IV 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 484 
Commemorating the unofficial start of the inland waterway system navigation 
season and the role of the Corps of Engineers in facilitating access 
and increasing efficiencies in the American agricultural and trade econ-
omy. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 11, 2019 
Ms. CRAIG (for herself, Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. KELLY of Pennsyl-
vania, Mr. BOST, Ms. FINKENAUER, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. BALDERSON, and 
Mr. LOEBSACK) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
RESOLUTION 
Commemorating the unofficial start of the inland waterway 
system navigation season and the role of the Corps of 
Engineers in facilitating access and increasing effi-
ciencies in the American agricultural and trade economy. 
Whereas the navigation of the inland waterway system is part 
of the United States marine transportation system, which 
provides for both passenger transport and domestic 
freight transportation infrastructure and coastal gate-
ways for global trade; 
Whereas the St. Paul District of the Corps of Engineers con-
siders the first tow to arrive at Lock and Dam 2 as the 
unofficial start of the inland waterway system navigation 
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•HRES 484 IH 
season, because it means all locks are accessible to com-
mercial and recreational vessels; 
Whereas, on April 24, 2019, the first tow to reach Lock and 
Dam 2 was the Motor Vessel Aaron F. Barrett, pushing 
12 barges en route to St. Paul, Minnesota, and it was 
locked through Lock and Dam 2, near Hastings, Min-
nesota; 
Whereas, up and down the river, shippers and consumers 
from 38 States depend on the inland waterways to move 
about 600 million tons of cargo valued at over $300 bil-
lion annually; 
Whereas American farmers are reliant on the inland water-
way system as a low-cost transportation mechanism for 
their goods traded internationally; 
Whereas 541,000 jobs are directly tied to our inland water-
way system; 
Whereas the work by the Corps of Engineers to maintain the 
inland waterway system is vital to the Nation’s economy; 
Whereas the Corps of Engineers is responsible for maintain-
ing 192 commercially active lock sites with 238 lock 
chambers, providing a minimum 9-foot navigation chan-
nel on nearly 12,000 miles of inland and intracoastal wa-
terways; 
Whereas, in addition to lock maintenance, the Corps of Engi-
neers promotes environmental enhancement, river naviga-
tion, flood damage reduction, water and wetlands regula-
tion, recreation site preservation, and disaster response; 
Whereas more than 78 percent of the locks and dams oper-
ated by the Corps of Engineers on the system are well 
beyond their 50-year design life, and nearly half of ves-
sels experience delays; 
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•HRES 484 IH 
Whereas the Mississippi River contributes the largest per-
centage into the Inland Waterways Trust Fund to con-
tribute in the construction and rehabilitation of locks and 
dams, yet has received limited investment return to its 
infrastructure; and 
Whereas proportional investment in the inland waterway sys-
tem infrastructure would directly result in efficiency and 
productivity gains across sectors and significantly impact 
the competitiveness of American commodities in inter-
national markets: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) recognizes the start of the inland waterway 
system navigation season; 
(2) acknowledges the work of the Corps of En-
gineers in maintaining the inland waterway system 
as vital to the Nation’s economy; 
(3) recognizes that more than 78 percent of the 
locks and dams operated by the Corps of Engineers 
on the system are well beyond their 50-year design 
life; and 
(4) expresses its sense that investment in the 
inland waterway system infrastructure is needed and 
would significantly impact the competitiveness of 
American commodities in international markets. 
Æ 
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