California water regulators deny Trump's claim that US military 'turned on the water' in the state

[January 29, 2025]  By SOPHIE AUSTIN

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California water officials said this week there's no truth to President Donald Trump's assertion that the U.S. military has entered California and “turned on the water.”

Trump's comments, made Monday on his social media platform Truth Social, are the latest in a series of remarks he's made and actions he's taken related to the state's water policy following devastating wildfires that ripped through the Los Angeles area this month. He's often offering an incomplete or incorrect assessment of the state's water policies or tying together unrelated issues.

“The United States Military just entered the Great State of California and, under Emergency Powers, TURNED ON THE WATER flowing abundantly from the Pacific Northwest, and beyond,” the Republican president wrote. “The days of putting a Fake Environmental argument, over the PEOPLE, are OVER. Enjoy the water, California!!!”

The California Department of Water Resources said in a post on X that the “military did not enter California.”

“The federal government restarted federal water pumps after they were offline for maintenance for three days,” the agency posted. “State water supplies in Southern California remain plentiful.”

Most of California's water comes from the north, where it melts from mountain snow and runs into rivers that connect to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. From there, much of it is sent further south to farmers and cities like Los Angeles through two large pumping and canal systems. One is run by the federal government and the other by the state. There is no water supply from the Pacific Northwest that connects into California's system.

There is a long-running debate in the state over how California divides water between farms, cities and environmental uses, such as keeping a certain amount of water flowing through rivers and out toward the ocean to protect fish populations. Trump has sided squarely with farmers who want more water.

He has incorrectly said California's water conveyance policies are to blame for hydrants running dry as Los Angeles-area wildfires raged on. He threatened to withhold federal aid for the region unless the state changed its approach on water management. On Sunday, his administration released an executive order that aims to send more federally controlled water south.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which runs the federal pumping system, declined to comment on why the pumps were offline for maintenance or on Trump’s comments that the military was involved. The California Department of Water Resources directed questions on the pump maintenance to the federal government.

President Donald Trump speaks as first lady Melania Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom listen, after arriving on Air Force One at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File )

One U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military activities, said no active duty troops were involved in turning the water pumps back on.

The White House suggested Tuesday that Trump was referring to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers but did not provide details about how much water was involved, where it came from or how changes were implemented. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked at a briefing what role soldiers were playing in California water policy. She said California had “turned on the water,” referring to the authorities allowing water to flow from northern California to southern parts of the state.

“The Army Corps of Engineers has been on the ground to respond to the devastation from these wildfires,” Leavitt added.

Leavitt said the changes occurred after Trump himself “applied tremendous pressure on state and local officials” during a visit to Los Angeles on Friday, where he had traveled to tour the devastation the recent wildfires left behind.

Ahead of that visit, Trump had repeatedly blasted Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state's water policies. He took a more conciliatory tone when Newsom met him on the tarmac, and did not mention conditions for federal aid during a briefing with local and state officials.

His office later released the executive order calling for “overriding disastrous California policies.” It gives various federal agencies 15 days to come up with a plan to “ensure adequate water resources in Southern California.”

Trump took similar actions during his first term. Environmental groups quickly criticized the executive order.

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Associated Press reporters Zeke Miller and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington and contributed to this report.

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