    [Senate Hearing 118-157]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                                                            S. Hrg. 118-157

                           PERSPECTIVES ON ECOSYSTEM
            RESTORATION PROJECTS OF THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS

    =======================================================================

                                    HEARING

                                   before the

                                  COMMITTEE ON
                          ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS

                              UNITED STATES SENATE

                        ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

                                 FIRST SESSION

                                   __________

                                  JUNE 7, 2023

                                   __________

      Printed for the use of the Committee on Environment and Public Works

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

            Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov
                                 _________

                     U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

    53-890 PDF                WASHINGTON : 2023

                   COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS

                        ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

                                 FIRST SESSION

                      THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware, Chairman
              SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia, Ranking Member

    BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland         KEVIN CRAMER, North Dakota
    BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont             CYNTHIA M. LUMMIS, Wyoming
    SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island     MARKWAYNE MULLIN, Oklahoma
    JEFF MERKLEY, Oregon                 PETE RICKETTS, Nebraska
    EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts      JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas
    DEBBIE STABENOW, Michigan            ROGER WICKER, Mississippi
    MARK KELLY, Arizona                  DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska
    ALEX PADILLA, California             LINDSEY O. GRAHAM, South Carolina
    JOHN FETTERMAN, Pennsylvania

                   Courtney Taylor, Democratic Staff Director
                   Adam Tomlinson, Republican Staff Director

                                C O N T E N T S

                                  ----------
                                                                       Page

                                  JUNE 7, 2023
                               OPENING STATEMENTS

    Carper, Hon. Thomas R., U.S. Senator from the State of Delaware..     1
    Capito, Hon. Shelley Moore, U.S. Senator from the State of West
      Virginia.......................................................     3
    Ricketts, Hon. Pete, U.S. Senator from the State of Nebraska,
      prepared statement.............................................    56

                                   WITNESSES

    Eikenberg, Eric, Chief Executive Officer, The Everglades
      Foundation.....................................................     5
        Prepared statement...........................................     7
    Balluff, Tricia, Environmental Programs Coordinator, Water,
      Wildlife and NEPA, Office of Environmental Programs, City of
      Phoenix; Phoenix, Arizona......................................    12
        Prepared statement...........................................    14
    Riggin, Lorianne, Director of Environmental Programs, South
      Carolina Department of Natural Resources.......................    23
        Prepared statement...........................................    25

     PERSPECTIVES ON ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION PROJECTS OF THE U.S. ARMY CORPS
                                  OF ENGINEERS

                                  ----------

                            WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2023

                                           U.S. Senate,
                     Committee on Environment and Public Works,
                                                        Washington, DC.
        The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:03 a.m. in
    room 406, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Thomas R. Carper
    (Chairman of the Committee) presiding.
        Present: Senators Carper, Capito, Kelly, Padilla, and
    Graham.

              OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. THOMAS R. CARPER,
                U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF DELAWARE

        Senator Carper. Good morning, everybody. I am happy to call
    this hearing to order.
        This hearing room was used about a month ago for Bring Your
    Children to Work Day. The room was full of children of our
    staff, Democrats and Republicans. We had just a lovely time and
    a lovely celebration.
        I think we have, this is like, somebody got the memo a
    little bit late, but Eric, I think your son is here, and he is
    14. He looks like he is about 44. What a big guy. We are going
    to watch to see if his lips move when you speak. There you go.
        For those of you who are not children of our witnesses, we
    welcome you as well.
        I am happy to call the hearing to order. Today, we are here
    to conduct, as you know, oversight of one of the U.S. Army
    Corps of Engineers' primary missions: That is ecosystem
    restoration. The Army Corps of Engineers' work to support
    commerce through navigation and flood control is, I don't think
    it is an overstatement to say, the backbone of our economy. It
    is a big part of what we do in this Nation.
        Still, addressing the toll that this commerce takes on our
    environment is, and will continue to be, a top priority for us
    on this Committee and also a top priority for the Army Corps of
    Engineers.
        From large scale, multi-decade initiatives to small,
    focused projects, the Corps' ecosystem restoration work is
    critical. It has been and it remains critical. This is
    especially true as climate change continues to threaten
    communities, wildlife, and our economy, all of which depend on
    healthy ecosystems.
        As many of us know, the biennial Water Resources
    Development Act, known as WRDA, establishes the authorities to
    the Corps' future work. In the 1986 WRDA, Congress first
    directed the Corps to lead ecosystem restoration efforts for
    the Upper Mississippi River, laying the foundation for an
    expanded environmental restoration role for the agency.
        In every WRDA since then, Congress has expanded the Corps'
    ability to address critical ecosystem restoration. From the
    Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast and from the Chesapeake Bay to
    the San Francisco Bay Delta, communities across our country
    have benefited from this important work.
        Most recently, we expanded the Corps' definition of
    ecosystem restoration in WRDA 2022 to include factors such as
    climate change and coastal and riverine restoration.
        Last month, Assistant Secretary Connor sat right there, and
    he testified before our Committee that the Corps' budget
    request for fiscal year 2024 included more than $650 million
    for aquatic ecosystem restoration, the most ever in a budget
    request. The growing amount, paired with the more than $1.9
    billion in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, highlights
    Congress' ongoing commitment to the Corps' work.
        These funds, however, are only the tip of the spear when it
    comes to the long term needs of the Army Corps in this regard.
    Today's hearing will help us better understand the current size
    and scope of ecosystem restoration needs and what more our
    Committee, this Committee, can do to address community
    environmental restoration efforts.
        The Corps' ecosystem restoration portfolio includes roughly
    140 ongoing ecosystem restoration construction projects and
    studies. These initiatives focus on restoring the landscape and
    hydrology to more natural conditions and connecting the
    restoration and navigation projects, a win-win not just for our
    environment, but also for our economy.
        For example, let's take Poplar Island in Maryland. Poplar
    Island could be Popular Island, in Maryland, but it turned out
    almost to be a nonexistent island in Maryland, but it was
    originally home to more than 1,000 acres in size and home to a
    small community of residents. From 1846 until recently, the
    island has slowly eroded, as some of you know, from what it was
    down to about four acres. Imagine that: Four acres.
        Thanks to the Corps' work pairing dredged materials from
    Baltimore Harbor and channel maintenance projects with
    environmental restoration, Poplar Island has been restored from
    four acres to more than 1,700 acres today. The project
    exemplifies how the Corps' ecosystem restoration mandate
    supports the economic activity we depend on from our ports and
    harbors while creating wetlands and wildlife habitats, and
    according to Senator Cardin, it is a beautiful place to visit.
    I am sure when he arrives, he will reaffirm that.
        Today, we will hear more from our witnesses about the
    Corps' role in specific ecosystem restoration efforts. That
    includes the Everglades in Florida, along with Tres Rios in
    Arizona, and the Crab Bank Seabird Sanctuary in South Caroline.
    Before we do, let me offer a couple of thoughts on each of
    these efforts, and then turn it over to Senator Capito.
        First, there is the Corps led Everglades restoration, which
    includes Lake Okeechobee, the second largest freshwater body in
    the contiguous United States. If Senator Stabenow were here,
    she would tell us that Lake Michigan is No. 1.
        The effort in Lake Okeechobee is the largest ecosystem
    restoration effort in the Corps' Federal portfolio. According
    to the Corps, these Federal investments in Florida are
    generating annual cost savings of over $300 million by
    preventing flood damage to property while fortifying water
    supply infrastructure and protecting fish and wildlife.
        Next, there is Tres Rios in Phoenix, Arizona, an aquatic
    ecosystem found in the desert that unifies flood control,
    ecosystem restoration, and recreation. This project includes an
    engineered levee as well as the restoration of over 1,200 acres
    of wetlands, hiking trails, nature trails, and much more. These
    wetlands are critical for a State that is going through a
    historic drought.
        Last, but not least, there is Crab Bank Seabird Sanctuary.
    I love that, Crab Bank Seabird Sanctuary in South Carolina.
    This project is considered a landmark legacy of the Charleston
    Harbor Post 45 Deepening Project. The deepening work from below
    the water resulted in the dredged materials for 42 acres of
    prime nesting ground above the water for over 15 species of
    shore and seabirds, another win-win.
        Let me just close, if I could, by thanking members of our
    staffs and for the great work that you all did on WRDA 2022. I
    hear, not every day from our colleagues, but frequently from
    our colleagues, Democrat and Republican, from across the
    country, their gratitude for the work that this Committee does.
        I know that, as hard as you and I work, we know we couldn't
    do any of this without the great work of our staffs. I wanted
    to just say that again.
        We look forward to hearing from each of you today on your
    experiences with the Corps and what more Congress might be
    doing to support those critical efforts. Our hearing today will
    also help inform our oversight efforts and future legislative
    action on ecosystem restoration, specifically as we gear up for
    WRDA 2024, I can't believe we are about ready to start this
    again, which is just around the corner.
        With that, I am happy to turn it over to Ranking Member
    Senator Capito for her opening remarks.
        It is good to be with you. Welcome.

            OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO,
              U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA

        Senator Capito. Thank you, Chairman Carper, for calling
    today's hearing.
        Since 2014, the Committee has kept to a biennial WRDA
    schedule, authorizing water resources projects and setting
    national policies for the Civil Works Program, as the Chairman
    was saying. I look forward to continuing that track record next
    year. It does seem like deja vu all over again. I think we just
    did this.
        The EPW Committee also plays an important role overseeing
    how the Corps executes these authorities and funding provided
    by the Congress. Today's hearing will focus on one of the
    Corps' main mission areas, which is aquatic ecosystem
    restoration. This hearing will allow us to learn more about the
    successes and challenges of three of the Corps' aquatic
    ecosystem restoration projects.
        I would like to extend my appreciation for our witnesses
    here today. I look forward to hearing your perspectives on
    these matters.
        Lessons learned from completed and ongoing projects are
    critical to informing what, if any, modifications are needed to
    the Corps' existing authorities in future WRDA legislation.
    When designed appropriately, aquatic ecosystem restoration
    projects can play an important role in restoring critical
    habitats while also mitigating loss of property and life.
        The scale of these projects varies greatly across the
    country, and the Corps uses different authorities and programs
    to carry them out. Large scale projects are not the only option
    for protecting and restoring our aquatic ecosystems.
        Often, small projects or modifications to existing water
    resources infrastructure can yield positive outcomes to aquatic
    ecosystems at a low cost. This flexibility is key to ensuring
    that the Corps' design solutions are tailored to address the
    diverse aquatic ecosystem restorations of all communities. In
    my opinion, the three projects that are the focus of today's
    hearing do a good job of underscoring all of these points.
        While the Corps' aquatic ecosystem restoration efforts are
    important, the Corps and Congress must balance these efforts
    with the Nation's needs under the two main missions of the
    Corps: Navigation and flood and coastal storm risk management.
    As we will hear today, win-win solutions are possible.
        I am excited that Lorianne Riggin from the South Carolina
    Department of Natural Resources is here today. The South
    Carolina DNR partnered with the Corps in 2021 on the Crab Bank
    Seabird Sanctuary in Mount Pleasant, a beautiful spot, South
    Carolina.
        This project was completed under the Corps' 204 authority.
    This authority allows the Corps to carry our aquatic ecosystem
    restoration projects in connection with dredging at an existing
    navigation project. The Federal costs of a project under this
    authority cannot exceed $10 million.
        For this particular project, the Corps and its partners
    utilized dredged materials from the Charleston Harbor Deepening
    Project for the replacement of the Crab Bank Seabird Sanctuary.
    This project, like others, faced initial challenges. However,
    the Corps and the non-Federal sponsor were able to adjust their
    game plan and find a solution that benefited shorebirds without
    impeding on economic opportunities for the local community.
        Since the completion of the project, the small island has
    seen a return of shorebirds and seabirds. This project is an
    excellent example of how Federal, local, State, and private
    groups can partner together to provide meaningful, lasting
    results in an effective manner. I know and look forward to Ms.
    Riggin's testimony, because she will share this project's story
    in South Carolina.
        Our witnesses' project specific stories will help us
    understand how we can balance our water resources needs and
    maximize the use of our taxpayer dollars. I look forward to
    hearing also about the challenges and suggested improvements to
    existing authorities as we prepare for the next WRDA.
        Last month, as you mentioned, we held a hearing on the Army
    Corps' fiscal year 2024 budget request and implementation of
    WRDA 2022 with Secretary Connor and Lieutenant General
    Spellmon. It was evident at the hearing that each of our States
    faces a diverse range of water resources issues and
    opportunities. I am hopeful that we take lessons learned from
    the projects discussed today and use them to improve water
    resources projects of all types across the country.
        Chairman Carper, I look forward to continuing our
    partnership to develop the next bipartisan WRDA bill.
        Again, I express my gratitude to our witnesses.
        Senator Carper. Senator Capito, thank you so much for those
    remarks.
        Now, we are going to hear from our panel of witnesses, who
    will share with us their perspectives on the Corps' ecosystem
    restoration projects.
        We are going to start off with Eric. Let me just make some
    brief comments about Eric. He is the Chief Executive Officer of
    the Everglades Foundation, an environmental nonprofit that is
    focused on restoring America's Everglades. He has served in
    this role for over 10 years, leading a team of nationally
    recognized scientists, educators, policy experts, and
    communications and development professionals.
        Mr. Eikenberg and the team are committed to protecting the
    roughly 3 million acres of endangered habitat that is vital to
    Florida's economic and environmental viability.
        Mr. Eikenberg, we thank you for being with us today. You
    may proceed with your statement that will be made part of the
    record in its entirety. Thank you so much. Please proceed.
    Welcome.

                     STATEMENT OF ERIC EIKENBERG,
           CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, THE EVERGLADES FOUNDATION

        Mr. Eikenberg. Thank you.
        Chairman Carper, Ranking Member Capito, and to the
    Committee. My name, as the Chairman mentioned, is Eric
    Eikenberg, and I am privileged to be CEO of the Everglades
    Foundation, celebrating its 30th anniversary in helping to
    restore America's Everglades through science, advocacy, and
    education. I want to thank the Committee for this hearing and
    for inviting me here today.
        Restoring America's Everglades is producing benefits far
    beyond their ecological value, including driving Florida's
    clean water economy, protecting drinking water supplies,
    providing flood risk mitigation, and carbon sequestration. The
    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been an indispensable partner
    in this undertaking together with the State of Florida.
        Thanks to recent Federal and State investments, we are at a
    point of incredible progress and momentum. Following
    congressional passage of WRDA 2000, Everglades restoration
    incorporates 68 separate public works projects that will store,
    clean, and send water south on the Florida peninsula. It is a
    national example of how traditional and natural infrastructure
    can be combined on a massive scale.
        Under the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, or
    CERP, these projects were funded with a 50-50 Federal-State
    cost share. We thank Congress for their recent investments,
    including the funding to the Army Corps within the Bipartisan
    Infrastructure Law and for your recognition of the importance
    of America's Everglades. The Army Corps has completed several
    non-CERP projects like the Herbert Hoover Dike repair, and in
    partnership with the State of Florida, restoration of the
    Kissimmee River and the construction of bridges along the
    Tamiami Trail.
        In recent years, the pace of CERP projects is
    unprecedented. For example, east of Lake Okeechobee, in Martin
    County, construction of the C-44 Reservoir is complete. East of
    Naples, a 55,000 acre habitat restoration project in the
    Picayune Strand is nearly finished. South of Lake Okeechobee,
    the Corps recently broke ground on the crown jewel of
    Everglades restoration: The EAA Reservoir. This reservoir is a
    national priority and a model for prudent and efficient way to
    fund megaprojects with taxpayer dollars.
        These and other projects confirm that restoration works,
    and I cannot overstate the importance of these results. With
    improved southerly flow, we are already seeing habitats
    reestablished in areas of Everglades National Park that just 5
    years ago were parched by drought for half the year.
        As you may know, Florida's coastal estuaries have been
    plagued by toxic blue-green algae that closes beaches,
    restricts fishing, and is a harmful threat to wildlife and
    people. The algae blooms are fed by the unavoidable dumping of
    polluted water from Lake Okeechobee. The fortified Herbert
    Hoover Dike and the EAA Reservoir will reduce those harmful
    discharges by 55 percent, having a profound positive impact on
    Florida's tourism based economy.
        Storing, cleaning, and sending this clean water south is
    essential to Florida Bay. Its gin clear waters and lush
    seagrass meadows make Florida Bay the fishing capital of the
    world: A body of water alive with manatees, dolphins, and a
    wide variety of coveted game fish. Today, however, the bay is
    suffering from too little fresh water.
        A restored Everglades will also provide a natural defense
    against saltwater intrusion due to sea level rise. Flowing more
    water south will protect our Nation's largest mangrove forest.
    Restoration will also protect existing peat soils in the
    Everglades that enhance the sequestration of new carbon.
        We are at a critical juncture. With sustained Federal and
    State investments, this can be the Everglades decade in which
    we achieve the dream of a robust, healthy river of grass
    following a century of development. The stakes are high, both
    for the 9 million people who rely on the Everglades for fresh
    water and for the Nation as a whole. Florida's tourism based
    economy depends on clean water, and our economic research shows
    that Everglades restoration yields a four to one investment.
        Senators, you should be proud of the bipartisan progress in
    restoring America's Everglades. On behalf of the anglers, the
    realtors, the fishing guides, the business owners, and the
    millions who depend on the Everglades, let me say thank you,
    and please do not stop now.
        [The prepared statement of Mr. Eikenberg follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Carper. Thank you. We won't.
        Ms. Balluff, please proceed. Welcome. We are delighted that
    you have joined us.

          STATEMENT OF TRICIA BALLUFF, ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS
    COORDINATOR, WATER, WILDLIFE AND NEPA, OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL
              PROGRAMS, CITY OF PHOENIX; PHOENIX, ARIZONA

