Late Monday night, officials in California were compelled to address a new falsehood propagated by President Donald Trump. In a post on social media, Trump erroneously stated that the U.S. military had “just entered” California using “emergency powers” to “turn on the water,” which he implied had been shut off due to a “bogus environmental claim.”<\/p>\n
Trump has consistently criticized how California handles its water resources and environmental policies, especially in the wake of severe fires affecting the southern regions of the state over the past month. The California Department of Water Resources quickly corrected the misinformation following the president’s post, emphasizing the inaccuracy of his statement.<\/p>\n
“The military did not enter California,” confirmed the CA-DWR. “The federal government merely resumed operation of federal water pumps, which had been temporarily offline for maintenance for three days. Water supplies in Southern California continue to be abundant.”<\/p>\n
Additionally, over the previous weekend, Trump announced an executive order that he claimed would enhance water availability. However, critics argue that its actual purpose was to circumvent state regulations.<\/p>\n
Recently, the Association of California Water Agencies, the leading coalition of public water agencies across the nation, countered Republican assertions that poor water management was to blame for the recent wildfires near Los Angeles. The association stated last week that water availability had not impeded firefighting efforts.<\/p>\n
“Reservoirs in California are maintaining storage levels that are average or better for this time of year, due largely to years of diligent water management,” the ACWA reported.<\/p>\n
The agency also highlighted the increasing dangers of the climate crisis, noting its role in amplifying the frequency and severity of climate-related disasters, including storms, floods, droughts, and severe wildfires.<\/p>\n
This escalating risk is precisely why the coalition has, for the past two decades, been advocating for more state and federal investments to improve the health of forests and headwaters, explained the ACWA.<\/p>\n\n\n