Army Corps knew Trump order would waste California water, memo shows

[highplainsdem]

Source: Washington Post

The Army Corps of Engineers colonel responsible for releasing water from two California reservoirs at President Donald Trump’s direction in January knew that it was unlikely to reach the southern part of the state as Trump had promised, according to a memo obtained by The Washington Post.

The agency carried out Trump’s directive, which came in the wake of catastrophic wildfires in Los Angeles County, on short notice on Jan. 30, though it would normally require days to coordinate. A memo written four days after the release, obtained by The Post through a public records request, shows how federal officials rushed ahead with the plan to release irrigation water despite objections from the state’s elected officials and some local farmers.

Col. Chad W. Caldwell, commander of the Army Corps’ Sacramento district, wrote that the water that poured out of Lake Kaweah and Success Lake “could not be delivered to Southern California directly.” To do so would have required several steps of coordination with state and federal agencies to transport the water to a rarely used connection point, and it quickly became clear that was impossible in such little time, according to the memo.

The release was done to satisfy Trump’s executive order, Caldwell wrote. And the colonel had also been asked to send photos of the water to Washington, according to an official familiar with the request who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Trump posted a photo of water flowing from Lake Kaweah on X the next day.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/03/07/trump-water-release-california-fires/

---

This needs to go viral.

[patphil]

1. I wondered if that was the case. The people who released that water had to know it was all for naught.

Just done to appease the fearless leader.

[twodogsbarking]

2. They were just doing their jobs. Doesn't that make y'all shiver.

[NotHardly]

8. Good little Nazis.

That worked so well at Nuremberg

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

32. Yeah, but this is the new world order.

Nazis are cool again (with sociopaths, again.)

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Theft of state and farmer's water. Or vandalism if you prefer. Both are criminal. . . . . . nt

[republianmushroom]

4. But must kiss the convicted felons orange ring.

[Evolve Dammit]

5. "Just say NO" You can do that. Sometimes you have to just fucking say "NO".

[stopdiggin]

15. easy for someone sitting on the sidelines to say

Got a family to feed? Ever had one? Organization (and fellow workers) that you would like to protect and see succeed? (asking as purely hypothetical - but you probably get the drift)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[Evolve Dammit]

28. I said NO plenty of times against superiors and politicians. It isn't hard. Let the chips fall where they may. Stand up

[stopdiggin]

29. "It isn't hard" - - proving that you haven't the slightest idea ...

Yes - yes it IS hard. Damned hard in many, many circumstances.

"chips fall where they may .."
And that would of course include evictions? Unclothed and underfed children .. ?

But, your high horse is duly noted ...

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[Evolve Dammit]

31. I have a family as well. Sometimes you need to take a stand.

[LeftinOH]

6. Or, they could've just sent a random photo of some other "water" to Trump

and claim that his demand had been fulfilled. Nobody in the administration would be competent enough to verify it.

[NotHardly]

7. Just following orders... like all good little Nazis.

[AmericaUnderSiege]

9. Uniformed personnel take it from both ends, do what they're told and say what they're told to say.

Even though they know the orders are coming from enemies of their nation. But in their own minds, they're men.

[AllBlue]

10. They were likely not told how much to release

But these lake level charts for both don't show much change from normal :

http://kaweah.lakesonline.com/Level/

http://lakesucess.lakesonline.com/Level/

[malthaussen]

11. It was not an unlawful order, just a stupid one.

He could refuse an unlawful order, but not a stupid one.

-- Mal

[70sEraVet]

13. Good distinction.

[stopdiggin]

17. and an accurate one (that probably needs a little emphasis -

given what's going on up and down this thread .... )

[stopdiggin]

12. everybody that knew even the slightest bit about water, the system, or conservation

was aware of this virtually from the start.

No news here. Including the fact that the people that executed the plan - knew it was a complete boondoggle and waste, from the very beginning.

[k0rs]

19. My former employer..

..managed a large reservoir in a semi-arid area and a coworker was the supervisor. He explained the complexities to me, and they are enormous. Too many people, interests, industries, and consumers involved. This resource isn't just a big puddle, it's literally liquid gold. Any use has to be coordinated amongst all parties. Water rights have to be respected by law. It's inconceivable that the moron could legally order this. It was of course illegal to release the water, but hey, what's breaking a few laws when a photo op is at stake? MAGAts are easily impressed with "decisive" action.

PS: This post is 25% longer to comply with new tariff requirements.

[AllyCat]

14. so why did they phucking do it???

Following orders is NOT AN EXCUSE.

[malthaussen]

24. It was not an unlawful order, just a stupid one.

The responsible officer is obliged to refuse the former, he may not refuse the latter. This is made quite clear in the UCMJ and in the traditional education military members are given in when an order may or may not be lawfully refused. Lord knows, if the military could refuse orders just because they're stupid, nothing would ever get done.

-- Mal

[4catsmom]

16. maybe we should start bucking these orders

since they are so destructive

[Botany]

18. Of course the Corp of E. knew it wouldn't get to L.A. the Sacramento River ....

flows to the north and west and empties out into the Pacific by San Francisco and Oakland and
Los Angeles is to the south and west with a mountain range in between S. the river and L.A.. But
Krasnov is an idiot but he is C. I. C. and that includes the Army Corps of Engineers too.

[Richard D]

20. It was a show for the acolytes . . .

. . . that will hurt the farmers (and consumers) in the summer.

[Daleuhlmann]

21. They Should Have Spoken Up!

A representative of the Army Corps should have told Trump that his order was impossible to carry out in the time allowed, and ordered his people not to comply.

[malthaussen]

23. How do you know they didn't?

The military commonly does not hang out their dirty laundry for the public to see. The responsible officer may well have questioned and resisted the order to the full extent of his lawful means, but ultimately it was not an unlawful order so he was under sworn obligation, as well as legal constraints, to obey.

And active-duty officers do not publicly criticize their superiors. That is a violation of the UCMJ, which is why we see only retired officers critical of DJT.

-- Mal

[William769]

22. That's what Newsom gets for kissing trumps ass for raising the flag

While President Carter was still in mourning.

[IronLionZion]

25. Republicans always tell us government is the problem

because Republican-led government is consistently the problem.

[love_katz]

26. Your reply is so accurate, it deserves its own thread

[Oneironaut]

27. The whole point was to just say that he did it.

They knew it wouldn’t work. Everything in the Trump administration is performative.

[yellow dahlia]

30. I wanted to read the whole article, so I archived it.

In case anyone else wants it.
https://archive.ph/hHGsU

[Joinfortmill]

33. Krasnov. Is. Crazy.