Donald Trump Attacks California & Gov. Newsom about fires

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-- Armed Militia 'Hunting FEMA' Causes Hurricane Responders to Evacuate, by Khaleda Rahman

Gavin Newsom TAKES THE GLOVES OFF, Blasts Trump on-air
by Dina Doll
MeidasTouch
Jan 16, 2025

Gavin Newsom takes the gloves off and blasts Donald Trump for his constant stream of misinformation about the California wildfires. Dina Doll reacts.



Transcript

this is serious and you know I get it
they want to take us I get it I'm not
naive I get the the California
derangement Center I've been living with
that for years and years new scum you
know I'm the same seventh grade I
remember the guy on Baltimore Avenue
that called me new scum I was in seventh
grade I can handle that um we'll leave
that aside I understand what they're
trying to do I want to work with them
it's not about me it's about people that
we both represent he represents and I
represent and I'm honored and proud to
represent these folks nothing quite
prepares you for Trump 2.0 like a man
exploiting tragedy for his own political
gain in the leadup to his inauguration
welcome to the next four years folks but
you you did invite him to come out here
have you had any response no no nothing
multiple times Mr Trump has threatened
to withhold aid for California wildfires
um both as president and now again as
president-elect are you worried that he
might actually do that I me he's done it
Utah he's done in Michigan did Puerto
Rico he did it to California back before
I was even governor in 2018 till he
found out folks in Orange County voted
for him and then he decided to give the
money so he's been at this for years and
years and years it transcends Estates
and including by the way Georgia he
threatened uh similarly it's sad that
Los Angeles has to fight the fire and
the magali at the same time but this is
where we're at folks and Governor Gavin
Nome has done an excellent excellent job
communicating and fighting back against
these lies around the state of
California and Los Angeles he puts out a
website specifically comenting the magga
lies and what the answers to those lies
really are and to get a sense of the
many conspiracy theories the many magali
Li that Trump has put out there that
Trump cohorts have put out here here are
what the topics are on the website that
he has to combat lies such as about
budget cuts Land Management Mass
Apartments smelt reserves various water
lies Oregon firefighters using a woman's
purse to fight fires Hollywood Sign
asking general public to fight fires
starlink Access Fire Engineers out of
fuel secret pedophile tunnels and
Satanic rituals this is where we're at
folks this is where where we are at in
2025 when Los Angeles has faced two of
the largest fires it's ever had in its
history at the same time destroying
10,000 homes businesses almost 200,000
people having to be evacuated Governor
gab vome having to deal with this really
complex and very serious tragedy I mean
I live in Los Angeles I have for 30
years I've never seen Los Angeles like
this it is a small town all of us know
at least one person has lost a home
who's lost a business who has been
evacuated there is a sense of grief
shock it is going to take a long time to
repair there is a sense of like Humanity
though the number of people donating
reaching out helping others is amazing
but we're not getting that from the
president-elect and Trump we're not
getting that from mager instead we're
getting lies about a secret pedophile
tunnel lies about Satanic rituals so
here's the first you know fact check
that govern n puts about the the budget
and he says the fact is the number of
calfire personnel has nearly doubled
since 2019 from
5,829 to
10,741 another fact is that calf's
budget has nearly doubled since
2019 2 billion to 3.8 billion those are
the facts him putting it on real time
and this idea this Maga lie conspiracy
that the burns there are on purpose and
order for them there to be more housing
it's crazy when you say some of these
things out loud but so instead of there
being single family housing at Palisades
for there to be these Mass Apartments
Governor gavan him he's dealing with
these really complex issues that is
having to combat this lie and he puts
out there not only is that not true but
he's already signed an EXE itive order
against predatory practices by
developers because there are going to be
a lot of people who maybe aren't as are
approached by developers and taking
advantage of the situation so he's not
he's had to already said no we're not
changing the zoning and also we are
trying to protect homeowners who need to
rebuild from predatory practices from
developers so him trying to get the news
out as quickly as possible what Trump
said said there is it true I showed a a
social media post from the
president-elect yesterday to an expert
in California Water policy a man named
Jeffrey Mount he said Abby none of it is
true so this has just been a staggering
quantity of wrongness from the
president-elect in a very short period
of time and there have been some small
specific examples like he keeps saying
that Governor Nome uh refused to sign a
so-called water restoration declaration
in fact no such declaration even exists
