The federal agency that manages fishing harvests along the Pacific Coast has strongly criticized drought legislation proposed by California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, saying it will cause “irreparable harm” to salmon and the coastal communities that depend on fishing.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council, based in Portland, Ore., prepared a letter on May 11 analyzing Feinstein’s bill, in response to a request from Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) and Rep. Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena), both of whom represent fishing communities.

Stratford, California, is located in the Central Valley—where years of drought threaten the livelihood of the community. Lack of water in the region has severely decreased crop yields for farmers, meaning fewer jobs in rural communities. In this short documentary by Joris Debeij and Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, Stratford residents mull over what the decrease in food production means for the small farming town.

Lake Mead is less than a foot of dropping to its lowest point in history. Stefano Fasano says he’s been coming to Lake Mead for nearly 20 years and understands the water level is down. Fasano said even launching a boat has changed, but he’s an optimist pointing out there’s still a lot of lake left.

“They do a pretty good job marking things. I know where to go, I’ve been coming here my whole life, I know what to look for, for sure,” said Fasano.