TRVA Presentations To Focus On Funding

The need for funding for waterways projects will take center stage during the annual meeting of the Tennessee River Valley Association and Tennessee-Cumberland Waterways Council in January.

The meeting is scheduled for January 28 at Embassy Suites by Hilton Franklin Cool Springs in Franklin, Tenn., after being delayed by the federal government shutdown.

Cline Jones, executive director, said he expects speakers from the Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, Tennessee Valley Authority, U.S. Maritime Administration and Waterways Council Inc., among others.

An after-action session will discuss unplanned closures at Holt, Demopolis and Wilson locks and dams, along with how those facilities were repaired. Jones called those unscheduled closures “canaries in the coal mine” that point to the need for an increase in Corps of Engineers funding for operations and maintenance. In particular, Jones voiced concerns about delays to maintenance work at Cheatham Lock, Cumberland River Mile 148.6, near Ashland City, Tenn., because of funding reallocation.

Jone also expects TVA to update those attending about the performance of a temporary guide wall at Wilson Lock and Dam and eventual plans for a more permanent fix.

Updates on two major ongoing lock and dam projects, the Kentucky Lock Addition Project and the Chickamauga Lock Replacement Project, will also be among the conference offerings, Jones said, adding that it will be a good opportunity to hear from Pittsburgh District project managers about their progress since taking over the Kentucky Lock project. The Nashville District will speak about expected operational schedules and completion dates with the Chickamauga Project beginning to wind down after 15 years of construction.

Another presentation is expected to detail efforts to obtain a Marine Highway designation for the Cumberland River. While the M-65 designation covers the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway from Mobile, Ala., to the mouth of the Tennessee at Paducah, Ky., the linked Cumberland River system does not yet have a federal designation, he said.

Finally, he said, WCI will provide a briefing that not only looks at cost overruns of ongoing projects but also the backlog of projects authorized by Congress but where construction has not yet begun. He also expects WCI representatives will include a look at likely scenarios for upcoming budget appropriations and the typically biennial Water Resources and Development Act, due to be passed by Congress by the end of 2026.

For more information or to register for the conference, visit trva-tcwc.com.