Agriculture organizations last week cheered the passage and signing of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014, which is designed to update and upgrade the country’s inland waterways and ports.

"The American Farm Bureau Federation and our 6 million member families have long championed an efficient and reliable inland waterway system linked to competitive ports," said Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF). "The ports, channels, locks, dams and other infrastructure that support our waterways transportation are vital to America’s ability to provide affordable agricultural products at home and abroad," he said.

The law also includes provisions related to the...