On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order (EO) directing federal agencies to increase water flow through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to other parts of California, a move aligned with his inaugural address’s mention of wildfires in Los Angeles and the need to address the state’s water challenges.
The EO titled “Putting People over Fish: Stopping Radical Environmentalism to Provide Water to Southern California,” asks the agencies “to immediately restart” the work of his first administration to divert more water to “other parts of the state for use by the people there who desperately need a reliable water supply.”
Background
The Central Valley Project (CVP), managed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), and the State Water Project, operated by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), are California’s two most significant water projects. These projects rely on a Coordinated Operations Agreement (COA) to enhance efficiency, maintain water quality and mitigate environmental impacts.
The COA has been entangled in legal and political disputes for over two decades, with a significant focus on federal Biological Opinions (BiOps) that assess project compliance with the Endangered Species Act, according to the University of California, Davis’ Center for Watershed Studies.
Following a challenge to the 2004 BiOps, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service issued updated BiOps in 2008 and 2009. In response to a 2016 request to revise the COA, new BiOps were issued in 2019, enabling BOR to operate under a revised COA in 2020. This led to lawsuits from the state and other groups, resulting in interim operations under a court-approved agreement while the Biden administration developed revised COA terms and BiOps.
In December, California and federal water officials approved new rules for operating the Central Valley and State Water projects. These rules introduced a framework for balancing water management with environmental protections.
According to the record of decision, the plan enhances Shasta Reservoir operations to protect the coldwater pool during multi-year droughts and reduce temperature-related mortality of winter-run Chinook salmon. It also includes measures to minimize harm to Delta smelt, such as controlling reverse flows in the south Delta, addressing turbidity levels and implementing supplementation efforts to counter survival challenges caused by low fish populations.
However, the EO stated that to protect the smelt, an “enormous water supply flows wastefully into the Pacific Ocean.”
Reactions
According to CalMatters—a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization—Karla Nemeth, director of the California Department of Water Resources, has criticized the potential return to earlier Trump-era water rules. She warns that this move “has the potential to harm Central Valley farms and Southern California communities that depend upon water delivered from the Delta, and it will do nothing to improve current water supplies in the Los Angeles basin.”
Restore the Delta, an environmental group based in Stockton, has pushed back against Trump’s claim that river water flowing to the sea is wasted. The group argues that such water “sustains the largest estuary on the West Coast—a vital resource for California’s economy, recreational and commercial fishing industries, Delta farmers, local businesses, and millions of residents who depend on clean, safe water.”
The Westlands Water District, which represents a significant farming region in parts of Kings and Fresno counties in the San Joaquin Valley, welcomed the president’s order.
“We are grateful to see that the water supply issues facing California are a priority of the Trump Administration,” said Allison Febbo, the district’s general manager, in a statement.
LA wildfires
The order comes after Trump said in his inaugural address that the wildfires in Los Angeles “still tragically burn.”
“They’re raging through the houses and communities, even affecting some of the wealthiest and most powerful individuals in our country—some of whom are sitting here right now,” Trump said. “They don’t have a home any longer. But we can’t let this happen. Everyone is unable to do anything about it. That’s going to change.”
The EO emphasizes that the recent deadly and historically destructive wildfires in Southern California highlight the urgent need for a reliable water supply and effective vegetation management practices, underscoring the importance of immediately reimplementing the plan.
While firefighters continue to make progress in controlling the blazes, Trump initially criticized the response, writing on Truth Social that Newsom should “open up the water main” and allow “beautiful, clean, freshwater to flow into California.”
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) reported on Jan. 22 that the Eaton Fire had burned 14,021 acres and was 91% contained, and the Palisades Fire burned 23,448 acres and was 68% contained.
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), in reply to several orders issued relating to climate initiatives, said, “If you don’t believe in science, believe your own damn eyes,” followed by photographs of firefighting efforts.
According to the EO, the secretary of Commerce and the secretary of the Interior must report on the progress of implementing the memorandum’s policies within 90 days and provide recommendations for future implementation. — Charles Wallace, WLJ contributing editor
