Bill Summary
This resolution acknowledges and celebrates the 50th anniversary of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, which was authorized by Congress in the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1946. The system, which is named after Senator John L. McClellan and former Governor and Senator Robert S. Kerr, spans 445 river miles and serves commerce from 12 different states. It provides year-round inland waterway transportation to public and private ports and contributes to billions of dollars in sales and cost savings. The resolution also highlights the multiple uses of the system, including navigation, flood control, hydropower, recreation, and more. It notes the need for modernization and maintenance to continue benefiting the surrounding region and the entire nation. This resolution honors the anniversary and commits to completing the system's deepening from 9 feet to 12 feet.
Possible Impacts
1. Economic Benefits: The legislation recognizes the significant economic impact the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System has on the surrounding region and the entire nation. The system provides for $8,500,000,000 in sales impacts, $1,600,000,000 in transportation cost savings, and $289,000,000 in business taxes annually. This legislation could potentially lead to further investments in inland waterway infrastructure, which would benefit the economy and potentially create more jobs.
2. Environmental Impact: The legislation acknowledges that the MKARNS is the most environmentally friendly way of moving goods, with one barge being able to transport the equivalent of 15 jumbo railcars and 60 large semi-trailers. This could lead to a decrease in emissions and a reduction in the use of trucks on roads, benefiting the environment.
3. Maintenance and Upgrades: The legislation recognizes the need for continuous maintenance and upgrades of the MKARNS. Failure to do so could result in complete navigation disruption, costing beneficiaries up to $2,000,000 per day. This could affect the transportation of goods and impact businesses and the economy as a whole. The commitment to completing the deepening of the system from 9 feet to 12 feet also highlights the need for continued investments and improvements to the infrastructure.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 195 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 195
Recognizing the 50th anniversary of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River
Navigation System.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 29, 2021
Mr. Inhofe (for himself, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Boozman, and Mr. Cotton)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on Environment and Public Works
May 28 (legislative day, May 27), 2021
Committee discharged; considered and agreed to with an amended preamble
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the 50th anniversary of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River
Navigation System.
Whereas June 5, 2021, marks the 50th anniversary of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas
River Navigation System (referred to in this preamble as ``MKARNS'');
Whereas, in the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1946 (Public Law 79-525), Congress
authorized the Army Corps of Engineers (commonly referred to as the
``Corps'') to undertake comprehensive improvements on the Arkansas and
Verdigris Rivers, which served as the foundation of the MKARNS;
Whereas the MKARNS opened for full use in December 1970, which, after over 20
years and $1,200,000,000, was the largest civil works project undertaken
by the Corps at the time;
Whereas President Richard M. Nixon officially dedicated the MKARNS on June 5,
1971, at a ceremony at the Tulsa Port of Catoosa, Oklahoma;
Whereas the MKARNS is named for United States Senator John L. McClellan of
Arkansas and former Oklahoma Governor and United States Senator Robert
S. Kerr of Oklahoma, who advocated for the creation of an expansive,
inland waterway system;
Whereas the MKARNS is 445 river miles long, with 18 locks and dams, spans from
Catoosa, Oklahoma, to the Mississippi River, and serves commerce from a
12-State region consisting of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Texas,
Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota,
Missouri, and Idaho;
Whereas the MKARNS provides year-round, accessible inland waterway
transportation to 5 public ports, 50 private port terminals, and over 90
industries;
Whereas, on an annual basis, the MKARNS provides for $8,500,000,000 in sales
impacts, $1,600,000,000 in transportation cost savings, and $289,000,000
in business taxes;
Whereas the MKARNS contributes to 56,000 full- and part-time jobs, and 20
percent of all jobs in the United States are linked to waterborne
commerce supported by the inland waterway system;
Whereas, on average, 11,000,000 tons of commodities with a value upwards of
$4,000,000,000 travels on the MKARNS annually, with sand, gravel, rock,
chemical fertilizer, iron, and steel accounting for nearly 60 percent of
all waterborne commerce;
Whereas there are 4 designated Foreign-Trade Zones along the navigation system
at the public ports at Catoosa, Muskogee, Little Rock, and Pine Bluff;
Whereas the MKARNS allows for the lowest-cost and most environmentally friendly
method of moving goods, with 1 barge transporting the equivalent of 15
jumbo railcars and 60 large semi-trailers;
Whereas, in 2015, the Corps upgraded the classification of the MKARNS from
``Connector'' to ``Corridor'' on the National Marine Highway, designated
the MKARNS as a high-use waterway system, and labeled the MKARNS as
Marine Highway 40;
Whereas Congress authorized multiple uses for the MKARNS, including navigation,
flood control, hydropower, recreation, water supply, and wildlife
conservation;
Whereas, through the end of 2020, Arkansas River Basin projects, including the
MKARNS, are estimated to have cumulatively prevented nearly
$16,000,000,000 in flood damages in the Arkansas River Basin region;
Whereas there are 15 hydropower plants on the MKARNS which provide low-cost
power to 7,000,000 people and produce 2,500,000 kilo-watt-hours per
year;
Whereas inland waterways provide many recreational opportunities, such as
fishing, boating, and hiking, and over 4,000 recreational vessels lock
through the MKARNS and 5,400,000 people visit Corps-operated recreation
areas along the MKARNS annually;
Whereas modernization of the MKARNS will empower future economic development,
promote freight mobility, and expand agricultural exports and the
movement of iron and steel products, while relieving congestion on our
roads and bridges;
Whereas the increased backlog in critical maintenance causes the economic
uncertainty of complete navigation disruption on the MKARNS, which would
cost beneficiaries up to $2,000,000 per day;
Whereas Congress authorized the MKARNS to be deepened to 12 feet in 2003, and
approximately 90 percent of the MKARNS is already 12-feet deep;
Whereas the capacity of each barge could be increased by 200 tons for each
additional foot of draft, increasing the overall freight capacity of the
MKARNS by 40 percent and resulting in over $250,000,000 in increased
business sales annually; and
Whereas Oklahoma, Arkansas, the surrounding region, and the entire Nation have
benefitted, and will continue to benefit, greatly from the MKARNS: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) honors 2021 as the 50th anniversary of the McClellan-
Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System;
(2) recognizes that investments in inland waterway
navigation infrastructure are an investment in the long-term
strength and security of the United States economy; and
(3) commits to completing the deepening of the McClellan-
Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System from 9 feet to 12 feet.
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