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WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Congressman Paul D. Tonko (NY-20) today cheered the allocation of $100,000,000 to support water and wastewater infrastructure for the Mohawk River and tributaries under the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). The federal investment for the vicinity of the Mohawk River and tributaries includes funding for stormwater management, surface water resource protection, environmental restoration, and related infrastructure.

The Senate and House came to a final agreement today on the sweeping water infrastructure legislation that delivers funding to address drought and flood risks, protect ecosystems, and improve ports. The WRDA package is expected to advance through Congress later this month.

“New York’s Capital Region sits at the junction of the mighty Hudson and Mohawk Rivers and the historic Erie Canalway,” Congressman Tonko said. “These waterways powered our mills and carried goods from the coast to the rest of the nation, and their impact continues to ripple across our country to this day. For years, I’ve pushed hard to secure critical funding for our waterways under WRDA. With the inclusion of our environmental infrastructure provision, we are delivering critically needed measures to improve the Mohawk River’s health and infrastructure, address growing climate and ecological challenges, and more. I look forward to advancing this package in the coming weeks to ensure our historic waterways can be protected and enjoyed for generations to come.”

“Riverkeeper is thrilled to see the Mohawk River and Valley receive critical resources in WRDA 2024 thanks to Representatives Tonko, Williams, and Stefanik who partnered on securing a $100 million authorization for critical water infrastructure, ecosystem restoration, and flood resilience projects,” said Riverkeeper Associate Director of Government Affairs Jeremy Cherson. “Their partnership demonstrates that Congress can still deliver for New Yorkers and that clean water, conservation, and job creation are a bipartisan recipe for success. We look forward to working with Congressman Tonko in the upcoming session of Congress on additional clean water wins.”

Tonko co-led this bipartisan WRDA provision alongside Congressman Brandon Williams (NY-22) and with support from Elise Stefanik (NY-21). The members cheered the advance of their provision out of the House in July this year.

The New York counties impacted by this funding are Albany, Delaware, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Madison, Montgomery, Oneida, Otsego, Saratoga, Schoharie, and Schenectady.