as Newsome's office has pointed out he
also said yesterday that they're not
using firefighting planes we've seen
those planes they're there uh but more
than that Abby I think the
president-elect has promoted an
overarching false narrative California
and Governor Gavin isn't just combating
magal Li they're also getting down to
business the state legislature just
passed $50 million to protect the state
of California and its residents from
Trump's plans this is even more than
they thought they were going to
initially get that 25 million they have
gone to 50 million
and this is going to fund things like
lawsuits from the attorney general to
stop a lot of the actions that Trump
promises to make evidently our attorney
general robon has said that he has been
preparing lawsuits since May based on
Trump's stated agenda but it is also
going to go to nonprofit legal agencies
in the state of California where people
at risk of deportation can get a lawyer
at either a free or subsidized rate
based on this $50 million that was just
approved so the state of California
dealing with these unprecedented fires
and also still dealing with Trump
showing how much Democrats can be the
adult in room can do more than one thing
can be responsible and the state of
California in the midst of this all
doing what they need to do for their
budget but seeing that the Republicans
aren't willing to do what they need to
do for their budget because they are
talking about withholding disaster Aid
to the state of California unless it is
linked to raising the debt ceiling and
the reason why that is is because they
want to extend
Trump's tax cuts which will add so much
to the debt that they will have to raise
the debt ceiling they don't want it to
be because of that they want it to be
because of the disaster Aid they wanted
to be able to have a talking point
during the next election that the Deb
ceiling was raised because the state of
California despite the fact that we know
California gives more money in taxes to
the federal government than any other
state so it's essentially California's
turn to get some of their Federal money
back but Maga and Trump instead using
this as some sort of political weapon
instead of doing the right thing
California pays in federal taxes and
that Federal money goes to other states
that are in need this is how our
government works Florida Louisiana North
Carolina but when it's its turn to get
some of its money back
Trump and Maga trying to tie it to their
own failed tax policy that will raise
the Deb of all Americans Donald Trump
has now gone radio silent after
California governor Gavin Nome sent
Donald Trump a letter saying to Donald
Trump if you intend to spread lies about
California and about our handling of
these catastrophic fires as we're trying
to deal with a crisis and get the
resources in place where they need to be
as we're managing this crisis come to
California Donald and say it to my face
you want to do it public why don't you
come here why don't you stop being an
Internet troll and encouraging all these
other internet trolls to spread lies and
disinformation on Elon musk's social
media platform and your social media
platform and trying to politicize a
catastrophe when we're trying to help
the people say it to to my face Donald
and Donald who's very weak has now gone
radio silent but we do see some
photographs of Donald Trump that have
been surfacing a Maga Republican
Congress member by the name of Vince
Fong he's the individual who replaced
Kevin McCarthy in Congress after
McCarthy was kicked out by other Maga
Republicans State of California
allocation of the $50 million is good on
a policy level because we're doing the
right thing for residents of our States
but it also is good for an economic
reason California has the largest
undocumented population in the country
we also have the biggest economy in the
country we pay the most in federal taxes
in the country and the rebuild in Los
Angeles is going to take a huge amount
of construction workers and we know that
undocumented immigrants are a large
number of construction workers in the
state of California and this timing of
trump trying to deport people who are
necessary and integral to the rebuilding
of Los Angeles this is why the state of
California is spending that money 50
million helping people to get lawyers
helping to fight these deportation it's
not only because of the values and
standing up for the values standing up
for families who may be separated
standing standing up for communities
that will be harmed by the deportation
but also standing up for our economy and
recognizing the intrical contrib bution
immigrants and undocumented immigrants
make to our state love this video make
sure you stay up toate on the latest
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newsletter at midest touch.com
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[Music]

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Trump STUNT Gets SHUT DOWN by Newsom ON TARMAC
MeidasTouch
Jan 24, 2025

MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on California Governor Gavin Newsom confronting Trump face to face on the tarmac when Trump landed in Los Angeles and called Trump’s bluff.



