San Francisco (February 4, 2015) – The President’s Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 has been released and includes $352 million for the Civil Works Construction, Investigations, and Operations and Maintenance programs of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Pacific Division (SPD).
"The 2016 Civil Works budget for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reflects the Administration's priorities to support and improve the Nation's economy, protect the American people, and restore our environment," said the Honorable Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. "This Budget supports the core mission areas of coastal and inland navigation, reducing flood and storm risks, and restoring aquatic ecosystems. It also advances other priorities through targeted investments to make our communities more resilient to climate change and result in project-related benefits such as hydropower, recreation, water supply, and the clean-up of federally-contaminated lands.”
“The Budget enables the Corps to responsibly carry out its important missions, while advancing key Administration initiatives to increase renewable energy production, reduce greenhouse gas impacts, combat invasive species, and increase community resilience in the wake of natural disasters.” said Darcy. "The Budget continues to reflect the tough choices necessary to put the country on a fiscally sustainable path.”
“The President’s Budget will help the South Pacific Division dredge and maintain 400 miles of Federal channels for 27 ports and harbors; operate and maintain 46 dams and reservoirs for flood risk reduction, water resource management and environmental stewardship; and operate 211 recreation areas at 33 lake and river sites,” said Brig. Gen. Mark Toy, SPD Commander.
The President’s Budget for FY 2016 for the Civil Works program of the Army Corps of Engineers funds the development, management, restoration, and protection of the Nation’s water, wetlands, and related resources through studies, construction, operation and maintenance of projects, the Corps regulatory program, the cleanup of certain sites contaminated as a result of the Nation’s early atomic weapons development program, and emergency response preparedness.
The budget request breakdown for the South Pacific Division includes:
Investigations - $8 million. The President’s Budget supports 10 ongoing studies for the South Pacific Division located in three states: seven in California, two in Arizona, and one in Texas. These funds will support completion of design for one project, completion of three feasibility studies, and continuation of six feasibility studies. Of our four completions, three are located in California and include: American River Watershed (Common Features), Natomas Basin, San Francisquito Creek and Lower Cache Creek, Woodland and Vicinity; and one in Arizona, Little Colorado River (Winslow).
Construction - $188 million. This includes $49.9 million for the Isabella Dam Safety project, $15 million for the Hamilton City project that has both environmental as well as flood risk management project features, and $12.7 million for the Berryessa Creek element of the Coyote and Berryessa Creeks project which will help reduce the risk of flood damages to a planned BART station in Milpitas.
Operation and Maintenance - $156 million. The FY 2016 President’s Budget amount of $156 million will help support California’s complex network ports and harbors that carry over 30% of the Nation’s waterborne international trade and will enable the Corps to safely operate and maintain 21 navigation and 33 flood risk management projects.
The direct link to the state-by-state budget press book is available at: http://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/Budget.aspx
South Pacific Division brings value to the Nation’s toughest engineering challenges in collaboration with our partners and stakeholders. We proudly support California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of five other states with district offices in San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and Albuquerque.
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