One policy option that we'll all hopefully agree on is the need to invest in our water infrastructure.

Droughts are nature's fault. They happen. But water shortages are our fault.

It's important that this Subcommittee soberly assess and plan for these challenges.

The climate is constantly changing, which requires constant adaptation.

Your father thought it made sense; he is the one who authored the 1980 legislation authorizing the expansion of Shasta.

Under the circumstances, I think you were remarkably restrained, and I am embarrassed that such a question would be put to you in this committee.

If we can't store it as snow, doesn't that mean we need to store it as water?

shouldn't we be focusing on the least expensive sources of water before we put money into the most expensive?

Right, so, again, it gets back to a very simple question--if we can't store it as snow, we have to store it as water, or we lose it.

Sadly, these policies were reversed over the last 45 years.

And I'm hopeful that this Subcommittee can work together to disprove that old notion that 'water is for fighting over,' and instead work to come up with common-sense, scientifically-based solutions to the challenges before us.

The southern portion of the United States and the southern portion of the Southwest clearly are looking at hotter and drier conditions.