Transcript

Donald Trump took a trip to Los Angeles
California on Friday he claimed so that
he could tore the devastation Zone here
but the real reason was he wanted to do
a stunt to try to mock California and
Governor Nome and spread lies but Gavin
Newsome was ready for Donald Trump he
showed up at the tarmac even though
Donald Trump was ignoring Gavin nome's
phone calls Gavin Newsome said I'm the
governor of the state I'm going to be
there let me just break down what
happened Donald Trump shows up Gavin is
there to greet him Trump didn't want
that to happen it looked like Donald
Trump was wearing some form of high
heels or lifts right here you can take a
look at that Gavin Nome was right there
gave him a strong handshake Donald Trump
tilting in a very weird Direction Gavin
Nome clearly the alpha in this situation
you can see Donald Trump later kind of
walking around again in those weird lift
shoes right there what are those let me
show you the moment though that Donald
Trump came down from Air for one watch
this interaction very carefully as
Governor Nome was there to greet him
with a very strong handshake that Donald
Trump really couldn't handle here play
this clip
[Music]
did you notice that as well that Melania
Trump gave Gavin Nome a kiss right there
which she refused to do during the
inauguration with Donald Trump well we
noticed it here at the Midas touch
Network Can you spot the difference
let's take a look at the split screen
folks let's play it
by the way just take a look at that
handshake one more time what was said
there any lip readers out there in the
mightest mighty put it in the comments
or just put in the comments what you
think what was said play it
[Music]
one more time look at this handshake
right here between Donald Trump and
Gavin Nome Gavin Nome was ready for it
it's kind of hilarious here watch
[Music]
this all right now let me show you what
was said right here who's the one who
actually looks presidential in my
opinion it's California governor Gavin
new but let's just take a look at this
interaction you got to watch the whole
thing it's not that long and we'll talk
about it let's play
it hello everybody so we just left North
Carolina a little while ago we have that
in very good shape we have the
congressman in charge and Michael Watley
and we're going to do a lot of work we
have the the Army Corps of Engineers
working as they are here and I think
you're going to see some very big
progress they left them high and dry and
now we're going to be taking a little
tour uh with some of the people from the
area I appreciate the governor coming
out and meeting me
Kevin you very much and uh we'll be
talking a little bit we want to get it
fixed we want to get the problem
fixed and there'll be some ways but it's
like you got hit by a bomb right yeah
like you got hit by a
bomb most importantly thank you for
being here means a great deal all of us
not just the folks in Palisades the
folks in Altadena that were devastated
uh we're going to need your support
we're going to need your help uh you
were there for us during Co I don't
forget that and I have all the
expectations that we'll be able to work
together to get this speedy recovery we
will we want to get it done tremendous
numbers of lives have been affected a
lot of real estates been affected
nobody's ever probably seen anything
like this you can almost say since the
second world war when you think of it I
mean no nothing like this has happened
and we're going to get it fixed so we'll
get it permanently fixed so it can't
happen
again and again we'll be talking a
little bit later and we'll get a work
out okay I appreciate it Mr President
thank you guys
thank and you saw there what California
governor Gavin Newsome did right there I
mean Donald Trump was there to try to
show up Gavin new but Gavin new was
right there and was basically like hey
say what you're going to say to my face
I'm right here we're going to go to
those cameras that's what I think he was
saying and say it let's see what you
want to say in front of me in front of
the whole world and you notice Donald
Trump didn't do it you notice how he
would say all of these things on social
media but when he was in front of Nome
he didn't say any of those things and
Newsome's like let's be productive here
let's act like adults and that's what
California governor Gavin Nome has been
doing throughout this process like this
from uh a week or two back where Gavin
talked about how President Biden gave
the relief there was no politics no
kissing the feet former President Biden
gave the relief because that's what we
do in America here play this clip
president United States happens to be in
town it didn't take more than a text
message to get the fmag approved which
means we're getting reimbursed for the
vast majority of these uh costs uh no
politics no hand
ringing kissing to the feet president
the United States said yes what else do
you need emergency proclamations being
drafted as we speak uh and I just want
to thank the president because that's
something I don't take for granted and
something we should not take for granted
at this moment in American history so
thank you President Biden as well then
you have Maga Republican Speaker of the
House Maga Mike Johnson who says that
well we need to condition emergency aid
to California on changing how people V V
in California or on raising the debt
ceiling let me show you the message that
Gavin Newsome had for magam Mike Johnson
let's play it never in California
questioned whether or not we as
