Trump Day One Order Accelerates California Water Wars Amid Wildfires
When he was President-elect and counting down the days to his January 20 inauguration, Donald Trump made it clear he’d be quickly issuing orders over California’s already tense water wars between those hoping to save salmon, steelhead and other native species that have previously endured drought conditions and seen numbers decline dangerously low, and farmers who want more water allocated their way. When the tragic Southern California wildfires and perceived lack of water available for firefighters created a political tug-of-war fueled in part by then President-elect Trump’s comments, the issue was sure to become one of the President’s day one orders he promised to sign right off the bat.
Sure enough, one of his signed documents took aim at California’s water allocation issues. Here’s the Whitehouse’s official Presidential order, which is headlined in all caps- which the 47th president has become known for via some of his social media posts – PUTTING PEOPLE OVER FISH: STOPPING RADICAL ENVIRONMENTALISM TO PROVIDE WATER TO SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA
January 20, 2025
MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE
THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR
SUBJECT: Putting People over Fish: Stopping Radical
Environmentalism to Provide Water to Southern
California
I hereby direct the Secretary of Commerce and Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the heads of other departments and agencies of the United States as necessary, to immediately restart the work from my first Administration by the National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation, and other agencies to route more water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to other parts of the state for use by the people there who desperately need a reliable water supply.
During my first term, the State of California, at the direction of its Governor, filed a lawsuit to stop my Administration from implementing improvements to California’s water infrastructure. My Administration’s plan would have allowed enormous amounts of water to flow from the snow melt and rainwater in rivers in Northern California to beneficial use in the Central Valley and Southern California. This catastrophic halt was allegedly in protection of the Delta smelt and other species of fish. Today, this enormous water supply flows wastefully into the Pacific Ocean.
The recent deadly and historically destructive wildfires in Southern California underscore why the State of California needs a reliable water supply and sound vegetation management practices in order to provide water desperately needed there, and why this plan must immediately be reimplemented.
Within 90 days of the date of this memorandum, the Secretary of Commerce and Secretary of the Interior shall report to me regarding the progress made in implementing the policies in this memorandum and provide any recommendations regarding future implementation.
Here’s some social media reaction to the controversy, including a strong retort from California Governor Gavin Newsom’s camp:
