs. This harbor has not been dredged since 2004. Congresswoman Kaptur has been pursuing a solution for Carroll Township Trustees, concerned citizens, and local residents that prioritizes safety and that would open up the harbor, as originally authorized in 1989, to support greater economic activity. The pending US Senate bill does not contain a similar provision.  
• Doubling Funding for Great Lakes Restoration Projects. The House bill raises the Federal funding cap for Great Lakes Fishery and Ecosystem Restoration (GLFER) projects from $10 Million to $20 Million per project. This change would allow two stalled projects to move forward—the Sandusky River seasonal grass carp barrier in Fremont (Sandusky County) to deter grass carp spawning estimated to cost $14.4 Million and habitat restoration for fish production with recreational elements at Towpath Park in Maumee (Lucas County) also estimated at full development to cost approximately $14 Million. The pending US Senate bill does not contain a similar provision.

Additional provisions in the House-passed bill for which Congresswoman Kaptur has partnered with other Members of Congress representing the Great Lakes Region to successfully incorporate include provisions—

• Designating $20 Million over the next four years for the Great Lakes Commission to advance water resource projects in the Great Lakes Region.
• Directing the US Army Corps of Engineers to complete an overdue report on recreational boating in the Great Lakes; and
• Resolving a long‑standing compensation issue to improve recruitment and retention for Federal employees who operate and maintain the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The Soo Locks are a critical passageway for ships moving between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes—supporting the transport of nearly all America’s domestic iron ore and other essential raw materials mined in Northern Minnesota and Michigan and shipped to steel mills along Lake Erie. These mills include the Cleveland‑Cliffs facilities in Ohio’s 9th Congressional District and other plants that anchor Northwest Ohio’s defense industrial and advanced manufacturing base. Congresswoman Kaptur has been a leading proponent for the modernization and expansion of the Soo Locks, a project now underway and slated for completion in 2030, which she last visited in the summer of 2025.

“It’s now important for the US Senate to pass this legislation and to include these projects and provisions for Northwest Ohio. I remain committed to working hard for the remainder of this Congress to get this legislation across the finish line and to protect our bipartisan progress in the House. We need that same bipartisan support so these projects, which directly benefit our people and the places we call home, can move forward,” added Congresswoman Kaptur.

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