        Ms. Balluff. I appreciate the opportunity to speak before
    the Committee about the importance of Army Corps support for
    ecosystem restoration projects. I would like to thank Chairman
    Carper and Ranking Member Capito and especially Senator Kelly
    for inviting me to be here today.
        The city of Phoenix is the fifth largest city in the United
    States and is the local sponsor for multiple U.S. Army Corps of
    Engineers ecosystem restoration projects associated with the
    Salt River, which is our main river channel through Phoenix and
    the surrounding cities. These projects are part of Senator
    McCain's Rio Reimagined legacy for the Phoenix metropolitan
    area. Rio Reimagined recently became the 20th EPA Urban Waters
    Federal Partnership location.
        Historically, urban uses of the Salt River have included
    industrial activities, such as landfills and sand and gravel
    mining. The construction of Federal dams upstream has resulted
    in highly altered river flows, and as a result, there has been
    significant degradation of ecosystem values and reduced
    recreation opportunities.
        In the arid western United States, riparian areas are
    estimated to be less than 2 percent of total land area, are
    considered the most productive habitat, and provide important
    water quality benefits. Seventy percent of threatened and
    endangered vertebrates in Arizona depend on riparian habitat
    along rivers.
        In Arizona, it is estimated that as much as 90 percent of
    riparian forests have been lost. Invasive species, such as salt
    cedar, a highly competitive shrubby tree, are now in almost
    every drainage system in the Southwest. Since the 1990s,
    Phoenix has worked with the Corps to achieve habitat
    restoration and improve flood risk management on the Salt
    River.
        The first major project to be completed was Rio Salado
    Phoenix, located in a historically disadvantaged area, which
    restored 5 miles of the Salt River and provides valuable
    recreation and education opportunities for the community.
    Downstream of this completed project are two congressionally
    authorized Corps projects that have not yet been completed: Rio
    Salado Oeste and Tres Rios. These are both ecosystem
    restoration, flood risk management, and recreation projects.
        When combined with the completed Rio Salado Phoenix, these
    will create approximately 19 contiguous miles of restored river
    corridor through Phoenix, directly benefiting river flows,
    habitat, wildlife, heat risk, and access to the river in
    disadvantaged communities. This is why, for the last 10 years,
    the city has been focused on obtaining the support and funding
    from the Corps and our congressional delegation to complete
    these two projects.
        Today, I would like to highlight the Tres Rios Project to
    illustrate the multiplicity of benefits from Corps ecosystem
    restoration funding. Tres Rios, when complete, will cover
    approximately 7 miles of river channel and the adjoining bank,
    including almost 400 acres of constructed wetlands, a levee, in
    river restoration, and effluent treatment elements.
        Tres Rios's use of constructed wetlands to treat wastewater
    using natural processes make this a unique Corps project that
    help compliance with the regulatory standards while
    simultaneously providing quality habitat. By implementing this
    ecofriendly infrastructure, the city has avoided the need to
    spend $375 million on additional infrastructure for the 91st
    Avenue Wastewater Treatment Plant.
        Through the treatment and direction of wastewater, combined
    with the invasive species removal and native species plantings,
    the area supports more than 200 species of birds and other
    wildlife, including some species listed as threatened or
    endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
        This habitat also provides recreational access to natural
    river spaces in an urban environment and offers benefits from
    carbon sequestration, shading, and other cooling effects, which
    are important heat mitigation elements in our desert city.
        A substantial amount of the invasive tree, salt cedar, was
    removed as part of Tres Rios. This removal and the preservation
    and additional planting of needed vegetation reduces fire risk,
    both in terms of fire severity and frequency. Salt cedar
    removal is also beneficial to native habitat by creating a more
    conducive environment for native plants to germinate and grow.
        The river channel through Tres Rios facilitates passive
    aquifer recharge by allowing water to naturally infiltrate
    groundwater, while the levees constructed on the north bank of
    the Salt and Gila Rivers protect nearby neighborhoods from
    flooding.
        As I have shared, the benefits from Tres Rios are wide
    ranging from habitat to flood reduction to recreational
    opportunities. The city of Phoenix is appreciative of the many
    benefits that have come from collaborating with the Corps, and
    we fully support the Corps' mission in undertaking and
    completing ecosystem restoration, particularly in the
    Southwest.
        This year the Corps' Los Angeles District has been working
    on a post authorization change report to update the cost for
    the remaining phases of Tres Rios. The city of Phoenix will be
    seeking an authorization for construction in the 2024 WRDA bill
    to complete Tres Rios's in river restoration and trailheads.
        Thank you very much.
        [The prepared statement of Ms. Balluff follows:]

     [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Carper. Thank you very much.
        Ms. Riggin, welcome. Good to see you. Thank you for joining
    us.

        STATEMENT OF LORIANNE RIGGIN, DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL
        PROGRAMS, SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

