Army Corps of Engineers: Geographic Distribution of Construction Funding for Water Resources Projects

What GAO Found

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) manages water resources projects— such as dams, locks, and waterways—across the U.S. to strengthen national security, protect and manage aquatic ecosystems, reduce risks from disasters, and support commerce. In fiscal years 2018 through 2023, the Corps allocated approximately $28.5 billion in appropriated construction funds to 278 projects across 47 states, Washington, D.C., the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (see figure).

Geographic Distribution of Construction Funding at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Water Resources Projects, Fiscal Years 2018 through 2023

The geographic distribution of the Corps' construction funding in fiscal years 2018 through 2023 resulted from factors included in appropriations legislation and Corps and Army guidance documents.

• Congress directed $8.7 billion (30.5 percent of all construction funding) to specific projects and activities in annual appropriations acts.
• For the remaining $19.8 billion (69.5 percent of funding), Congress included project eligibility criteria and other considerations in appropriations acts that influenced the distribution of funding. The Corps applied these criteria and considerations, along with others identified in Corps and Army guidance, to identify eligible projects and prioritize projects to receive construction funding. After identifying eligible projects, the Corps ranked discrete segments of work at each project to compile a list of proposed allocations. The Corps considered other factors in this process, such as environmental returns and project completion status.

Why GAO Did This Study

Through its Civil Works program, the Corps plans, designs, constructs, operates, and maintains water resources projects across the U.S. to address flood risk management, navigation, and aquatic ecosystem restoration, among other things.

The Water Resources Development Act of 2022 includes a provision for GAO to review the Corps' funding of its water resources projects. This report examines (1) the geographic distribution of annual and supplemental funding for water resources projects carried out by the Corps in fiscal years 2018 through 2023, and (2) the factors that contributed to the geographic distribution of funding.

GAO analyzed allocation and geographic data provided by the Corps to determine the location of Corps projects that received construction funding in fiscal years 2018 through 2023. GAO reviewed the annual Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Acts, the accompanying explanatory statements, and the five supplemental appropriations acts that provided construction funding during that period. GAO also reviewed Corps and Army documents, policies, and guidance that described the processes used to identify Corps projects that could receive construction funding from those appropriations acts. GAO interviewed knowledgeable Corps officials about these processes to help determine the factors that contributed to the geographic distribution of construction funding.

For more information, contact Jeff Arkin at (202) 512-6806 or arkinj@gao.gov.