Flood mitigation dollars to flow to First District
(Photo courtesy of Lauren Geurin)
Arkansas’ First Congressional District is set to receive about $60 million in funds for flood control. U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Jonesboro, said he voted to pass the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2026 out of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and send the bipartisan reauthorization bill to the House floor for passage.
“This bill is a win for Arkansas because it shifts control away from bureaucrats and puts it back into the hands of our local communities,” said Crawford. “We’re securing millions of dollars to fix localized flooding, protect our parks from closure, and ensure our counties are aligned with the right U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) districts. These changes protect homes, farms, and businesses across the First District.”
The bill includes $10 million for Jonesboro Flood mitigation. It also includes $50 million for W.G. Huxtable Pumping Station near Marianna. The bill authorizes the installation of four gates to restore drainage capacity and ease the burden on aging infrastructure in the St. Francis basin.
The legislation moves 11 local counties out of the Little Rock District and into the Memphis and Vicksburg districts to fix the geographical mismatch, putting local flood management under the care of districts that focus on the Mississippi. River.
A Levee Owners Advisory Board will also be established. It also creates a nationwide board to give local levee owners input when the Army Corps of Engineers creates regulations without stakeholder input.