Call for Emergency Dredging of Mississippi and Illinois Rivers

Representatives Cheri Bustos and Darin LaHood recently wrote a letter with lawmakers from the Illinois and Iowa Congressional Delegations to the Army Corps’ Mississippi Valley Division in support of emergency dredging funding requests from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District.

In the letter, they wrote that the requested funding would be used to bring the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers back to authorized channel levels following historic flooding across the Midwest.

During the flooding, the movement of goods were halted along the Upper Mississippi River for months – which also impacted the ability to move goods along the Illinois River.

“It’s crucial we address the health of our waterways and help restore navigability following this historic flooding,” said Congresswoman Cheri Bustos. “The Mississippi and Illinois Rivers play a major role in the overall economic well-being of our region and are responsible for getting tons of goods to market for our farmers and businesses each year. I urge the Army Corps of Engineers to grant this funding request quickly and thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for joining me.”

“Communities across the 18th District have felt the impact of historic flooding this spring in the Midwest, which has shut down locks and dams along the Mississippi River and prevents the flow of goods. As folks in Illinois try to make up for lost shipping time, emergency dredging is required to ensure the river remains navigable,” said Congressman LaHood. “The Rock Island District continues to work tirelessly to mitigate the effects of flooding, especially on our farmers, and I am proud to join this bipartisan group to urge swift approval of this emergency funding request.”

Other signatories of the letter included Representatives Abby Finkenauer, Mike Bost, Dave Loebsack, Jan Schakowsky, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Bobby Rush, Jesus Garcia, Rodney Davis, Lauren Underwood, John Shimkus, Mike Quigley, Adam Kinzinger, Bill Foster, Dan Lipinski and Sean Casten.