        Ms. Riggin. Thank you so much.
        Chairman Carper, Ranking Member Capito. I am so excited to
    be here today to share with you the success of the Crab Bank
    Ecosystem Restoration Project in South Carolina.
        For the record, my name is Lorianne Riggin, and I am the
    Director of the Office of Environmental Programs for the South
    Carolina Department of Natural Resources. I have been with the
    agency for 17 years and have had the pleasure of working with
    many interested conservation partners, the surrounding Mount
    Pleasant community, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
    Charleston District to help oversee the Crab Bank Ecosystem
    Restoration Project.
        Crab Bank is a dedicated heritage trust property and a
    seabird sanctuary managed and owned by the South Carolina DNR.
    It is located in the Charleston Harbor near the mouth of Shem
    Creek in the Mount Pleasant community. Crab Bank was originally
    formed with the placement of dredged material in the 1950s.
        However, over time, due to wave action, tropical storms,
    and hurricanes, this important seabird sanctuary eroded away.
    In the early 2000s, Crab Bank was approximately 23 acres, but
    by 2017, Hurricane Irma came and washed away the remaining
    half-acre of high ground in the early fall, which removed any
    opportunity for nesting birds the following summer.
        Prior to Hurricane Irma, the island served as an important
    predator free refuge for a variety of State Wildlife Action
    Plan conservation priority species. Although all these species
    may not nest on the island each year, here are a few examples
    that have nested here at Crab Bank: Brown pelican, royal tern,
    sandwich tern, gull-billed tern, black skimmer, laughing gull,
    American oyster catcher, willet, snowy egret, and tricolored
    heron.
        Besides providing nesting habitat, the sanctuary provides
    winter loafing and feeding habitat for numerous species,
    including large flocks of shore birds that roost on the island
    at night. Of the 65 seabird, shorebird, and wading bird
    species, collectively known as waterbirds, that utilize South
    Carolina's coastal habitats throughout the year, 47 are listed
    in our State's Wildlife Action Plan as high conservation
    concern. Three are federally listed, and four are State listed.
    These waterbirds nest in colonies with thousands of other birds
    laying their eggs on the ground.
        Crab Bank is one of the few places on the coast where these
    species can come nest undisturbed from human presence. This is
    incredibly important, as lack of nesting habitat may be
    limiting shorebird population stability and growth. Research
    shows that shorebird and seabird populations have shrunk
    overall by 70 percent in the last 50 to 70 years, with an
    accelerated decline during the last three generations for most
    shorebird species.
        The coast of South Carolina is the most rapidly developing
    area of our State, and much of this is occurring along our
    shorelines, which has the potential to further decrease
    abundance and distribution of coastal water birds throughout
    their life cycle. In addition, increased recreational use along
    our shorelines further limits available nesting habitat. Thus,
    restoration of Crab Bank was an extremely high priority for the
    survival of many coastal water birds.
        The South Carolina DNR had an incredible, once in a
    lifetime opportunity with the deepening of the Charleston
    Harbor to partner as a non-Federal sponsor with the U.S. Army
    Corps of Engineers Charleston District under Section 204 of the
    Continuing Authorities Program to restore Crab Bank and support
    shorebird populations.
        Construction on Crab Bank was completed in 7 weeks in 2021.
    Approximately 660,000 cubic yards of dredged material was
    placed with varying elevations to diversify habitat. This
    increased Crab Bank in size from less than half an acre to 80
    acres total, with 32 acres of available shorebird and seabird
    habitat above mean high water.
        As of June 5th, 2023, the overall projects expenditures
    cost shared 65 percent to 35 percent between the Federal
    Government and South Carolina DNR have totaled $695,939. The
    purpose of the project included restoration and enhancement of
    an important seabird sanctuary, protection of the salt marsh
    located near Crab Bank, and development of wildlife viewing and
    shorebird educational opportunities for Shem Creek ecotourism
    and the greater Charleston area.
        Through the Water Resources Development Act, the South
    Carolina DNR and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were able to
    successfully meet all the goals of this project. In 2022, Crab
    Bank provided nesting habitat for 107 pairs of least tern, 192
    pairs of gull-billed tern, 283 pairs of black skimmer, and 8
    American oyster catcher pairs.
        I am happy to share today that nesting activity is in full
    swing for 2023, and there have been two nesting pairs observed
    so far of the State threatened Wilson's plover.
        The South Carolina DNR is thrilled with the benefit that
    the Water Resources Development Act authority provided to
    restore Crab Bank. This project was of great benefit to the
    public by supporting shorebird conservation and the beneficial
    use of the material dredged from the Charleston Harbor.
        The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources would
    like to encourage the Committee to continue to provide
    authorization for important ecosystem restoration projects like
    Crab Bank.
        In closing, thank you for the opportunity to share the
    success of Crab Bank. This incredible project will have a
    lasting and important impact on waterbirds and the citizens and
    visitors to South Carolina for generations to come.
        [The prepared statement of Ms. Riggin follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Carper. Thank you.
        Thank you all for your testimonies.
        Ms. Balluff, you mentioned John McCain in your testimony,
    didn't you? Our former colleague, he and I were naval officers
    and served together in the Vietnam war. He was a great hero,
    and later, he and I were elected the House Representatives
    together the same day, joining forces again in the House and
    then later, in the U.S. Senate.
        He was not a member of this Committee, but he was someone
    who cared a lot about the environment. Take just a minute and
    talk about his involvement in the project, if you will, that
    you just discussed, very briefly. What did John do? What was
    his role?
        Ms. Balluff. Yes, Senator Carper, thank you. I am happy to
    do that.
        Senator McCain really spearheaded what is called the Rio
    Reimagined Initiative in Phoenix, and he has been very
    supportive of all of the ecosystem restoration that has been
    happening throughout Phoenix but also in surrounding cities.
        Rio Reimagined really came to be because of him. It is a 56
    mile stretch of the Salt and Gila Rivers through the Phoenix
    metropolitan area that involves many different cities, Tribal
    Nations, and nonprofits, educational institutions such as
    Arizona State University for example, that have all come
    together to collaborate and look for ways to work together to
    improve the overall river corridor through this metropolitan
    area for the benefit of all of our citizens.
        Senator Carper. Good, thank you. This Memorial Day, we
    celebrated the 50th anniversary of the return and release of
    hundreds of Vietnam POWs. POWs were released by the Vietnamese
    all those years ago. We celebrated their lives.
        John McCain and I and John Kerry worked together with
    former President George Walker Bush to get the Vietnamese
    government to turn over information on hundreds of additional
    missing in actions from the war that led to the normalization
    of relations between the United States and Vietnam. They are
    now one of our top 10 trading partners in the whole country,
    and U.S. Navy vessels call on Vietnamese ports, and we have
    remarkably strong economic and actually, defense relationship
    with them.
        That is a bit far outfield, but I can't let the mention of
    John's name go by without saying some of that.
        I like to quote Mark Twain from time to time. He said a lot
    of things that are worth remembering. One of the things that he
    said is that the two most important days of our life are the
    day we are born and the day we figure out why.
        I understand in your life that there is an interesting
    twist to that story, and that quote has a special meaning to
    you. When did you figure out why you were born? What career
    might you have been in?
        Ms. Balluff. Was that question directed at me, Senator
    Carper?
        Senator Carper. Yes. OK, wrong witness.
        We will try Ms. Riggin, same question. When did you figure
    out why you were born? Then we will come back and figure out
    why Ms. Balluff was born.
        [Laughter.]
        Ms. Riggin. I would say, there are lots of whys. The most
    recent why is my 9 year old son, but early on, as a child, I
    had a strong desire to make a difference in this world, and my
    strong desire was to make a difference for natural resources. I
    learned that at a very early age that that is where I needed to
    focus my energy, and I have a lot of it.
        Senator Carper. I believe you do.
        Ms. Riggin. And so, in eighth grade I sent a letter to the
    South Carolina Department of Natural Resources requesting
    information about what kind of jobs I could do for the State
    and serve the State and its citizens and the natural resources.
    They provided me some information, and I ran with it, got a
    degree and got my foot in the door, and I have been there ever
    since.
        Senator Carper. Good.
        I am going to turn to Mr. Eikenberg, whose son is actually
    sitting back in the first row, over his right shoulder, his 14
    year old son.
        We welcome both of you today.
        For folks, young people, it might be like his contemporary
    in high school or maybe in college or not. Why should his
    generation, your son's generation, care about what we are
    discussing here today? Why is it relevant in their lives?
        Mr. Eikenberg. Mr. Chairman, thank you for that question.
    In the spirit of bipartisanship, I do want to take a moment to
    acknowledge your former colleague, Senator Bob Graham. When the
    Everglades restoration was passed in the year 2000, he worked
    with my former boss, Congressman Clay Shaw, to ensure that that
    was a bipartisan effort, and it continues to be that way to
    this day.
        Senator Carper. That is great.
        Mr. Eikenberg. For children, watching our body politic to
    find our environmental issues where we can come together in a
    bipartisan way, I think it is a great example for the next
    generation.
        I will just say that 10 years ago, from my perspective,
    watching what was billed as the ``lost summer'' in Florida due
    to algae outbreaks stemming from the Army Corps discharging
    water from Lake Okeechobee. It rallied voices that had not been
    at the table: Business leaders, tourism officials, realtors.
    These men and women became the foot soldiers in ensuring that
    we have restoration that we can not only do it this generation,
    but then pass it on to the next generation.
        For me, that was a moment to realize that what we are doing
    is greater than ourselves, but we are able to pass it on soon
    to the next generation.
        Senator Carper. Good.
        Bob Graham and Clay Shaw, two good friends. It is nice to
    hear their names again. Bob Graham was a Governor of Florida
    and also a United States Senator from Florida for many, many
    years.
        When I was thinking of running for the U.S. Senate, I went
    down to Florida to meet with him, have breakfast, and he
    arranged for me to meet some folks down there. I remember that
    I asked him, I said, when you had the opportunity to be a U.S.
    Senator, when you had the opportunity to be Governor, which job
    do you prefer and why?
        He said, you know, to use the football analogy, he said,
    when you are the Governor, you are the quarterback on the
    field, calling every play. When you are the United States
    Senator, you are the general manager sitting up in a box,
    watching the game.
        I said, well, which do you prefer? He said, well, I like to
    be on the field calling every play. He said, every team needs a
    good general manager. Besides, the seats are pretty good. The
    seats are pretty good.
        With that, let me yield the floor to the Senator from West
    Virginia.
        Senator Capito. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Ms. Riggin, let's talk about the Crab Bank Seabird
    Sanctuary. I have trouble saying that whole thing at once.
        I know it was a public-private partnership. Can you talk
    about the public-private partnerships, both in this case, and
    others that you see in your State and how they really help to
    get the completion of the projects?
        Ms. Riggin. Absolutely, happy to.
        When we first started with the Crab Bank project, we had a
    short timeline. We were in 2019, and we had a feasibility
    report that gave us an estimate of what the total cost of the
    project would be, which would have required the State to have
    $1.4 million sitting, waiting, and ready.
        Given budget constraints, we figured out we needed some
    help, and so we also already had conservation interest groups,
    like the Coastal Expedition Foundation, which is a nonprofit
    arm of a local ecotourism outfit, the Coastal Conservation
    League, Audubon South Carolina, that had the expertise to help
    fundraise.
        Under the State's statute, we have something called the
    Non-Game and Natural Area Statute that allows the South
    Carolina Department of Natural Resources to receive funds for
    the purpose of non-game management. We utilized that funding
    opportunity under that existing State statute and the expertise
    of our conservation partners to help us rally within the
    community to help leverage additional funds to bring to the
    table, so that we were sitting, waiting, and ready for that
    $1.4 million, had that been the ask of the Department of
    Natural Resources of the non-Federal sponsor.
        In addition, as we were on that short timeline of just 12
    months, Audubon South Carolina went out and applied for a
    National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant to help supplement
    funding cost as well, and that was a one to one match ratio, so
    that was a $1.4 million ask that we all had to come up with a
    $700,000 match. We pulled that all together to have enough
    funding that we needed.
        Plus, that allowed us to springboard future projects from
    that existing pot of money that we have now created as the
    Coastal Bird Conservation Program. Crab Bank was a starting
    block for that additional funding to go further for shorebird
    conservation.
        Senator Capito. Right.
        I am sure, Mr. Eikenberg, you have jumped through a few
    hoops yourself, trying to figure these things out, the public-
    private partnership portion.
        Mr. Eikenberg. Senator, it is a key part of where we are
    today with Everglades restoration. Certainly, the Corps working
    with the non-Federal partner, in this case, the South Florida
    Water Management District, but bringing a multitude of other
    stakeholders to the table.
        I want to applaud the Corps for allowing those differing
    voices to be heard and to be taking that feedback. I would
    submit to you that this issue, restoring the Everglades, has
    become a national model. Thanks to the Congress in 2000, you
    set out a plan. We know the problem; we have a solution, and we
    are working in a collaborative way to make sure it is
    successful.
        Senator Capito. I will go back to Ms. Riggin. Are there any
    additional authorities that you feel would allow the Corps to
    better assist non-Federal partners? The reason I think that is
    important is for the examples that you all have put forward,
    but we have heard some rumblings sometimes, having dealt with
    the Corps myself, sometimes, needing a little bit more
    assistance for them to be able to help their non-Federal
    partners.
        Did you find that was a challenge or not, are you finding
    that?
        Ms. Riggin. I did really find that was a challenge from the
    CAT 204 perspective. I think planning assistance with the
    States' program, which is something else that the Corps does,
    that would be another avenue where they need additional support
    to provide help.
        I know within the Charleston District there is a long list
    when the State comes to the Corps and says, hey, I have an
    interest and need your expertise on these items. I think that
    is an area that probably additional support could be given to
    help them address a lot of the planning assistance for the
    State's request.
        Senator Capito. Does anybody else have a comment, Ms.
    Balluff, on that particular issue, any other authorities the
    Corps might need to better assist non-Federal partners?
        Ms. Balluff. Yes, I certainly agree with Ms. Riggin.
        One other thing I would add is that additional resources
    for the Corps, once the Civil Works project is complete is
    sometimes very useful as things come up over time with these
    ecosystem restoration projects to continue to work with the