taxpayers in the largest state in the
Union should support the people
Louisiana in a time of emergency and
need we never conditioned it we never
talked about putting the full fate in
credit of the United States of America
with the debt ceiling bill so we can get
tax cuts for billionaires and
corporations that don't need it and then
put at risk the lives of hundreds of
thousands of Americans that happen to
live in California a state with millions
and millions of trump supporters speaker
Johnson and Mr president-elect millions
of your supporters are out here they
need your help they need your empathy
they need your care whatever compassion
you can express as opposed to
condemnation and divisive language that
has aided and embedded nothing except
Miss and disinformation that's flamed
fear and flamed a lot of anxiety for
folks that are simply trying to recover
uh and at the same time our First
Responders trying to address the
emergency at hand which still hasn't
been fully buttoned up and what
California governor gavan realized right
away is you've got to swat down all of
the lies and all of the disinformation
so here is Nome recently on Meet the
Press saying Trump doesn't know what
he's talking about with smelt let me
tell you what I actually did play this
clip I called for him to come out take a
look for himself uh we want to do in the
spirit of an open hand not a closed fist
he's the president-elect I respect the
office we have a president of United
States that within 36 hours provided uh
a major disaster declaration over a text
uh we had support from the president of
the United States Joe Biden with 100%
reimbursement all the resources you
could hope for or imagine uh constant
communication I'd like to extend that uh
to the president-elect uh I don't know
what he's referring to when he talks
about the Delta smelt uh in reservoirs
the reservoirs are completely full of
the State reservoirs here in Southern
California that Miss and disinformation
I don't think advantages or Aids any of
us uh responding to Donald Trump's
insults uh we would spend another month
uh I'm very familiar with them every
elected official that he disagrees with
very familiar with them we do know
though from reporting here locally that
that one reservoir that serves the
Palisades was not full and that's
exactly what triggered my desire to get
the investigation to understand what was
happening with that local Reservoir that
was not a state system Reservoir which
the president-elect was referring to as
it relates to the Delta and somehow
connecting the Delta smelt to this fire
which is uh uh inexcusable because it's
inaccurate also incomprehensible to
anyone that understands water policy in
the state know look and I think Gavin
nuum is a good messenger um for great
messenger for the stuff I think it took
him two or three days to be like really
you're not even going to let me get
through this crisis Maga before you
spread the lies he was trying to react
to the crisis
then he pushed back hard let me show you
this clip right here this is California
governor Gavin Nome when he was on with
Brian Tyler Cohen last year and he was
talking about the difference between
blue States and red States let's play it
yeah I mean seven of the top 10 most
dependent States dare I say taker states
are red States I mean you look at infant
mortality you look at maternal mortality
you look at life expectancy you look at
the gun death rate the murder rate seven
of the top 10 murder rates in the United
States are in red States in every
category these guys are on the back end
the wrong side you want to compare blue
versus red 71% of the nation's economic
output
71% of the GDP in the United States
America come from Biden counties come
from Blue counties in the United States
I mean in every category red versus blue
it's to me not that complex the problem
is they have this surround sound Doom
Loop anger machine
and that's our great challenge I think
for Democrats is that we have got to
counter that and and for me my iteration
with this I don't know good or bad uh
people may be different or indiff about
what I did I just think it's important
to meet people where they are and at
least try to get in there and and and to
try to go toe-to-toe with these guys
because otherwise uh we continue to live
in these filter bubbles let me show you
what Gavin Newsome was doing this week
as he says our family had the
opportunity to give back to the
community Provide support and honor Dr
King's Legacy we are thankful to
organizations like project angel food
for their commitment to delivering
essential services to survivors of the
LA wildfires could you ever imagine
Donald Trump doing anything like this I
can't play this
clipone
would I don't want to embarrass anyone
I and meanwhile what was Donald Trump
left doing Donald Trump was left
basically holding the bag of his own uh
stunt G wrong where he's like meeting
with the firefighters he's like so do do
you not you need millions of more
gallons what's going on with the water
you guys don't have any water which is
absolutely false there was enough water
here the issue was you had hurricane
grade winds with fires the helicopters
and the firefighters can't get it when
the winds are that strong but Donald
Trump just looked absolutely pathetic in
his high heels or lifts as he was trying
to spread lies but NSA met him
on the turf push back I thought it was a
great SC let me know what you think hit
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[admin]

