(NAFB.com) – Every two years and authorizes the improvement and maintenance of our nation’s inland waterways, ports, and flood and storm protection via the Water Resource Development Act (WRDA).  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the designated federal agency responsible for the implementation of WRDA legislation. If passed by both the House and the Senate, it will continue the track record of Congress passing a biennial WRDA since 2014. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 48% of U.S. soybean exports are transported by barge – primarily to export terminals along the lower Mississippi River.  Barge transportation is one of predominant reasons U.S. soybean farmers are so competitive in the international marketplace.  Investing in the inland waterway system and ports is simultaneously an investment in the success of soybean farmers.  One barge is capable of transporting up to 57,000 bushels of soybeans – the equivalent of 62 semi-trucks.  A typical 15 barge tow can therefore transport up to 855,000 bushels – the equivalent of 940 semi-trucks.