In one of the first actions of his second term, President Trump is seeking to leave his mark on California water policy, directing the federal government to "put people first, fish first" and divert more water from the north California delivers to farms in the Central Valley and Southern California. City.

Trump posted memorandum On Monday, federal agencies were ordered to restart efforts to move more water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta "to" other parts of the state "for people there who desperately need a reliable water supply."

Trump directed his Interior and Commerce secretaries to report by April 20 on their efforts to implement the new policy. His order makes it unclear how his administration will seek to achieve that goal.

Carla Nemeth, director of the California Department of Water Resources, said the approach outlined by the president could cause serious harm because it would put water supplies at risk and protect vulnerable fish species.

Nemeth said Trump's order itself doesn't change anything and that the current situation California Water System Operating Rules The Central Valley bill — backed by state governments and passed by the Biden administration in December — remains in effect.

Presumably, the president is directing agencies to once again begin the lengthy process of revising the framework that governs how two major water systems — the state water project and the federal Central Valley Project — operate.

"This process, which just completed in December 2024, spanned more than three years and utilized the best available science to ensure these programs operate in a coordinated manner, balancing the needs of tens of millions of Californians, businesses and agriculture, while Protect the environment. "Abandoning these new frameworks will harm California's water users and the protection of native fish."

Trump also sought to change California water regulations and policies during his first term. But when his government by water rules The state and environmental groups successfully challenged the changes in court as environmental protections were weakened in the Delta.

This clears the way for the Biden administration to work with Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration to Make current plans and supporting biological arguments that determine how much water can be pumped from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and how the river water can be managed.

The rules apply to the operation of dams, aqueducts and pumping plants in the Central Valley Project and the National Water Project, the world's largest water systems that provide water to millions of acres of farmland and about 30 million people.

Pumping water to supply farms and cities has caused ecological degradation in the Delta, where fish species listed as threatened or endangered include steelhead trout, two species of Chinook salmon, longfin smelt, delta smelt and green smelt. sturgeon.

Trump said in the memo that his administration's first-term plan would have provided "significant amounts of water," but was "disastrously halted" by state lawsuits and left the extra water "wastefully flowing into the Pacific Ocean."

Trump has repeatedly claimed that ongoing wildfires in Southern California underscore why the state should send more water south from the Delta.

in a Interviewed by Fox News this weekTrump has threatened to tie federal aid for wildfire recovery to whether California accepts changes in water policy. "I don't think we should give California anything until they release the water," he said.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Trump said his administration would "take care of Los Angeles" and criticized the state's lack of water flow.

"Los Angeles has a lot of water available. All they have to do is open the valve," Trump said at a press conference on Tuesday. "They created a hell."

But water managers and experts say Southern California cities are not currently short of water, noting that the region's reservoirs are already running low. record high This follows significant deliveries in 2023 and 2024.

newsom Already said Changes in Northern California water management will not impact fire response. governor's office say on social media California is “now pumping as much water as possible under pre-Trump-era policies” and “there is no shortage of water in Southern California.”

Although the reservoirs had adequate water supplies, parts of the local water system were stretched to their limits as the fire spread rapidly, driven by strong winds.

When the Los Angeles water system lose pressure In parts of Pacific Palisades, some fire hydrants High altitude areas dry outhindering firefighting efforts. Newsom last week order an investigation Loss of water pressure in fire hydrants and insufficient water available at Pacific Palisades Reservoir Stop maintenance.

"While water supplies from local fire hydrants are not intended to fight large wildfires, losing water supplies from fire hydrants could harm efforts to protect some homes and evacuation corridors," Newsom said. "We need to know how this happened. "

State officials stressed that Trump's proposal would do nothing to improve the Los Angeles Basin's current water supply.

But Nemeth said if the Trump administration rejects current water supply rules and reverts to the earlier 2019 framework, it “could harm Central Valley farms and Southern California communities that rely on Delta water supplies.”

Nemeth said the current rules and biological opinions provide additional flexibility, allowing operators of Delta pumping facilities to be "more responsive to real-time conditions." “Farms and cities have the potential to receive additional water supplies while endangered species are protected.”

Trump said he planned to try to weaken environmental protections and questioned why the state should maintain certain river flows to help species such as the Delta "minnows."

"It's a fish that's not doing well anyway," Trump said this week.

Leading water and climate scientist Peter Gleick said Trump's order on California water policy "is what you get when you mix ranting, ignorance and disinformation."

"California doesn't have 'a lot of water' that can be legally, economically, or environmentally reallocated to different users," said co-founder Gleick, "but maybe this executive order will make some of Trump's supporters feel like he's on to something." ” is a senior fellow at the Pacific Institute, an Oakland-based water think tank.

"He really has no idea how California's water system works," Gleick said. “If he cared about California’s water (which he doesn’t), he would care about climate change.”

most recent scientific research Global warming caused by the burning of fossil fuels and rising concentrations of greenhouse gases has become a major driver of increasing drought in the western United States, research shows

Rising temperatures linked to climate change have already led to increased temperatures, UCLA scientists say as they study the mix of factors behind devastating wildfires Causes extreme drought in vegetation In Southern California, that's one of the factors that makes the fires so intense.

Gleick said people should focus on what his appointees do and how those actions impact efforts to improve water management, not just what the president says in a "poorly written executive order."

“It remains to be seen how disruptive Trump’s environmental appointments will be,” Gleick said. "The biggest risk is that this will only delay or undermine efforts to address these issues."

Trump's call for more supplies to farm areas and cities has complicated the situation. Debate over delta water management Agricultural water districts have long been at odds with environmental groups, fisheries advocates and indigenous tribes.

Fish populations in the Delta and San Francisco Bay have declined significantly in recent years.

Spring Excursion Chinook Salmon Numbers plummet. As fall salmon populations struggle, officials Closure of commercial and recreational fishing seasons The last two years.

The longfin smelt was once an abundant species, Listed as endangered species last year under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Environmental and fisheries groups strongly criticized Trump's water order.

Scott Artis, Executive Director Golden State Salmon Association.said a rewrite of the rules during Trump's first administration amounted to a "salmon extinction plan" because it deprived the fish of critical flows they needed to survive.

Artis said the end of salmon fishing seasons over the past two years has resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of fishing jobs, and another weakening of protections "could further devastate fishing businesses, families and communities."

Save California’s Salmon said Trump’s directive continues a pattern of prioritizing the agricultural industry over the needs of other water users and the health of waterways and fish. The group also object title Trump’s memo “Putting People Over Fish: Stop Radical Environmentalism from Supplying Southern California’s Water.”

"Protecting water quality, Delta smelt, salmon and other species is not 'radical environmentalism,'" said Jossa Talley, a spokesperson for Save California's Salmon.

"It's a matter of protecting the water supply and the economy. The river must have enough water to sustain commerce, prevent toxic algae blooms and ensure downstream communities have access to clean water," Talley said. “Salmon survival is tied to our health and the health of our rivers.”

Times staff writer Colleen Shelby contributed to this report.