KLIMAWIRE | As historic wildfires sweep through the Los Angeles area, President-elect Donald Trump is demanding that Gov. Gavin Newsom “open up the water pipeline” and FLOW “beautiful, clean, fresh water into CALIFORNIA.”
At first glance, it seems to make sense. Why wouldn’t the leaders of a state where the northern region is currently experiencing above average rainfall redirect the water to the south to shut it down? metropolis on fire as his sockets dry up?
For starters, there’s no central ridge located in the Sierra foothills that Newsom can use a giant wrench to turn on. Later, firefighters were more damaged by Santa Ana’s strong winds than empty hydrants because of the lack of water in northern California.
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Read on for a detailed explanation of the state’s complex water system from our neighboring California water experts and a brief history of Trump’s fixation with the problem.
What about the ‘water recovery declaration?’
On Wednesday, Trump Posted on Truth Social: “Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration placed before him, which would have allowed millions of gallons of water, excess rain and snow from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including areas that are now burning in an almost apocalyptic manner.”
Newsom’s director of communications throw back: “There is no such document as a water restoration declaration; that is pure fiction.”
is it Not completely. Trump was referring to a real document, although he used an unfamiliar name that would leave even the smartest California water official scratching their heads. Karoline Leavitt, the press secretary of the presidential candidate, explained the reference pointing to a A five-year legal license between Newsom and Trump on how to manage the state and federal systems of pumps, reservoirs and canals that move water around California.
In short, the two disagree on how much water should be pumped from the state’s major rivers, which converge in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, to the much parched farms of the Central Valley and Southern California cities. maintenance in the ecosystem to sustain declining fish populations, including Delta smelt, frequent target of Trump. Separate pumping plans make only marginal differences in actual water deliveries, but have taken on a political life of their own.
The conflict peaked in 2020, when Trump “the record of the decision” establishing its version of the rules a rally in the Central Valley — be alone Newsom suedreferring to the damage done to the environment
“This was the last significant water policy decision in his first term where President Trump and Gov. Newsom took a personal interest,” said Tom Birmingham, former CEO of the Westlands Water District, the nation’s largest agricultural irrigation district. that favored Trump in that fight.
Is there a water main in Northern California?
no Newsom would be tough, as would Trump Suggested by Truth Social on Thursday, “to go immediately to Northern California and open the water pipe, and let the water burn through their dry, starving state, instead of going out into the Pacific Ocean.”
However, cities in southern California depend on Snowmelt in the Sierra Nevada mountains, home to world-famous Yosemite National Park, pumps about 30 percent of the Delta’s water supply. Another 20 percent comes from the Colorado River, and 50 percent comes from local supplies such as groundwater and recycling.
Much of California’s water flows into the Pacific; much of it is reserved for environmental uses, which drains rivers so that they are cool enough to supply cities with tap water and keep endangered fish populations alive. In general, water use in California it breaks up to roughly 10 percent for communities, 40 percent for agriculture and 50 percent for the environment, according to a California Public Policy Institute analysis of state data.
What is the origin of Trump’s obsession with California water?
This isn’t the first time Trump has used H2O against Newsom. He too he threatened to drop disaster support Unless Newsom does it in the water, saying at a campaign rally in Southern California last year that if the governor “doesn’t sign those documents, we’re not going to give him money to put out all his fires.” (“These documents” presumably refer to the mentioned water recovery declaration).
The president-elect’s interest in the Golden State’s water dilemma likely stems from a 2016 tour of the agriculture-rich Central Valley with former Republican Rep. Devin Nunes, who was one of Trump’s earliest supporters.
Trump’s frequent references to the fight show that “California’s water issue has a very special place in his heart, in his mind,” said Johnny Amaral, director of operations for the Friant Water Authority, which serves Central Valley farmers, and a former Nunes. foreman
“He often talks about the visit Devin took him to the Central Valley before the election in 2016 and showed him the farmland,” Amaral added. “It still warms our hearts a little to talk about the 30-minute or hour commute on the east side.”
Nunes was trying to impress upon Trump that farmers in the Central Valley, a conservative-leaning region, need more water from state and northern federal water pumps. It was clearly convincing.
It is not Much of Southern California is now in a drought, he said federal statisticsDue to the dry start of California’s wet winter. But there is not much shortage of water imported from Northern California, and on the contrary, the precipitation has been quite average so far. Reservoir levels across the state, including Southern California’s largest reservoir, Diamond Valley Lake, are at or above historic levels.
L.A.’s fire hydrants ran dry Tuesday night because of “tremendous demand,” Janisse Quiñones, director general and chief engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, said Wednesday. Water pressure dropped as a result: Supplies from the city’s three million-gallon water tanks feeding Pacific Palisades ran out by 3 a.m. Tuesday after firefighters began battling the blaze, forcing backup water to be trucked into the area.
How are Democratic leaders responding?
In a White House briefing on Thursday, President Joe Biden offered an explanation for the dry hydrants. He said electricity was cut off to local water pumps to prevent the utility line from causing further fires. Fire officials are now bringing in generators for the pumps, Biden said.
On CNN Wednesday night, Newsom accused Trump of playing politics and trying to divide the country over the tragic wildfires. Also on Wednesday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass blamed water shortages for the unprecedented scope of the disaster, which will be the costliest in US history.
Debra Kahn and Julia Marsh contributed to this report.
Reprinted E&E News Courtesy of POLITICO, LLC. Copyright 2025. E&E News provides essential news for energy and environmental professionals.