    Corps on them and finding solutions can be quite a useful
    exercise. I would add that.
        Thank you, Senator Capito.
        Senator Capito. Thanks.
        Mr. Eikenberg, do you have any other comments?
        I have to go to another hearing, here, and so I am going to
    apologize. I am going to leave after I hear from Mr. Eikenberg.
        Mr. Eikenberg. Senator, any opportunity where the non-
    Federal partner could maybe get out ahead on a particular
    portion of a project. The Corps has demonstrated a willingness
    to let the South Florida Water Management District do that, and
    it speeds up the implementation. We appreciate the Corps being
    at least willing to do that. If there is additional authority
    to allow that to occur in a greater manner, we would certainly
    support that.
        Senator Capito. Thank you all.
        Senator Carper. We have been joined by a couple of fellows
    from out west.
        We are delighted you could come. One of our witnesses
    brought a 14 year old son with them today.
        Would your son raise his hand, sir?
        Go ahead, raise your hand. There you go. You have some
    people up here.
        I think Senator Capito has a couple of sons. I have three
    sons, and Alex has, I believe, three, two? Three. Your guys are
    a little bit younger.
        Senator Padilla. Three sons as well, and all three will be
    on summer vacation as of this Friday, so please pray for us.
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Carper. You are in our prayers. Right now, you are
    recognized, any questions you want to ask. Thank you.
        Senator Padilla. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. These
    conversations are all too timely, I think, as a lot of us in
    the field know the significance of a recent Supreme Court
    ruling that limited the scope of the Clean Water Act, and more
    specifically, the Federal Government's ability to protect
    thousands of miles of rivers, streams, creeks, and adjacent
    wetlands throughout the western United States.
        At the California State Water Board, this is how they
    framed the last month: Wetlands provide an important buffer and
    filter, protecting our Nation's waters. But in the semi-arid
    watershed, most will not be able to satisfy the Corps'
    requirements for a ``continuous surface connection to bodies
    that are `waters of the United States' in their own right, so
    that there is not clear demarcation between waters and
    wetlands.''
        Ms. Balluff, given your role in the city of Phoenix, are
    there particular challenges posed by an increasingly arid West
    for aquatic ecosystem restoration projects? And I guess the
    bigger picture question here is, how important is ecosystem
    restoration just for the restoration of habitat, but for the
    economic health of communities as well as water quality,
    recreational opportunities, et cetera?
        Ms. Balluff. Yes, thank you, Senator Padilla. Yes, it is
    very important, and it is also challenging in the desert
    Southwest.
        But ecosystem restoration, I would argue, especially along
    our rivers, is one of the most valuable things that we can do
    in terms of ecosystem restoration. These riparian areas are
    some of the most productive and rich areas and have the most
    benefit. They also draw a lot of economic interest in
    development along the banks, as well.
        So it also draws a lot of people into the river and really
    helps them connect with nature, which I think we know from
    social sciences, really provides a lot of mental and emotional
    and social and physical benefits to our communities. So while
    it is a challenge, I think it is a challenge well worth
    pursuing.
        Senator Padilla. Great. I know in your testimony you
    mentioned that the genesis of the Tres Rios Ecosystem
    Restoration project was the need to treat wastewater
    discharges.
        As a native of Los Angeles, I know all too well the
    challenges of restoring aquatic ecosystems in a highly paved
    urban area like Los Angeles. Thanks to many years of hard work,
    as well as funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the
    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the city of Los Angeles is
    making progress to restore historic riparian and freshwater
    marsh habitat along 11 miles of the 52 mile long Los Angeles
    River.
        Referencing back to the Tres Rios project, in brief, how is
    that impacting drought resiliency? I assume it has been
    helpful. I assume there has been progress. Anything you could
    highlight, and then once again more broadly, what advice would
    you have for western cities looking to improve water quality
    and to restore habitats while facing all the same challenges?
        Ms. Balluff. Thank you, Senator Padilla. I am going to try
    and remember all those questions. You may have to refresh me on
    a couple.
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Padilla. How is that project working, the Tres Rios
    project? How is it working?
        Ms. Balluff. Tres Rios was originally contracted, as you
    say, to treat wastewater effluent. The water is treated at our
    wastewater treatment plant, then it goes into these constructed
    wetlands that actually help to polish and finish, remove some
    nitrogen and chlorine attenuation, things like that, to meet
    Clean Water Act requirements before we then discharge it into
    the river. In fact, all of the water that supports the Tres
    Rios ecosystem restoration does in fact come from that
    wastewater treatment plant.
        So all of the water from that wastewater treatment plant is
    beneficially reused, which I think is one of the really great
    aspects of this, and a really good way to use water, especially
    in a time of drought. Because it is not only going into the
    ecosystem, it is going downstream and being used in other ways
    downstream as well.
        Senator Padilla. Again, given that experience, whether it
    is design, whether it is funding sources, what advice would you
    have to other jurisdictions throughout the West dealing with
    the same changing climate, the same water supply challenges?
        Ms. Balluff. I certainly know that the wastewater treatment
    process that we engaged in with the constructed wetlands saved
    us hundreds of millions of dollars in terms of what we would
    have otherwise had to spend. So simply from a financial
    perspective it made a lot of sense.
        But also the benefits that we accrue from the flood
    attenuation, flood risk management, from the ecosystem
    restoration and the visitors we get from not only around the
    world, but also from our local community and across the United
    States make this a really valuable project.
        So certainly, we have found it extremely beneficial. I
    would definitely advocate for looking at ways to have those
    multiple uses of water that provide those multiple benefits we
    have seen from Tres Rios.
        Senator Padilla. Excellent. Thank you so much.
        Thank you, Mr. Chair.
        Senator Carper. That was an interesting description of the
    work that you have done out there. It is really ingenious and
    highly commendable.
        Senator Kelly, good to see you. Others have been noting,
    with respect to some of these issues, looking forward to the
    future of our planet, that we have a dog in this fight, these
    fights. We also have children and grandchildren. You have both.
        Senator Kelly. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Padilla was a great lead in to me. But I will first
    defer to my colleague on the other side of the aisle if he is
    ready.
        Senator Carper. I am sorry, jump right in.
        Senator Graham. Thank you, Senator Kelly.
        Welcome, Ms. Riggin. How are you doing? I appreciate your
    coming to the Committee.
        Mr. Chairman, thank you for having the hearing, and to my
    colleagues.
        Senator Carper. I am trying to figure out how to say this,
    the entity down in South Carolina. We are tripping over it
    pretty badly. But we will get it down.
        Senator Graham. I was very much involved with you, I was
    impressed with how you brought people together to Crab Bank. It
    is a place for birds to nest, right? It was a win-win with the
    city of Mount Pleasant, the DNR, the Corps of Engineers. If you
    could, just tell the Chairman a little bit about the project.
    What was the key to bringing people together?
        Ms. Riggin. Thank you, Senator Graham. I appreciate the
    invite to be here, and I appreciate the support from your staff
    as well today.
        I think the key to the hurdle that we ran into were
    concerns regarding the project. Crab Bank sits at the mount of
    Shem Creek. There was some concern from the community, when you
    hear you are going to put 660,000 cubic yards of material, they
    have concerns about where that material is going to go.
        So we had an opportunity with the Corps of Engineers,
    thankfully the dredging timelines worked out that we were able
    to go and rerun a coastal model to help provide some data as to
    where the material would go.
        As well, when we went through the feasibility process, we
    had 25 different alternatives of a footprint that we were
    looking at for Crab Bank. So because we had so many choices on
    the table, and we had additional data in time, we were able to
    calm the fears and concerns of folks about where that material
    was going to go and make sure that it was going to stay on Crab
    Bank.
        But I think the key to that is just people being open and
    honest and the continued communication between not only DNR
    working with the town of Mount Pleasant, but also the Army
    Corps of Engineers sitting down with the town of Mount
    Pleasant, that we were all coming at it together, knowing that
    we had the goal in mind for this island for shorebird
    conservation. And everybody bought into that idea. We just had
    to make sure that everybody was comfortable with how we were
    going to go about doing that.
        I think it is just open and honest communication and often.
        Senator Graham. Our office was a part of that, and I want
    to echo that I appreciate the role you played, and the DNR, and
    all the agencies involved, State, local and Federal. I think it
    was a win-win.
        Thank you very much.
        I appreciate your giving me a chance to speak, Senator
    Kelly.
        Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Carper. We are delighted that you could join us.
    Thanks.
        Senator Kelly, you are on.
        Senator Kelly. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        I want to extend a very special welcome to Tricia Balluff,
    who is joining us today from the city of Phoenix.
        I want to follow up on Senator Padilla's comments and
    questions about Tres Rios, and the vision for a renewed Salt
    River in the Phoenix area. That was championed by my
    predecessor, Senator John McCain.
        Also, I want to acknowledge the work of Mayor Gallego of
    the city of Phoenix that they have done to advance these
    projects in partnership with Federal agencies, including the
    Army Corps.
        So these projects that we already talked about a little bit
    show how investments made by the Corps and their local partners
    can improve water quality, recharge aquifers, and support water
    conservation, even in a desert. There were a few of these
    benefits that I want to discuss.
        You talked first about hundreds of millions of dollars of
    savings in water treatment costs. I think it was about $375
    million.
        Can you explain how that project on the Tres Rios wetlands
    and the water, how it has saved the city? Specifically, how has
    that project saved the city $375 million?
        Ms. Balluff. Thank you, Senator Kelly. Thank you for having
    me here.
        Yes, absolutely. Back in the late 1990s, I would say, there
    were new Clean Water Act requirements through the Environmental
    Protection Agency for discharges of wastewater into waters of
    the United States that were going to necessitate some
    significant infrastructure investments in our existing
    wastewater treatment plant. And we had been working with
    demonstration wetlands to see how they would effectively treat
    this to these levels.
        It turns out it was really effective. So in partnership
    with the Corps through Tres Rios, we created these full scale,
    really significant hundreds of acres of wetlands that are
    actually functionally for treatment through passive removal of
    nitrogen, through soil processes, through plant processes, and
    also through the attenuation of chlorine levels as it moves
    slowly through these wetland ponds. The sunlight helps to
    dissipate the chlorine, helps us to meet our standards.
        Senator Kelly. Does that mean since it is downstream, so
    the wetlands are downstream of the wastewater plant, does that
    mean you can push water through the treatment plant faster? Is
    it less energy costs? Where is the financial savings coming
    from?
        Ms. Balluff. The financial savings is the avoided costs of
    the infrastructure that we would have had to construct
    otherwise. In terms of energy costs and timelines, I would have
    to check on that.
        Senator Kelly. So you have to build less infrastructure
    because you have this downstream wetland?
        Ms. Balluff. We did not have to build hard infrastructure
    because of the wetlands.
        Senator Kelly. Another benefit I want to mention here is
    the recreational use of those wetlands, Tres Rios, fishing,
    hiking, and there are others. Certainly maybe even now with the
    amount of water that is there, kayaking.
        Can you explain how the next phase of Tres Rios will
    enhance the recreational benefits of this project, and what
    else will Phase 3(c) of the project include?
        Ms. Balluff. Thank you, Senator Kelly. I am happy to.
        Right now, the maintenance paths are used as trails by
    folks who come visit. There are no trailheads, it is not
    technically open to the public per se, because there are no
    formal trailheads for them to enter through. So the number of
    people who can come in at one time is pretty limited. And it is
    really only at one location.
        In Phase 3(c), part of the finishing phases of Tres Rios is
    to construct some trailheads along the Tres Rios, so that it
    really opens access and a lot more people can come and enjoy
    it, especially those from neighboring communities. The rest of
    Phase 3(c) is really finishing up the in river restoration on
    the western end of the Tres Rios property, down to the Agua
    Fria River.
        Senator Kelly. Can you confirm that the reason the city and
    the Corps can't begin work on this next phase of the project is
    because there is not the authorization from Congress yet?
        Ms. Balluff. That is correct, yes.
        Senator Kelly. Mr. Chairman, I hope that in the next WRDA
    bill, we can include that authorization, so they can finish
    Phase 3 of the Tres Rios project, and the city can move forward
    on this project.
        I am out of time, but I have another question.
        Senator Carper. Go ahead, please.
        Senator Kelly. Ms. Balluff, I think in your opening
    testimony you may have talked about a little bit more of the
    Salt River ecosystem. I wasn't here for that. Can you explain
    to the Committee the issue of the salt cedars on the Salt
    River, and what risks they pose to the city and the region?
        Ms. Balluff. Yes, thank you, Senator Kelly.
        Salt cedar, for those of you not in the Southwest, you may
    not be familiar with it. It is a highly invasive shrubby tree.
    It forms in really dense stands, and it creates, it has a lot
    of litter and debris that fall off of it, also secretes a lot
    into the soil, it drops a lot of salt into the soil. So it
    creates these highly saline soils and also creates a really
    high fire risk.
        It also recovers really well from fire risk, more than our
    native species. So it really does push out a lot of our native
    habitat and creates a monoculture, which also creates a lot of
    risk in terms of fire and disease and other detrimental things
    to the ecosystem restoration.
        Senator Kelly. What has the city of Phoenix done to try to
    remove these salt cedars?
        Ms. Balluff. It is a very difficult problem plaguing a lot
    of agencies across the Southwest. Tres Rios removed a lot of
    salt cedar; it was huge benefit to the river in that area.
        But it is an ongoing challenge. We do continually remove.
    We also try to replant with native species whenever we remove,
    so that they can have some competitive advantage, to be able to
    take root and outcompete the salt cedar as it tries to
    resprout.
        Senator Kelly. What can the Army Corps do to help?
        Ms. Balluff. More projects to help remove salt cedar would
    be fantastic.
        Senator Kelly. Is there any innovation out there, is there
    anyone trying to, instead of remove it, and I know there is
    always a risk in doing this, but are there any pilot projects
    that are taking a different approach?
        Ms. Balluff. Senator Kelly, I am not aware of any pilot
    projects. I think where we are at right now is trying to find
    the appropriate balance of managing salt cedar, increasing
    native habitat, but accepting that probably there is going to
    be some level of salt cedar in our Southwest systems, and how
    can we manage that and keep it to the minimum possible.
        I think really the most effective method is when you
