Washington, D.C. - U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady (R-The Woodlands) successfully secured House approval for $1.3 million of additional funding for Town Bluff Dam and B.A. Steinhagen Lake.  The funding was in addition to the $3 million for Town Bluff in President Bush’s budget proposal.  The funding was included in H.R. 2641, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2008.

“This funding is integral in helping the Army Corps of Engineers to maintain the lake, dam and recreation areas.  The economic viability of this region depends of the proper maintenance of this and other Army Corps of Engineers lakes,” said Brady.

Town Bluff Dam and B.A. Steinhagen Lake is a civil works project of the U.S. Corps of Engineers. The funding will be used by the Corps of Engineers for lake and dam operations and for the maintenance of the recreation areas and campsites.

Congressman Brady’s other requests, which includes funding for the Sabine Neches waterway, Sam Rayburn Dam and Reservoir, a new boat ramp at Twin   Dikes on Lake Sam Rayburn, paving of Magnolia Ridge Park road, and refurbishment of the bridge crane at Sam Rayburn Power Plant may be funded   through the $186 million designated for region 12 of the U.S. Corps of Engineers operations and maintenance budget.

The House turned down funding for the general investigation study of the Neches River Basin because it was a new start project which Energy and Water appropriators are not funding any of this year.  

The Energy and Water Appropriations bill must now be approved by the Senate and signed by the President before becoming law.