U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

The Army Corps of Engineers civil works program (Corps) develops, manages, restores, and protects the Nation’s water resources through studies of potential projects, construction of projects, operation and maintenance, and its regulatory program. Working with other Federal agencies, the Corps also helps communities respond to and recover from floods and other natural disasters. To support this work, the President's 2012 Budget provides $4.6 billion, a reduction of $913 million from the 2010 level. This level reflects the Administration's efforts to create cost savings by eliminating duplicative and lower-priority programs, including all Corps funding of local water and wastewater treatment projects. The Budget also includes proposed reforms to the civil works program to improve the way Federal funds are used.

Focuses Investments in Water Resources Infrastructure to Support Competitiveness, Growth, and the Environment  

• $1.5 billion for construction projects with high economic and environmental returns while addressing public safety.
• $533 million to restore high-priority aquatic ecosystems, including the California Bay-Delta, Chesapeake, the Everglades, the Great Lakes, and the Gulf Coast, which will also help support the economic growth of the surrounding areas. 
• Invests $2.3 billion in the reliability and safety of existing water resources infrastructure, including the inland waterways with the most commercial use (such as the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers and the Illinois Waterway) and the major coastal harbors and their channels.

Maximizes the Return on Federal Investments

• Reforms the civil works program to improve efficiency and effectiveness to ensure focus on addressing the Nation’s most pressing water resources challenges.
• Proposes changes in the way Federal navigation activities are funded, and supports increases in inland waterways receipts to help pay for additional investments in the inland waterways.
• Eliminates or reduces funding for ineffective and duplicative programs while also increasing the organizational efficiency and improving the management, oversight, and performance of ongoing programs for savings of $500 million.
• Supports a comprehensive levee safety initiative with $50 million in funding to help ensure that Federal levees are safe and to enhance efforts to assist non-Federal parties to address safety issues with their levee systems.