    remove, you replant with native species. And if necessary, salt
    tolerant species, and gradually attenuate the soil so that you
    can then have more of the riparian species you are looking for.
        Senator Kelly. How did we wind up with this plant in the
    Southwest?
        Ms. Balluff. Many, many decades ago, it came in from
    Eurasia, is my understanding, it was introduced for multiple
    reasons, flood control and I believe even aesthetic reasons. It
    can be quite beautiful when it is flowering, unfortunately. I
    believe that is how it came in. Then of course, it is highly
    competitive, so it kind of took off and spread on its own.
        Senator Kelly. Thank you.
        Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the extra time.
        Senator Carper. Thank you, and thanks for bringing your
    witness with you. Very interesting and very helpful.
        We started off, I asked Mr. Eikenberg to think out loud for
    us at the beginning of our hearing why should young people the
    age of his son, kids in high school and maybe beyond high
    school, why should they care about the issues we are discussing
    today. He shared some thoughts with us.
        The same question to Ms. Balluff. Why should young people
    in high school going off into college, off into the world, why
    should they care about these issues?
        Then Ms. Riggin, the same question.
        Ms. Balluff. Thank you, Senator Carper. It is a great
    question.
        I think there are a few different reasons for this, one of
    which of course is do we want our kids to inherit a world in
    which our rivers are dry and dusty in the Southwest, with
    nothing in them but landfills and sand and gravel pits. I think
    we probably want more for them. And I think they want more for
    themselves.
        I think also as we go out into these areas and we
    experience the benefits of them that come to us, especially for
    those in college, who might be having to study for a test or
    something.
        But in all reality, from a water quality perspective, from
    a fire risk management perspective, the benefits to our
    surrounding area, to our air quality, to our water quality,
    they are significant. These riparian areas provide a lot of
    filtration benefits that we can't really get without really
    expensive infrastructure otherwise.
        So in terms of cost effectiveness, these are a really cost
    effective way to help achieve some of our goals for quality.
        Senator Carper. Good. Thanks for that.
        Ms. Riggin, any thoughts?
        Ms. Riggin. Just to add, people should care because this is
    our home. We read about habitats and ecosystems in textbooks,
    but we don't often put ourselves as we are in that habitat, we
    are a part of that ecosystem.
        The more that we can take care of it, the more we care
    about it, the more that we all are stewards of it, the natural
    resources professionals aren't lifting the heavy load alone, we
    are carrying it together to protect our air, our water, our
    landscapes, so that it is not just a cool place to go hike that
    we are going off to visit, it is a place that supports our
    clean air, our clean water.
        So the why is because we are here, and we are part of that
    ecosystem.
        Senator Carper. Every now and then we are fortunate to have
    a leader of another nation come to Washington, to Capitol Hill,
    and speak at a joint session of the Congress. We usually meet
    in the House chamber because it is bigger than the Senate
    chamber. And we have House and Senate members there.
        One of the more interesting speakers in recent years has
    been the President of France, President Macron. He came and
    spoke to us, not in French, but in perfect English. One of the
    things he said to us in his speech, he talked about our planet.
    And he said, this is the only planet we are going to have, he
    said, there is no planet B. This is it; we have to take care of
    it. I will never forget that.
        I use that line a whole lot since I heard it from him. He
    was a special guest at a state dinner hosted by President and
    Mrs. Biden, and I got to see President Macron again. I told him
    about that line and reminded him how he had used that and how I
    have stolen it and never given him any credit for it. He said,
    we have a special word in French for people like you, who use
    our best material without acknowledgement.
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Carper. My staff has given me a question, I have a
    bunch of questions I will ask, but I will lead it off with this
    one, so I don't get in trouble with them.
        The environmental benefits of the Corps' ecosystem
    restoration portfolio, including those projects that we are
    talking about here today, clearly show a response to climate
    change through increasing resilience. And at the same time,
    these projects promote the economic health of the communities
    that you represent and that I represent and Senator Capito and
    others represent, through activities such as navigation,
    agriculture, and ecotourism.
        I will start with you, Ms. Riggin, and we will go to your
    right, please. It would be helpful if you would lead us off,
    take a minute or two to elaborate for us on the challenges and
    the opportunities, challenges and opportunities in partnering
    with the Corps on ecosystem restoration. Clearly, something is
    working, and working right. But I know we can always find room
    for improvement.
        If we could start with that, and we will come down to Ms.
    Balluff and then Mr. Eikenberg, please. Any thoughts?
        Ms. Riggin. Crab Bay was my first ecosystem restoration
    project, so I don't have a ton of experience under my belt. But
    I think the more we can do those types of projects, the better
    we are all going to end up being, and the more we give the
    flexibility to the Corps to be able to work with those non-
    Federal sponsors to accomplish those goals.
        A lot of times there are very rigid timelines, very rigid
    points at which the project is managed. The more flexibility
    that we have to develop a project which allows us to go back
    and do things like we did with rerunning a model, provide
    additional information or go further and monitor the project
    post-construction, so that we have some data to support future
    successes and document what we accomplished so that we can
    learn from it and use that to replicate in other projects.
        Senator Carper. Good. Thank you.
        Same question, Ms. Balluff.
        Ms. Balluff. Yes, thank you, Senator Carper. I think that
    flexibility is probably one of the most important things that
    we can gain with the Corps. I think they have so much
    capability in their offices, and they have, at least in our
    district, I know they have a lot of passion for these projects.
    We have just had such wonderful working relationships with the
    folks in the Los Angeles District. We are really grateful for
    them and for their efforts.
        Certainly, I think I mentioned this before, but after the
    fact, long term, allowing the Corps the flexibility to stay
    involved in the restoration projects that they do perform, so
    that when things come up, we can circle back around to them,
    and they would have the resources to be able to work with us to
    fine tune and shift things as needed. As we are finding and
    discovering more information as we move along these projects,
    it would be incredibly helpful.
        Senator Carper. All right, good. Thanks.
        Mr. Eikenberg, with the Everglades in mind, same question.
    Elaborate a bit for us if you would on the challenges and the
    opportunities in partnering with the Corps.
        Mr. Eikenberg. Mr. Chairman, I mentioned that this issue is
    a national model. It has taken time to get to that point, 23
    years now into the process of a restoration effort between the
    Army Corps and a non-Federal sponsor, the State of Florida.
        I do want to give a plug for the regular order on the Water
    Resources Development Act. Having the ability for the Army
    Corps hearing issues on the ground, understanding the
    importance of having those authorizations or those tweaks,
    those refinements, there is an integrated delivery schedule
    that the Army Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water
    Management District have outlined. It takes us through the end
    of this decade. It is clear, it demonstrates exactly what needs
    to occur.
        But there are moments when both sides, along with
    stakeholders like the Everglades Foundation, offer suggestions
    for WRDA bills to be available again, enable and ensure that
    these projects come to fruition. We have come a long way. The
    ability not only to preserve a drinking water supply for a
    growing population but these added benefits, these economic
    benefits that come with this, the issues relating to storing
    and sending water south, recharging an aquifer that is the
    drinking water supply now for almost 6 million people.
        And then alone the benefits of pushing against sea level
    rise and saltwater intrusion. This issue covers the gamut and
    having the Army Corps of Engineers identifying the challenges
    and not backing away from them and seeking assistance from NGOs
    or the State of Florida to assist in that regard. I salute the
    Corps from Jacksonville to Atlanta to Washington in making this
    effort again a national model for the Nation.
        Senator Carper. Good. Thank you.
        Speaking of sea level rise, as a Senator from the lowest
    lying State in the United States, our State is sinking, the
    seas around us are rising. Not a good combination. We have a
    special concern about the climate changes driving sea level
    rise, land subsidence, and flooding in our State and other
    States on the coasts.
        According to Climate Change 2023 Synthesis Report Summary
    for Policymakers from something called the Intergovernmental
    Panel on Climate Change, the largest driver of climate change
    is carbon in our environment, resulting in unprecedented rising
    global temperatures and corresponding extreme weather events.
    The same report, however, also points to carbon reduction
    benefits associated with ecosystem restoration.
        Mr. Eikenberg, would you please explain for us how the
    Everglades project is helping to address the root causes of
    climate change through environmental restoration? Please also
    explain for us the significance of the climate mitigation and
    resilience benefits seen in the Everglades thus far.
        Mr. Eikenberg. Mr. Chairman, I think it is important to
    point out that the Everglades itself, these organic peat soils
    in the Everglades have been sequestering or capturing carbon
    for centuries. It has been building over time. As we continue
    to move in the direction of hydrating these wetlands, again,
    this is a massive plumbing project in Florida to redirect the
    way freshwater flows. And by storing, cleaning, and sending
    that water south, you are rehydrating wetlands, a massive
    wetland forest, a significant wetland area within our world.
        The ability to hydrate those wetlands sequesters carbon. It
    takes off roughly about 230,000 cars off the road just in
    freshwater wetlands, and the climate benefits of keeping those
    wetlands hydrated.
        We are also seeing benefits along the coasts, the mangroves
    that surround the Florida peninsula also add a tremendous
    benefit on a carbon bank which the Everglades is. And by having
    that head of fresh water flowing down to the Florida Keys
    through Everglades National Park, down to Florida Bay, it is
    recharging the Biscayne Aquifer. That porous limestone within
    the Everglades, the fresh water permeates through that
    limestone and pushes eastward. And it acts as a buffer, it
    pushes against saltwater intrusion.
        The issues along South Florida's coast with sea level rise,
    you cannot abandon, we cannot abandon the issue of restoration
    within the Everglades to deal strictly or solely with the
    climate concerns along the coast. They both are interconnected.
    It complements it, and that is why with the Army Corps of
    Engineers, the State of Florida is moving in a very aggressive
    way to see this restoration, the adaptation, the mitigation
    issues that come with it are very positive.
        Senator Carper. Good. Thank you. Thank you for that.
        Ms. Balluff, we have already talked about the question I am
    about to raise. You may want to add to what has already been
    said with regard to this. We understand from your testimony
    that the Tres Rios project repurposed treated wastewater in the
    restoration of some 1,200 acres of wetland in the desert, quite
    a noteworthy feature. In addition to these wetlands and
    restoration features, the project provides for flood protection
    and local recreation.
        Please share with us, supplement what you have already
    said, and anything else you might like to add, how this unique
    project came together with the diverse group of stakeholders
    that traditionally do not work with the Army Corps of
    Engineers. What were some of the challenges in setting up this
    creative approach to ecosystem restoration? And if you could
    think of how some of those challenges were overcome, that would
    be welcome, too.
        Ms. Balluff. Thank you, Senator Carper. I was actually not
    involved with the very beginnings of Tres Rios, so I don't have
    any first hand knowledge of that.
        But I do know that a very significant group of stakeholders
    was brought together, including not just the U.S. Army Corps of
    Engineers, but also the Environmental Protection Agency. Again,
    we had to meet those Clean Water Act requirements, and U.S.
    Fish and Wildlife Service, Gila River Indian Community, and
    others. And it has been a really successful partnership.
        I would say it has even expanded since that time. So as we
    have been working to get continued authorization to complete
    Tres Rios, we have an entire collaborative group of
    stakeholders representing private parties, nonprofits, State
    and local agencies, and Federal agencies that are all
    coordinating together to make this happen, including the
    Arizona Game and Fish Department, and Arizona State University
    and the Rio Reimagined Project.
        I would say that has given a lot of strength to our
    efforts, because it has allowed these different perspectives to
    be brought in. It has also allowed for everyone's ideas and
    thoughts to be heard ahead of time, so that we can figure out
    the right solution and the right path forward to achieve a
    solution that makes people feel like they are achieving what
    they want to, like they are getting what they want out of this
    project and what they need out of this project. And that has
    been really helpful.
        Senator Carper. We want them to feel like they have been
    listened to.
        Ms. Balluff. Yes, it is absolutely, incredibly important.
    Also to have their ideas implemented into the project is really
    important.
        Senator Carper. Good. Thanks. If I could, I would like to
    ask Ms. Riggin to talk with us about a dynamic system. I will
    set up the question by saying, maintaining your project like
    the Crab Bank requires the stakeholders to think about a long
    term project plan and lifecycle challenges and costs. Water is
    a dynamic force, as we know, and comes with erosion and other
    shifting environmental factors.
        Recognizing that restoration does not stop with one
    investment, what considerations go into approaching long term
    success of a restoration project such as Crab Bank? And are you
    thinking about next steps to preserve or maybe to alter the
    project to ensure long term viability?
        Ms. Riggin. Building a seabird or shorebird island is
    tricky. By nature, those types of ecosystems are dynamic. We
    have five seabird sanctuaries off the coast of South Carolina,
    and all of them are ebbing and flowing and changing with tides
    and storms. And that is just part of it. That is what those
    seabirds and shorebirds really like. They also really like our
    beaches, but we like our beaches, too, and the two of us
    combined don't go well together.
        So building Crab Bank, while there was a $1.4 million price
    tag initially, everybody found the value in providing any
    available nesting habitat, knowing that shorebirds and seabirds
    are in crisis. We wanted to ensure that we could provide the
    habitat as long as we could, knowing that Mother Nature is
    going to do what Mother Nature is going to do. There are going
    to be tropical storms, there are going to be hurricanes that
    are going to change the footprint of that island.
        But if we get one successful nesting season, last year we
    had 500 nests, and that does not count individual chicks in
    each of those nests, that matters. That counts. So the
    investment from the Department and the community and the
    conservation partners, we need all the available nesting
    shorebird habitat that we can.
        We know that the project was modeled that given the past
    history of the current storms, it should last for 50 years.
    There is hope that maybe there will be additional dredging
    material opportunities in the future as we know there are
    limited places for dredged material to go. But it has to be the
    right sediment composition for us to be able to add it back to
    the island to maintain that in the future.
