CHICAGO -- The President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2022 includes about $6.8 billion in gross discretionary funding for the Civil Works program of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The budget will provide about $100 million in funding for the USACE Chicago District.
Of great significance for the region is an additional $500,000 for the Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study, a new start project that includes the three USACE Great Lakes districts – Buffalo, Chicago and Detroit – with a goal to create a plan identifying vulnerable coastal areas and recommending actions to bolster the coastal areas’ ability to withstand, recover from and adapt to future hydrologic uncertainty with respect to the built and natural coastal environments. Recent high-water events across the Great Lakes brought about the study’s need.
The Chicago District will also receive $500,000 for the Chicago Shoreline General Reevaluation Report. This study will address significant coastal storm damage experienced along at-risk reaches of the shoreline of Lake Michigan within the city of Chicago. The GRR will reevaluate portions of the shoreline not included in the 1999 project. It will also consider protection challenges exacerbated by high-lake levels in recent years.
Both studies are long-term efforts to address shoreline challenges.
The President’s Budget for FY 2022 for the USACE Civil Works program funds the development, management, restoration, and protection of the nation’s water, wetlands, and related resources through studies, the construction, and operation and maintenance of projects.
Funded projects under the Chicago District’s jurisdiction:
General Investigations Account: $1.6 million
- Chicago Shoreline GRR $500,000
- Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study $500,000
- Kewaunee Harbor, Wisconsin, $300,000
- Manitowoc Harbor, Wisconsin, $300,000
- Great Lakes Mississippi River Interbasin Studies Program Management (funding provided under Brandon Road)
Construction Account: $27.495 million
- Calumet Harbor and River, Indiana, $9.100 million
- Indiana Harbor Confined Disposal Facility $18.395 million
O&M Account: $71.186 million
(Illinois)
- Chicago Harbor $16.823 million
- Chicago River $635,000
- Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal Barriers, $12.948 million
- Illinois Waterway System $5.847 million
- Lake Michigan Diversion Accounting $1.190 million
- Waukegan Harbor $11,000
(Indiana)
- Calumet Harbor and River $5.009 million
- Burns Waterway $1.561 million
- Indiana Harbor $8.196 million
- Roush Lake $2.051 million
- Salamonie Lake $3.282 million
- Mississinewa Lake $1.915 million
- Michigan City Harbor $10,000
(Wisconsin)
- Fox River $3.444 million
- Green Bay Harbor $3.101 million
- Kenosha Harbor $730,000
- Kewaunee Harbor $162,000
- Manitowoc Harbor $530,000
- Milwaukee Harbor $3.112 million
- Sturgeon Bay Harbor $629,000
In addition, USACE will receive $4.94 million for program management of the Great Lakes Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS) under Brandon Road Lock and Dam. USACE will design an electric dispersal barrier, underwater sound deterrent system, an air bubble curtain and a flushing lock in a newly engineered channel at the lock and dam to prevent invasive Asian Carp movement. The Brandon Road project is managed by the Rock Island District.
O&M funding will continue operations and maintenance at federal harbors and facilities in Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin and for the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal Dispersal Barrier.
Last year the Chicago District grew from about 4,000 square miles within the CHicago area to about 31,500 square miles, expanding its project and mission portfolio as USACE adjusted its Civil Works boundaries within the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division.
The FY 2022 Civil Works budget press book is available at https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Budget/ under the heading Program Budget: Press Books.
For more information on the President’s Budget for FY21, visit: https://www.usace.army.mil
White House Website – https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget
The Chicago District is responsible for water resources development in the Chicago metropolitan area, upper Illinois River watershed, Lake Michigan watershed in Wisconsin, and the upper Wabash River watershed in Indiana. The district delivers vital engineering services through flood and coastal storm risk management, navigation, aquatic ecosystem restoration, regulatory, emergency management, recreation, and interagency support services.