The Bureau of Reclamation said Thursday it will begin releasing more water every year from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to Central Valley farms and communities as ordered by President Donald Trump.

The decision drew a sharp rebuke from California Gov. Gavin Newsom via a spokesperson who said, “The Trump administration is putting politics over people — catering to big donors instead of doing what’s right for Californians.”

Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum defended the increased flows, saying in a news release that the “updated operations plan reflects our commitment to using the best available science to increase water deliveries while safeguarding the environment and honoring the legacy of the Central Valley Project’s 90 years of service.”

How Much Water Will Flow to the Valley?

The Bureau of Reclamations said the CVP may increase annual water deliveries by between 130,000 to 180,000 acre-feet, and the State Water Project would add another 120,000 to 220,000 thousand acre-feet, depending on hydrologic conditions.

Fresno-based Westlands Water District estimated that the so-called “Action 5” implementation would result in an average yearly boost of 85,000 acre-feet for federal water contractors south of the Delta.

The increased supply, Westland officials said, would help keep more land in production, reduce reliance on groundwater, support the implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, and strengthen the Valley economy.

Said Federico Barajas, executive director of the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority: “Water ratepayers have invested tens of millions of dollars over the last decade to expand the scientific body of knowledge that supports operations of the CVP and SWP, with the goal of advancing scientifically-based adaptive management of Project operations. This … brings that future into the present.”

Barajas estimated that between the federal and state water projects, there could be an annual average increase of 250,000 to 400,000 acre-feet to “to farms, communities, and ecosystems.”

Why Is the Governor Objecting?

Three state agencies previously told the Trump administration that pumping more water out of the delta would harm fish and limit water deliveries via the SWP to Southern California.

In addition, this new water delivery effort jettisons a Biden administration plan that was just implemented.