Trump proposes ‘getting rid of FEMA’ while touring disaster areas
by Will Weissert, Chris Megerian and Makiya Seminera
AP News
Updated 9:17 PM MST, January 24, 2025

LOS ANGELES (AP) — President Donald Trump surveyed disaster zones in California and North Carolina on Friday and said he was considering “getting rid of” the Federal Emergency Management Agency, offering the latest sign of how he is weighing sweeping changes to the nation’s central organization for responding to disasters.

In fire-ravaged California, the state’s Democratic leaders pressed Trump for federal assistance that he’s threatened to hold up, some setting aside their past differences to shower him with praise. Trump, in turn, pressured local officials to waive permitting requirements so people can immediately rebuild, pledging that federal permits would be granted promptly.

Instead of having federal financial assistance flow through FEMA, the Republican president said Washington could provide money directly to the states. He made the comments while visiting North Carolina, which is still recovering months after Hurricane Helene, on the first trip of his second term.

“FEMA has been a very big disappointment,” the Republican president said. “It’s very bureaucratic. And it’s very slow.”

Trump was greeted in California by Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Trump critic whom the president frequently disparages. The duo chatted amiably and gestured toward cooperation despite their bitter history.

“We’re going to need your support. We’re going to need your help,” Newsom told Trump. “You were there for us during COVID. I don’t forget that, and I have all the expectations we’ll be able to work together to get a speedy recovery.”

Newsom has praised Trump before when looking for help from the federal government. In the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, he called Trump “thoughtful” and “collaborative.”

Trump flew over several devastated neighborhoods in Marine One, the presidential helicopter, before landing in Pacific Palisades, a hard-hit community that’s home to some of Southern California’s rich and famous. Accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, he walked a street where all the houses have burned, chatting with residents and police officers.

It takes seeing the damage firsthand to grasp its enormity, Trump said after. The fires, which continue to burn, could end up being the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history.

“It is devastation. It really is an incineration,” Trump said.

Trump’s brief but friendly interaction with Newsom belied the confrontational stance he signaled toward California earlier in the day. Even on the plane en route to Los Angeles, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was using Trump’s disparaging nickname for the governor, “Newscum,” and telling reporters “he has wronged the people of his state” and saying Trump was visiting to pressure Newsom and other officials “to do right by their citizens.”

Trump said Los Angeles residents who lost their homes should be able to get back onto their properties immediately to clear them, adding several told him it will be months before they can rebuild.

Mayor Karen Bass said residents should be able to return home within the week, but keeping people safe from hazardous materials is a top priority. She said the city was easing the process to get permits, but she was repeatedly interrupted by Trump as she tried to explain the city’s efforts. He downplayed the concerns about toxins, saying: “What’s hazardous waste? We’re going to have to define that.”

