The risk that it would be a dry summer
Might as well just pour it down the drain.
The US Army Corps of Engineers opened two dams on Friday in Central California and let roughly 2.2 billion gallons of water flow out of reservoirs, after President Donald Trump ordered the release with the misguided intent to send water to fire-ravaged Southern California.
Trump celebrated the move in posts to Truth Social post on Friday and Sunday, declaring, “the water is flowing in California,” and adding the water was “heading to farmers throughout the State, and to Los Angeles.”
There are two major problems, water experts said: The newly released water will not flow to Los Angeles, and it is being wasted by being released during the wet winter season.
“They were holding extra water in those reservoirs because of the risk that it would be a dry summer,” said Heather Cooley, director of research for California water policy organization the Pacific Institute. “This puts agriculture at risk of insufficient water during the summer months.”
So it’s not just the nonsense about opening a valve and it’s not just bragging about sending water to Malibu when it’s not going to Malibu, it’s also dumping water that was meant to be held for agriculture during the dry months. A threefer.
Los Angeles’ water sources are completely separated from the water system that Lake Kaweah and Lake Success supply. That water system flows into the agriculture-heavy Central Valley — where large farms grow nuts, citrus and grasses for animal feed, among other crops. The water-stressed region is heavily reliant on groundwater and winter precipitation stored in state reservoirs to irrigate crops.
Stored in state reservoirs. Not dumped out in January when it’s not needed, but stored in reservoirs.
The Army f*ing Corps of Engineers should know all this. WTH are they doing, doing the bidding of an ignorant buffoon? Surely, even in little words that DJT can understand, they could have pointed out that the water release 1. wouldn’t go to LA, and 2. wouldn’t have anything to do with fighting the So Calif fires, besides 3. hurting the farmers, both A. now when their fields are being flooded, and B. in the summer when they will need the irrigation water that DJT just threw away.
The Army Corps of Engineers does know all this. It was idiotic of them to do it; they should have had a backbone. Now they’re going to be at fault (partially) when the dry summer kills everything because they used the water for nothing.
I saw a report at the time from the representative of a farmers organisation saying that although the reservoirs were owned by the Federal Government, the water itself (‘every gallon of it’) was owned by private water interests – either towns or farmers. He wasn’t amused. In addition, the USACE initially announced that the discharge would be at maximum bank flow -which in the past has caused flooding from bank failure and danger to recreational users. They were persuaded by local water authorities to reduce the flow to a slightly lower level. Just totally ignorant behaviour. I hope all those farmers suffering drought contemplate their life choices given many of them voted Trump. No water, no immigrant farm labour.
There’s just no stopping Mad King Donald. A good show for Saviour Theatre is more important than prudence for the future. Also, what he says goes, damn the consequences. He’ll accept all the short-sighted glory and refuse any blame.
Well he’s gonna be dead within ten years or so, why should he care? Why would squandering the American greatness he enjoyed for eight decades matter to him?
“even in little words that DJT can understand”
that assumes two things not in evidence. 1) That Trump is capable of understanding anything, and 2) that he cares.