Introduction of the Bureau of Reclamation Surface Water Storage Streamlining Act of 2015

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce my legislation, the Bureau of Reclamation Surface Water Storage Streamlining Act of 2015. This important and desperately needed legislation would streamline the Bureau of Reclamation's environmental planning and study process for new surface water storage projects. It would accomplish this by applying the same streamlined water project development process used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under the Water Resources Reform Development Act of 2014 to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, in order to facilitate the construction of new dams and reservoirs.

Water is the lifeblood of communities in the arid West and the current water shortage crisis devastating much of the Western United States highlights the critical need for water supply to grow with demand. A streamlined process for new water storage projects is vital to prepare effectively for drought and to provide adequate water resources for future development. This bill allows forward-thinking improvements to the Bureau of Reclamation's permitting process to create new opportunities for water storage. Put simply, this legislation will reform the current cumbersome and lengthy process so that there is a mechanism to build new surface water storage projects in the West.

I urge all members to join me in supporting this legislation and I urge its swift passage.

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