This year, Washington State and much of the western United States faced severe drought conditions, water shortages, and rationing, which have had serious impacts on our agriculture, energy, and manufacturing sectors, as well as the many families and small businesses that rely on an adequate and stable supply of water. Many residents are confronting the worst drought they've seen in many years, and a growing number of communities across the West have been acutely impacted by these arid conditions. While this crisis has been caused by the drought, burdensome environmental laws, as well as misguided and outdated regulatory restrictions, have exacerbated the situation. As a third-generation farmer, I understand from personal experience that access to water is vital to the livelihoods and economic prosperity of Washingtonians, which is why one of my first actions in Congress was to introduce legislation aimed at developing new surface water storage projects in the west.