Kinzua Dam Today: The Section 1135 Study
The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), passed in 1986, was one of many omnibus water bills whose corner stone was providing a cost-sharing provision and greater authority for local authorities in the financial and decision making processes of Army Corps of Engineers public work projects. Section 1135 of the WRDA authorizes current Army Corps projects to be modified or for the Corps to construct a new project in order to restore the environment or areas whose environmental degradation have been linked directly to Corps projects.
The operational guidelines of Kinzua Dam, like other public works constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers, were mandated by Congress when the dam began operations in 1967. In addition, these outdated congressional mandates predated important environmental acts, such as the Clean Water Act.
Therefore, even though there is significant evidence of negative environmental impacts to Ohi:yo' as a direct result of Kinzua Dam's construction and operation, it can not change how it operates without an act of Congress.