The inland waterway system that supports most of the agricultural exports in the U.S. is in trouble, threatening the river transport of the commodities that support the economies of key Midwestern states. To help address the problem, momentum is building for enabling P3s in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), due for a vote in May.

After months of deliberations, one of the major users of the Corps of Engineers’ navigation assets has issued its cautious endorsement of a limited test of a long-term lease of one or two existing locks and dams to ensure they are properly maintained. The report issued on April 28 by the U.S. Soybean Export Council opposes using scarce waterways funding for availability-payment financing of capital projects.