Trump has a long history of minimizing the risks of asbestos. In his 1997 book, “The Art of the Comeback,” Trump called asbestos “the greatest fireproofing material ever used” and “100% safe, once applied,” and claimed the movement against the insulator was led by the mob, “because it was often mob-related companies that would do the asbestos removal.”

Before flying to California, Trump reiterated that he wants to extract concessions from the Democratic-led state in return for disaster assistance, including changes to water policies and requirements that voters need to show identification when casting ballots.

Beyond Trump’s criticism of FEMA, he’s suggested limiting the federal government’s role in responding to disasters, echoing comments from conservative allies who have proposed reducing funding and responsibility.

“I’d like to see the states take care of disasters,” he said in North Carolina. “Let the state take care of the tornadoes and the hurricanes and all of the other things that happen.”

Trump said Michael Whatley, a North Carolina native and chair of the Republican National Committee, would help coordinate recovery efforts in the state, where frustrations over the federal response have lingered. Although Whatley does not hold an official government position, Trump said he would be “very much in charge.”

FEMA helps respond to disasters when local leaders request a presidential emergency declaration, a signal that the damage is beyond the state’s ability to handle on its own. FEMA can reimburse governments for recovery efforts such as debris removal, and it gives stopgap financial assistance to individual residents.

Trump has criticized former President Joe Biden for his administration’s response to Helene in North Carolina. As he left the White House on Friday morning, he told reporters that “it’s been a horrible thing the way that’s been allowed to fester” since the storm hit in September, and “we’re going to get it fixed up.”

In a small town in western North Carolina, residents told Trump about wading through waist-deep water to escape from their homes while fearing for their lives. Some have battled with insurance companies to get their losses covered.

“We’ve come to North Carolina with a simple message,” Trump said. “You are not forgotten any longer. You were treated very badly by the previous administration.”

FEMA has distributed $319 million in financial assistance to residents, but that hasn’t alleviated the feeling of abandonment among residents who are struggling to rebuild their lives.

Trump has showered California leaders with disdain for water policies that he falsely claimed worsened the recent blazes. He said he would “take a look at a fire that could have been put out if they let the water flow, but they didn’t let the water flow.” In Los Angeles, he met with members of Congress and local officials from both parties in a meeting that was at times contentious.

Michael Coen, who served as chief of staff at FEMA during the Biden administration, said Trump was “misinformed” about an agency that provides critical help to states when they are overwhelmed by catastrophe.

In addition, Coen criticized the idea of attaching strings to assistance. “I think the American people expect the federal government will be there for them on their worst day, no matter where they live,” he said.

Trump tapped Cameron Hamilton, a former Navy SEAL with limited experience managing natural disasters, as FEMA’s acting director.

Friday’s trip could prompt some uncomfortable conversations about climate change, which Trump has played down and denied. Both Helene and the Los Angeles wildfires were exacerbated by global warming.

In Helene’s case, a study by international climate scientists at World Weather Attribution found that climate change boosted the storm’s rainfall by 10%. In California, the state suffered a record dry fall and winter — its traditional wet season — which made the area around Los Angeles more vulnerable to blazes.

“This is just breaking our comfort zone of what is supposed to be normal,” said University of Oregon researcher Amanda Stasiewicz.

After visiting North Carolina and California, Trump plans to hold a rally Saturday in Las Vegas.

Associated Press writers Stephen Groves, Seth Borenstein, Jonathan J. Cooper, Kathleen Ronayne and Jill Colvin contributed to this report.

[admin]

Trump’s emergency water order responsible for water dump from Tulare County lakes
by Lois Henry
SJVwater.org
January 31, 2025
https://sjvwater.org/trumps-emergency-w ... nty-lakes/

The sudden announcement Thursday by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that Kaweah and Success lakes would immediately begin dumping water was in response to President Trump’s Jan. 24 executive order mandating that federal officials exert all efforts to get more water to fight southern California wildfires, the Army Corps confirmed Friday.

