33 U.S.C. § 2326 (NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS)
§ 2326. Regional sediment management
(a) In general
(1) Sediment use
For sediment obtained through or used in the construction, operation, or maintenance of an authorized Federal water resources project, the Secretary shall develop, at Federal expense, regional sediment management plans and carry out projects at locations identified in plans developed under this section, or identified jointly by the non-Federal interest and the Secretary, for use in the construction, repair, modification, or rehabilitation of projects associated with Federal water resources projects for purposes listed in paragraph (3).
(2) Cooperation
The Secretary shall develop plans under this subsection in cooperation with the appropriate Federal, State, regional, and local agencies.
(3) Purposes for sediment use in projects
The purposes of using sediment for the construction, repair, modification, or rehabilitation of Federal water resources projects are—
(A) to reduce storm damage to property;
(B) to protect, restore, and create aquatic and ecologically related habitats, including wetlands; and
(C) to transport and place suitable sediment for the purposes of improving environmental conditions in marsh and littoral systems, stabilizing stream channels, enhancing shorelines, and supporting State and local risk management adaptation strategies.
(4) Reducing costs
To reduce or avoid Federal costs, the Secretary shall consider the beneficial use of dredged material in a manner that contributes to the maintenance of sediment resources in the nearby coastal system.
(b) Secretarial findings
Subject to subsection (c), projects carried out under subsection (a) may be carried out in any case in which the Secretary finds that—
(1) the environmental, economic, and social benefits of the project, both monetary and nonmonetary, justify the cost of the project; and
(2) the project will not result in environmental degradation.
(c) Determination of project costs
(1) Costs of construction
(A) In general
Costs associated with construction of a project under this section or identified in a regional sediment management plan shall be limited solely to construction costs that are in excess of the costs necessary to carry out the dredging for construction, operation, or maintenance of an authorized Federal water resources project in the most cost-effective way, consistent with economic, engineering, and environmental criteria.
(B) Cost sharing
(i) In general
Except as provided in clause (ii), the non-Federal share of the construction cost of a project under this section shall be determined as provided in subsections (a) through (d) of section 2213 of this title.
(ii) Special rule
Construction of a project under this section for one or more of the purposes of protection, restoration, or creation of aquatic and ecologically related habitat, the cost of which does not exceed $750,000 and which is located in a disadvantaged community as determined by the Secretary, may be carried out at Federal expense.
(C) Total cost
The total Federal costs associated with construction of a project under this section may not exceed $10,000,000.
(2) Operation, maintenance, replacement, and rehabilitation costs
Operation, maintenance, replacement, and rehabilitation costs associated with a project under this section are the responsibility of the non-Federal interest.
(d) Selection of dredged material disposal method for purposes related to environmental restoration or storm damage and flood reduction
(1) In general
In developing and carrying out a Federal water resources project involving the disposal of dredged material, the Secretary may select, with the consent of the non-Federal interest, a disposal method that is not the least cost option if the Secretary determines that the incremental costs of the disposal method are reasonable in relation to—
(A) the environmental benefits, including the benefits to the aquatic environment to be derived from the creation of wetlands and control of shoreline erosion; or
(B) the flood and storm damage and flood reduction benefits, including shoreline protection, protection against loss of life, and damage to improved property.
(2) Federal share
The Federal share of such incremental costs shall be determined in accordance with subsection (c).
(e) State and regional plans
The Secretary may—
(1) cooperate with any State or group of States in the preparation of a comprehensive State or regional sediment management plan within the boundaries of the State or among States;
(2) encourage State participation in the implementation of the plan; and
(3) submit to Congress reports and recommendations with respect to appropriate Federal participation in carrying out the plan.
(f) Priority areas
In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall give priority to a regional sediment management project in the vicinity of each of the following:
(1) Little Rock Slackwater Harbor, Arkansas.
(2) Fletcher Cove, California.
(3) Egmont Key, Florida.
(4) Calcasieu Ship Channel, Louisiana.
(5) Delaware River Estuary, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
(6) Fire Island Inlet, Suffolk County, New York.
(7) Smith Point Park Pavilion and the TWA Flight 800 Memorial, Brookhaven, New York.
(8) Morehead City, North Carolina.
(9) Toledo Harbor, Lucas County, Ohio.
(10) Galveston Bay, Texas.
(11) Benson Beach, Washington.
(g) Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 per fiscal year, of which not more than $5,000,000 per fiscal year may be used for the development of regional sediment management plans authorized by subsection (e) and of which not more than $3,000,000 per fiscal year may be used for construction of projects to which subsection (c)(1)(B)(ii) applies. Such funds shall remain available until expended.
(Pub. L. 102–580, title II, § 204, Oct. 31, 1992, 106 Stat. 4826; Pub. L. 104–303, title II, § 207, Oct. 12, 1996, 110 Stat. 3680; Pub. L. 106–53, title II, § 209, Aug. 17, 1999, 113 Stat. 287; Pub. L. 110–114, title II, § 2037(a), Nov. 8, 2007, 121 Stat. 1094; Pub. L. 113–121, title I, §§ 1030(d)(1), 1038, June 10, 2014, 128 Stat. 1232, 1236.)
heading: Codification
text: Section was enacted as part of the Water Resources Development Act of 1992, and not as part of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 which comprises this chapter.
heading: Amendments
text: 2014—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 113–121, § 1038(1)(A), inserted “or used in” after “obtained through”.
Subsec. (a)(3)(C). Pub. L. 113–121, § 1038(1)(B), inserted “for the purposes of improving environmental conditions in marsh and littoral systems, stabilizing stream channels, enhancing shorelines, and supporting State and local risk management adaptation strategies” before period at end.
Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 113–121, § 1038(1)(C), added par. (4).
Subsec. (c)(1)(C). Pub. L. 113–121, § 1030(d)(1)(A), substituted “$10,000,000” for “$5,000,000”.
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 113–121, § 1038(2)(A), substituted “Selection of dredged material disposal method for purposes related to environmental restoration or storm damage and flood reduction” for “Selection of dredged material disposal method for environmental purposes” in heading.
Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 113–121, § 1038(2)(B), substituted “in relation to—” for “in relation to the environmental benefits, including the benefits to the aquatic environment to be derived from the creation of wetlands and control of shoreline erosion.” and added subpars. (A) and (B).
Subsec. (e)(1). Pub. L. 113–121, § 1038(3), added par. (1) and struck out former par. (1) which read as follows: “cooperate with any State in the preparation of a comprehensive State or regional sediment management plan within the boundaries of the State;”.
Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 113–121, § 1030(d)(1)(B), substituted “$50,000,000” for “$30,000,000”.
2007—Pub. L. 110–114 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section related to beneficial uses of dredged material.
1999—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 106–53, § 209(1), in introductory provisions, substituted “binding agreement with the Secretary” for “cooperative agreement in accordance with the requirements of section 1962d–5b of title 42”.
Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 106–53, § 209(2), added subsec. (g).
1996—Subsecs. (e), (f). Pub. L. 104–303 added subsec. (e) and redesignated former subsec. (e) as (f).
heading: Applicability
text: Pub. L. 110–114, title II, § 2037(c), as added by Pub. L. 113–121, title I, § 1030(d)(2), June 10, 2014, 128 Stat. 1232, provided that: “The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall not apply to any project authorized under this Act [see Tables for classification] if a report of the Chief of Engineers for the project was completed prior to the date of enactment of this Act [Nov. 8, 2007].”
heading: “Secretary” Defined
text: Secretary means the Secretary of the Army, see section 3 of Pub. L. 102–580, set out as a note under section 2201 of this title.