"The military did not enter California," said the state Department of Water Resources on Tuesday. "The federal government restarted federal water pumps after they were offline for maintenance for three days. State water supplies in Southern California remain plentiful." (DWR)
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California water officials on Tuesday denied President Trump’s social media claim late Monday that the U.S. military acting under emergency powers, entered the state and “TURNED ON THE WATER flowing abundantly from the Pacific Northwest, and beyond.”
The state Department of Water Resources answered Trump on social media, stating: “The military did not enter California. The federal government restarted federal water pumps after they were offline for maintenance for three days. State water supplies in Southern California remain plentiful.”
The military did not enter California. The federal government restarted federal water pumps after they were offline for maintenance for three days. State water supplies in Southern California remain plentiful. pic.twitter.com/f81HJSehDq
— California Department of Water Resources (@CA_DWR) January 28, 2025
Trump has made many dubious claims about California’s water situation through the years. However, he ramped up the falsehoods during the recent Los Angeles wildfires.
One example: He falsely claimed that Gov. Gavin Newsom and other state officials refused to direct water from northern California to fight the southland fires.
“Water supply has not hindered firefighting efforts. Reservoirs in California are at or above average storage levels for this time of year, thanks in part to years of proactive water management,” the California Association of Water Agencies said in a statement.
Some LA area fire hydrants ran dry in the early stages of the wildfires, but officials attributed that to system failures — not a lack of available water.
Padilla Wants Answers From Defense Secretary
On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla of California requested that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth clarify President Trump’s Jan. 27 Truth Social post that claimed military troops entered the state and “turned on the water.”
“Clarity and transparency on these matters are crucial to ensure that the public is properly informed and that any actions comply with federal laws governing the use of the U.S. military within the United States,” Padilla stated in a letter.
Padilla also asked Hegseth to identify the troops assigned to the mission and how they turned on the water.
On Sunday, Trump ordered the federal government to override California’s water-management practices to boost firefighting efforts. In the same order, Trump ordered his budget managers to investigate what requirements could be imposed on federal aid to California.
Trump’s executive order focuses on the federal Central Valley Project, which conveys Delta water to farms south of the estuary. Unlike DWR’s 705-mile State Water Project, the 400-mile CVP doesn’t transport water beyond Bakersfield.
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