The Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, the importance of dredging the Houston Ship Channel, and the economic impact of the Port of Houston were discussion topics during an Oct. 24 visit by Congressman John Culberson, whose district includes areas of west Houston and Harris County.

Port Authority Chairman Janiece Longoria provided welcome remarks on behalf of PHA leadership and thanked Rep. Culberson for being an advocate for the port throughout his legislative career. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Culberson serves as the chair of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science.

PHA Director of Channel Development, Mark Vincent, gave a presentation on Houston Ship Channel dredging challenges and trends, including channel improvements, navigation restrictions, the Panama Canal expansion and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Feasibility Study.

The briefing explored opportunities on how Texas ports could benefit from the 2016 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which currently requires channels assumed for maintenance to be considered authorized. WRDA 2016 addresses the need of America’s harbors, locks, dams, flood protection and other water resources infrastructure by authorizing U.S. Army Corps of Engineers activities.