Monday February 3, 2025
Daily Kos —
The recklessness of the Trump Administration was demonstrated once again when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Jan. 30 directed unscheduled water releases from Lake Kaweah and Success Lake in Tulare County, raising concerns about flooding on the same farms that Trump said he is trying to “help.”
This was done “purportedly to assist in fighting Los Angeles County fires that are already almost fully contained,” according to a press release from Senator Alex Padilla’s Office. On Jan. 31, Padilla questioned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after the order was issued.
“Local officials warned the Corps that releasing water at the levels the Corps planned to would have flooded both the Kaweah and Tule rivers, posing a flood risk to communities and farms down river and wasting water that could have been used for irrigation over the summer,” according to Padilla.
The decision followed President Trump’s Jan. 24th Executive Order directing federal agencies to maximize water deliveries in the state, falsely claiming that statewide water policy was to blame for the devastating Los Angeles County fires.