“Consistent with the direction in the Executive Order on Emergency Measures to Provide Water Resources in California, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is releasing water from Terminus Dam at Lake Kaweah and Schafer Dam at Success Lake to ensure California has water available to respond to the wildfires,” wrote Gene Pawlik, a supervising public affairs specialist in the Army Corps’ Washington, D.C. office.

Indeed, President Trump boasted about the releases on his X page Friday posting a photo of a river and writing: “Photo of beautiful water flow that I just opened in California. Today, 1.6 billion gallons and, in 3 days, it will be 5.2 billion gallons. Everybody should be happy about this long fought Victory! I only wish they listened to me six years ago – There would have been no fire!”

Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
Photo of beautiful water flow that I just opened in California. Today, 1.6 billion gallons and, in 3 days, it will be 5.2 billion gallons. Everybody should be happy about this long fought Victory! I only wish they listened to me six years ago -- There would have been no fire!

Tulare County water managers were perplexed and frustrated, noting both physical and legal barriers that make it virtually impossible for Tulare County river water to be used for southern California fires.

First, it would have to be pumped at great expense across the San Joaquin Valley to get to the California Aqueduct and then travel hundreds of miles south.

Second, this isn’t “loose” water free for the taking.

“Every drop belongs to someone,” said Kaweah River Watermaster Victor Hernandez. “The reservoir may belong to the federal government, but the water is ours. If someone’s playing political games with this water, it’s wrong.”

It was no game on Thursday when area water managers were given about an hour’s notice that the Army Corps planned to release water up to “channel capacity,” the top amount rivers can handle, immediately.

The Army Corps later agreed to more measured releases, alleviating a mad scramble to alert first responders and have crews on standby in case river banks were breached and levees overtopped, as happened during the 2023 floods.

“This decision was clearly made by someone with no understanding of the system or the impacts that come from knee-jerk political actions.”

Dan Vink, longtime Tulare County water manager

Flows in the Tule River went from 55 cubic feet per second Thursday to a high of 987 cfs and dropped to 798 cfs by Friday afternoon. Kaweah flows went from 5 cfs to 1,545 cfs.

That’s where flows are expected to stay, according to Tulare Irrigation District Aaron Fukuda.

How long those flows will last is another question left unanswered by the Army Corps.

The releases are from excess water that downstream districts are allowed to hold in reservoirs to hedge against dry years.

The Army Corps requires its reservoirs to be drawn down in fall to keep “flood control capacity,” or space, available in anticipation of winter storms and spring snow melt.

Typically, however, ag users can negotiate to hold a little extra water in the lakes, or “encroach” on that flood control capacity, depending on weather forecasts, climate models and snow surveys.

The winter flood control capacity limit for Lake Kaweah is 12,000 acre feet and it was holding about 39,000 acre feet Thursday morning, according to Hernandez.

He said that under the sort of dry conditions now being experienced in the region, Army Corps guidelines allow the lake to go up to 72,000 acre feet.

“We just had a snow survey 10 days ago that showed very little snow coverage, about 45,000 acre feet, and were talking almost daily with the Corps watching forecasts for these new storms that are expected to get us about an inch,” Hernandez said. “There was no risk of flood at this point.”

He was still stunned by the call he got Thursday ordering Kaweah to evacuate 27,000 acre feet immediately. Success was ordered to dump 4,923 acre feet to bring it down to 12,295 acre feet.



The Army Corps did not respond to questions about whether it will keep all its California reservoirs at flood control capacity going into the future. If so, that could have a major impact on how much is available for irrigation.

“A decision to take summer water from local farmers and dump it out of these reservoirs shows a complete lack of understanding of how the system works and sets a very dangerous precedent,” said Dan Vink, a longtime Tulare County water manager and principal partner at Six-33 Solutions, a water and natural resource firm in Visalia.

“This decision was clearly made by someone with no understanding of the system or the impacts that come from knee-jerk political actions.”

For now, water managers are capturing flows in recharge basins, Eric Limas, General Manager for the Lower Tule River and Pixley irrigation districts, wrote in a text.

“I have no idea if this is the new norm for operations or not. I certainly hope not.”