        So while 50 years may seem like a short amount of time, if
    we get back to historic numbers of Crab Bank in the five to ten
    thousands of nests, it is worth it.
        Senator Carper. All right, good. Thank you for that
    response.
        I have another question for each of you. Then at the very
    end of the hearing, I am going to ask you, is there a question
    you wish you had been asked but you have not been asked. You
    can tell us what that question might be, and then if you will,
    answer it. It will take us a few more minutes to get to that
    point in the hearing.
        If I could, in the meantime, Mr. Eikenberg, a question with
    respect to process. The Everglades, as we know, is a complex
    program, very complex program, comprised of a whole lot of
    projects. They range in size, they range in scope, they range
    in objectives.
        Please describe the input that the Everglades Foundation
    and its partners provide to the Army Corps of Engineers for the
    Everglades restoration process in order to ensure that
    restoration proceeds in a timely way and meets intended
    outcomes. Do you as a stakeholder in the process feel that your
    voice is heard?
        Mr. Eikenberg. Mr. Chairman, to the second portion of your
    question, the answer is yes. The ability as an NGO to be able
    to go to the Corps with the expertise that the Foundation has,
    we have tremendous expertise within the science of the
    Everglades. A lot of this is modeling. It is hydrological
    modeling, it is ecological modeling, it is economic results.
        To be able to run those scenarios with a variety of
    assumptions, the Army Corps has their process, the South
    Florida Water Management District has theirs. And at the
    Everglades Foundation, we are proud to be able to do the same
    thing, the same type of modeling.
        To then be able to go to the Army Corps with suggestions,
    to think differently over here or over there, and to have that
    ability to sit across a table and express those results and
    realize that it is being heard, it may not make the final
    result. But 9 out of 10 times, there are different portions of
    what is being recommended, not just by us but also by the other
    partners, from Audubon Florida to the Sanibel Captiva
    Conservation Foundation, Captains for Clean Water and countless
    others who are expressing the desire to see this project come
    to fruition.
        I want to give a shout out to Colonel Booth in
    Jacksonville, the commander of the district. He is accessible,
    he travels throughout Florida to make sure voices are being
    heard. Again, the economic return on this, we heard about the
    population of wading birds or shore birds coming back. The
    example for the Corps on their work in the Kissimmee River,
    that flood plain has returned, the wading bird population has
    come back in droves.
        The same Army Corps that dug the channel south of Orlando
    that drained that flood plain in the 1960s, for it now to be
    fully restored, the meandering Kissimmee is back, that is an
    example of the Army Corps understanding not just the ecological
    returns but also the economics. The ecotourism benefits to the
    State of Florida and to the Nation are tremendous.
        That is kind of how we see it as it relates to an
    organization that is at the table and has a voice in this
    process.
        Senator Carper. Thank you for that. Did you say Captains
    for Clean Water?
        Mr. Eikenberg. Yes. It is a group that was founded in 2016
    when there were some algae outbreaks around Fort Myers. And Mr.
    Chairman, I will tell you, anglers, boat captains, those who
    make a livelihood on the water, I was standing on a boat in
    2016 and a gentleman said, I don't know where your office is,
    but you're standing in mine. And my office is closed because of
    the way water is being managed in Florida.
        So they have come to the table with realtors, chambers of
    commerce, this is a business. It is an economic message as much
    as it is ecological. And those groups and others are having a
    tremendous impact.
        Senator Carper. We have a local chapter of Captains for
    Clean Water on this Committee. Senator Kelly and I are both
    retired Navy captains. We are very interested in clean water.
        Mr. Eikenberg. Thank you for your service. Yes, sir.
        Senator Carper. I have one other question for Ms. Balluff.
    It deals with a general reevaluation report. I think there is
    an acronym for that, GRR. I understand that there are some
    remaining construction features for the Tres Rios project, with
    a reevaluation of the project underway to address increased
    costs in the next steps.
        Could you tell us a little bit more about the phasing of
    the project and your work with the Corps to ensure benefits are
    seen without all of the features completed?
        Ms. Balluff. Yes, thank you, Senator Carper.
        Yes, there is a Post Authorization Change Report underway
    right now for a cost update for the final phases of Tres Rios
    to be completed. But in the meantime, many of the phases of
    Tres Rios have been completed, including the levee, which is
    already providing vast benefits to the neighboring communities
    that are removed from the flood plain as a result of
    construction of that.
        There is also of course the treatment wetlands that we
    talked about that are already providing the benefits for water
    quality that was released into the river. We also have overbank
    wetlands and some in river restoration that people can access,
    and they do. They come over from across the Nation and all over
    the world to fish and to birdwatch. There are over 200 species
    of birds. We have pelicans in Arizona, in Phoenix, because of
    these wetlands.
        So there are significant birdwatching opportunities.
    Audubon Arizona does surveys along with Game and Fish for us.
    We have threatened and endangered species there.
        So we are definitely, we have conferences come out from
    across the Nation and across the world to look at Tres Rios and
    see what has been accomplished here and see the success of the
    project. So it is definitely being noticed. And we look forward
    to that notice increasing as we complete it and open up those
    trailheads and the rest of the in river restoration.
        Senator Carper. Good. Thank you.
        Early in the hearing, I asked you, and then I found that I
    should have asked Ms. Riggin, when she figured out in her life
    why she was born. She gave us a great answer about it being,
    eighth grade when the light went off in her head.
        Ms. Balluff, when did you figure out why you were born?
        Ms. Balluff. I think it took me a little bit longer. I
    played around with a lot of different reasons, I guess, for why
    I was born.
        Senator Carper. I was born to play third base for the
    Detroit Tigers. They had different ideas.
        [Laughter.]
        Ms. Balluff. Yes. I really came to it in college. I was in
    college, and I was trying some different majors out, and ended
    up in forestry at Colorado State University. It really clicked
    with me. My love of the outdoors and my appreciation of what
    nature gives me personally and what I could then do to support
    it right back is really what brought me to it.
        Senator Carper. That is good.
        Mr. Eikenberg, same question. When did you figure out, and
    your son will be interested in this, when did you figure out
    why you were born?
        Mr. Eikenberg. I think my moment was in high school. I
    attended Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland,
    Florida. My 11th grade government teacher, Doug Pierce----
        Senator Carper. You still remember his name, he would be
    pleased, if he is listening in.
        Mr. Eikenberg. I hope he is. If not, I want to send him
    this clip.
        Doug Pierce is the person who got me interested in policy
    and public politics and the importance of government service. I
    watched my mentor, Clay Shaw, who spearheaded the Comprehensive
    Everglades Restoration Plan through Congress in 2000. I got to
    see first hand as a native Floridian, Clay Shaw, the importance
    of balancing the environment with economic development in
    Florida.
        We have been doing this for years, Mr. Chairman, as you
    note, decades, generations upon generations have either messed
    it up, and now we are fixing it. For me to be able to be here
    in Washington in years past to see how this process works, to
    understand the bipartisan nature of the environment,
    conservation, regardless of our party affiliations, we all
    unite for clean water, clean air, healthy wetlands, drinking
    water. The Everglades is the perfect example for all of that to
    come together.
        Not only am I proud that my son Patrick is here with me,
    but I have three other children. And the example that we are
    doing within the Everglades is the example to pass on for
    future generations. Doug Pierce was the key for me back in
    1993, 30 years ago. I hope that anyone listening to this
    message of hope and success around the environment, across the
    country, engages them to be a part of something bigger than
    themselves.
        Senator Carper. Great. Thank you for that.
        Doug Pierce, if you are out there, thanks very much. You
    gave a big assist on the play.
        Now we are going to close out with this. I will ask you
    each to give us a question that you wish you had been asked but
    were not. If you had been asked the question, how would you
    respond?
        Go ahead, Ms. Riggin.
        Ms. Riggin. Thank you, Senator Carper.
        I really can't think of anything that I would like to share
    more about the project. I am excited that I was asked to be
    here today to share the success of Crab Bank. I am thankful for
    the support of all of the conservation community entities that
    helped raise money for the project to help us get here.
        I am excited to share, and I touched on it a little bit
    earlier, about the fact that Crab Bank was so much more than
    just that one project. By building the relationships with the
    conservation community and others and highlighting the need for
    support for shorebird, seabird, wading bird conservation, we
    had the ability to establish the South Carolina Coastal Bird
    Conservation Fund that has allowed us to do even more.
        We have around $400,000 in the fund that helps us leverage
    Federal grants to continue and further shorebird conservation
    for the future. And fingers crossed sitting back here for the
    Recovering America's Wildlife Act, and hoping that we will have
    a steady, constant, consistent funding stream to support
    nongame wildlife management in States across the country like
    we do with the Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration Program.
        Senator Carper. Thank you.
        Ms. Balluff, what would you have like to have been asked
    that you weren't?
        Ms. Balluff. I would have love to have been asked what is
    next after Tres Rios.
        Senator Carper. What is next after Tres Rios?
        [Laughter.]
        Ms. Balluff. Thank you, Senator Carper, for asking that
    excellent question. I am happy to respond to it.
        What is next after Tres Rios is Rio Salado Oeste, which is
    a really important ecosystem restoration project in the Salt
    River that will connect our completed Rio Salado Phoenix, which
    is our completed ecosystem restoration project, with Tres Rios.
        Right now, we have about an 8 mile gap in restoration
    between those two projects. Rio Salado Oeste will fill that gap
    and will give us 19 contiguous miles of restored Salt River
    through Metropolitan Phoenix, through surrounding disadvantaged
    communities.
        Senator Carper. How many miles did you say, 19?
        Ms. Balluff. Nineteen contiguous miles of restored river,
    once all three of these projects are complete. We are very
    excited. We did get, the project got work plan monies for the
    Corps to start working on the general reevaluation report for
    Rio Salado Oeste. So we are getting that underway and are
    really excited for the next steps on that project as well.
        Senator Carper. Good. Thanks. Good question.
        Mr. Eikenberg.
        Mr. Eikenberg. Mr. Chairman, I think the question of will
    we ever finish Everglades restoration. We hear that. I will be
    brief.
        I think the answer is yes, I know the answer is yes. And by
    the year 2030, the remainder of this decade, with critical
    projects that are being planned and are ready for construction,
    we will do that. Then we shift to perpetual protection. Because
    again, the next generation is going to have to ensure that what
    we have fought for, these remaining 3 million acres of
    Everglades that we are protecting, survives.
        So we know the problem. We have the solution.
        What I want to also highlight, Mr. Chairman, is the
    political will has really stepped up in a manner that is
    delivering this. This is a mainstream issue now. And the
    ability from the President and the Congress to the Governor and
    the State legislature, everyone is moving in the same
    direction. There is massive momentum around Everglades
    restoration.
        This is a national treasure. It is America's Everglades.
    With your help and those on the ground back in Florida, we will
    get it done.
        Senator Carper. That is great. My colleagues hear me say
    probably too often, bipartisan solutions are lasting solutions.
    That is just another way of saying part of what you just said,
    I think. Most helpful.
        I have some boilerplate language I am going to use in just
    a minute before we close out the hearing. I ride a lot back and
    forth from Delaware to Washington to come to work, every day
    almost. Another guy who used to ride the train a lot was Albert
    Einstein. Albert Einstein, I don't know if he was in Princeton,
    maybe in Princeton where he taught. He would get on the train
    and go to New York, get on a train and come to DC. He rode the
    train a lot.
        One day he got on the train, and he started looking for his
    ticket, and he couldn't find it. He was looking in his coat,
    his trousers, he looked in his briefcase, couldn't find it. The
    conductor came along and said, Dr. Einstein, we know who you
    are, don't worry about it. You are fine, you don't have to
    worry about it.
        The conductor walked away to go to the next car, and he
    turned around and looked back at Dr. Einstein again, Dr.
    Einstein was down on his hands and knees looking for his
    ticket. The conductor ran back and said, Dr. Einstein, you
    don't have to worry about it. We know who you are. We know who
    you are.
        Dr. Einstein looked up at him and said, ``I know who I am,
    too. I just don't know where I am going.''
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Carper. One of the best ways to figure out where to
    go is to find out what works and do more of that. One of the
    things I think works is regular order. That term has been used
    a number of times. It is one of the things that Senator Capito
    and I think our colleagues, both Democrat and Republican on
    this Committee, agree.
        We like regular order. We like working with States. We love
    working with the Army Corps of Engineers, and we have oversight
    of them. They do great work in our State and 49 other States as
    well. We are in their debt.
        Speaking of Albert Einstein, a lot of people remember he
    once said, the definition of insanity is to keep doing the same
    thing over and over again and expect a different result. That
    is a good quote.
        But my favorite Einstein quote is, in adversity lies
    opportunity. In adversity lies opportunity. That is a great
    one. I use that one every day. There is plenty of adversity in
    our States and our country and our world. But there is also
    opportunity. The key is to find in that adversity the real
    opportunities. I think that is part of what we are talking
    about doing here today.
        Finally, I would like to say, find out what works, do more
    of that. You all have given us some great examples of what
    works, so we can be inspired by you and learn from what is
    going on in your States. We applaud you for that.
        Now to the boilerplate. Before we adjourn, some
    housekeeping. Our Senators, our colleagues, will be allowed to
    submit written questions for the record by 4 p.m. on Wednesday,
    June 21st, that is 2 weeks from today. We will compile those
    questions, send them to each of you. We are going to ask you to
    try to reply to us by Wednesday, July 12th. We will follow up
    with this information and these dates.
        I will ask the majority staff, anything else? Minority
    staff?
        I just want to say to our staffs, these hearings don't just
    happen. They happen because we have great staff members. They
    help figure out who would be good witnesses to bring in and get
    everything coordinated and provide us with just an enormous
    amount of support and help. I say to all of you, thank you
    very, very much.
        To those of you who spend your life, this is a big part of
    your life, what you do, you are not just doing it for
    yourselves and your family, you are doing it for the rest of
    us, we thank you for that. We are inspired by you and
    encouraged by the work that you do.
        With that, this hearing is adjourned.
        [Whereupon, at 11:38 a.m., the hearing was adjourned.]
        [An additional statement submitted for the record follows:]

