Tuberville Issues Statement on Infrastructure Challenges along Alabama's Waterways

October 3, 2024 - WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) expressed concerns that the federal government is not doing enough to address infrastructure challenges along Alabama's waterways.

"I'm glad to see the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was able to get the Holt Lock back up and running. However, the Holt Lock is one of three failed locks this year alone on the Tenn-Tom waterway in Alabama," Senator Tuberville said in a statement. "We're unrealistically expecting our infrastructure along waterways to continue operating, many past their intended lifespan, without making significant investments in their condition. This threatens to disrupt our supply chain and hurts businesses up and down the rivers who depend upon navigable waterways."

"Three years ago, Kamala Harris and Joe Biden forced taxpayers to foot the bill for the $1.2 trillion infrastructure deal," Tuberville continued. "Unfortunately, less than 20% of the money has been spent – and Alabama businesses and communities are bearing the brunt. Instead of continuing to send billions of taxpayer dollars to Ukraine, Kamala Harris and Joe Biden should focus on making sure basic American infrastructure needs are being met."

The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway joins the Tennessee River in Northeast Mississippi with the old Tombigbee River near Amory, Mississippi. The waterway is 234 miles long and runs from Yellow Creek Port near Pickwick Lake to Demopolis, Alabama. The system features 10 lakes and 10 locks and dams that allow for a shorter navigational route from the interior United States to the Gulf of Mexico.

The river section of the waterway stretches from Demopolis, Alabama north to Amory, Mississippi and encompasses 149 miles and four locks and dams. The canal section of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway stretches north from Amory, Mississippi to Jamie L. Whitten Lock and Dam near Dennis, Mississippi. Forty-six miles in length, it has a total of five locks and dams. The divide section of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway begins at Jamie L. Whitten Lock and Dam and runs north for 39 miles to Yellow Creek on Pickwick Lake near the Tennessee border.

The Waterway is used for navigation, wildlife mitigation and recreation. Navigating the waterway, as opposed to taking the Mississippi River, saves time and money by reducing the trip to the Gulf Coast by more than 800 miles. The wildlife mitigation program features more than 70,000 acres of land and another 100,000+ acres at other areas for wildlife to thrive in nature.

https://www.sam.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Recreation/Tennessee-Tombigbee-Waterway/

Tommy Tuberville was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2020.