                       Statement of Hon. Pete Ricketts,
                    U.S. Senator from the State of Nebraska

        I write to remind you of the Army Corps of Engineers'
    priorities. I am aware the purpose of this hearing is to
    discuss the ecosystem restoration branch of the Corps. However,
    I would be remiss if I failed to highlight my concerns about
    the Corps' mismanagement.
        As Governor, I came to view the Corps as an impediment to
    progress and an organization that failed to prioritize
    taxpayers in their decisionmaking.
        The Corps' failure to consider taxpayers is demonstrated by
    the critical shift in the management of the Missouri River in
    2004. The Corps sought to restore the Missouri River's
    ecosystem and create habitat for threatened and endangered
    species. This prioritization led to litigation from landowners
    in Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas.
        In Ideker Farms v. United States, the court found that the
    notching of dikes and revetments, as well as the reopening of
    the historic chutes, which allows the river to meander and
    erode the bank, created potential flood impacts. These changes
    to the river, combined with increased reservoir storage and
    releases of threatened and endangered species from the dams
    during high river stages, have caused or contributed to
    flooding since 2007. I implore the Corps to operate in
    accordance with the priorities in the 1944 Flood Control Act.
        Nebraskans want to see people and communities put first,
    and we would appreciate the opportunity to work together to
    rebuild bigger and better than before to keep people safe. It's
    one of my major priorities on this Committee and in the Senate.
    The Army Corps must get its house to support that mission.
        I urge my colleagues to work together to regain the
    original priorities of the Army Corps of Engineers to protect
    people and property.

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