Unease Surrounds Trump's Water Management Approach
Trump Contributing to Increased Anxiety over Colorado River Water Supply
The first month of President Donald Trump's tenure has left both federal and state officials on edge, particularly those responsible for managing the West's vital water resources.
The Bureau of Reclamation, the federal agency tasked with the maintenance of America's largest dams, including Hoover and Glen Canyon on the Colorado River, faces potentially devastating staff cuts of up to 40%. However, the final figure could be lower, according to three sources familiar with the situation who spoke to CNN. To add to the worry, the agency still lacks a nominee for the commissioner who would lead it.
Trump's initial actions, such as staff reductions and ordering the US Army Corps of Engineers to open two California dams, have fueled apprehension about the future of water management in the region.
The administration's temporary halt on federal grants for water projects disturbed ongoing negotiations among seven Western states regarding the division of the dwindling and overused Colorado River. These negotiations, governed by the Reclamation Bureau with critical deadlines approaching, have been significantly impacted.
Internal discussions at the Reclamation Bureau now revolve around protecting essential staff members who oversee dam safety and hydropower. Morale within the agency has hit rock bottom, according to two sources. There are concerns that a combination of 'buyouts' and the dismissal of probationary employees has already resulted in a "barebones team" that could be further pared down. One source informed CNN of these discussions.
Essential work-related purchases within the Interior Department's bureaus, including the Reclamation Bureau, have been limited to just $1. This complication extends to necessary purchases like oil for dam equipment. An Interior Department spokesperson stated on Thursday that officials are working to ensure "critical purchases are made in a timely manner.”
This blind cut across the federal government, without taking individual agency requirements into account, is a major concern.
“It's a lean agency; it's a very capable agency," said David Hayes, a former high-ranking Interior Department official under President Barack Obama and White House adviser under President Joe Biden. ”It's the world's largest water wholesaler; it manages irrigation districts across the country. It's not like typical Washington bureaucracy."
Senior officials at the Reclamation Bureau have already faced pressure from the White House. During the early weeks of Trump's second term, representatives from the Department of Government Efficiency repeatedly urged the acting head of the Reclamation Bureau to open a major California pump system in late January, releasing a significant amount of water toward Los Angeles, despite the fact that the water would never reach the devastated metropolis.
Two DOGE officials even traveled to California with the intention of personally activating the pumps for a "photo op."
Shortly after that unsuccessful trip, the White House ordered the US Army Corps to release water from the Terminus Dam at Lake Kaweah and Schafer Dam at Lake Success. Eventually, 2.2 billion gallons flowed out of the two dams into a dry California lakebed before concerned local water managers and Republican and Democratic California lawmakers begged the Army Corps to cease the operation.
Sarah Porter, director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University, noted, "I think people became alarmed and felt a hint of concern when actions were taken without fully understanding the system's interconnections."
There are concerns that such incidents may recur, particularly if more federal employees are removed from various water agencies. According to two sources, such a situation may materialize.
Earlier this month, one of the DOGE representatives involved in the California trip, Tyler Hassen, was promoted to Interior's assistant secretary for policy, management and budget, at the order of Interior Sec. Doug Burgum. Hassen now has the power to oversee the budget for Interior and its various bureaus. An Interior Department spokesperson declined to comment on personnel matters.
High-stakes Negotiations
The Trump administration's temporary grant hold in January and early February was noticeable in Lake Mead: Water levels dropped after a Native tribe's funding for water conservation ran dry.
During Trump's early weeks in office, the Arizona-based Gila River Indian Community found its funding had been suspended and spent weeks trying to secure funds from the Interior Department for a water-saving project. Uncertain about the future of the conservation agreement, the tribe withdrew 3.2 billion gallons of water from Lake Mead to store underground.
Mead's water levels plummeted, causing alarm among Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Arizona, who urged the Interior Department to restore federal funding. The funds were later reinstated. However, the freeze itself "was particularly disturbing," said Gila River Governor Stephen Lewis in a statement to CNN. “The length of the funding freeze nearly caused a fracture in our federal partnership that could have had devastating implications for the entire Colorado River Basin."
The Colorado River water negotiations are intricate and require sensitivity, patience, and careful listening. Hayes, the former Interior official, emphasized that continuing to compensate stakeholders for their water cuts will be crucial for future negotiations.
"It's not a fish versus humans issue," he said, referring to Trump's early water-related executive orders. "Emphasizing that you can solve the water problem almost instantaneously is a recipe for disaster on the Colorado River."
A deadline in 2026 is looming for the seven states - Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, California, Arizona, and Nevada - to renegotiate how much they can extract from the river.
The federal government has historically played a significant role in guiding state negotiations and setting deadlines. Staff cuts at the Reclamation Bureau could pose logistical challenges to these negotiations, as Reclamation is responsible for monthly reports on water levels at the government's major reservoirs.
Reports in 2021 and 2022 showed water levels at Mead and Powell dropping dramatically amid a megadrought and contributed to a hasty deal among the states to cut back on water consumption.
Reclamation is "not only the manager of the Colorado system, but they're also the technical experts for the seven states and water users as we figure out what the new management guidelines should look like," Porter, the Arizona water expert, added.
Western water users view Interior Sec. Burgum as someone who "understands Western natural resources and is willing to roll up his sleeves," Porter pointed out.
Given the impending staff cuts at the Reclamation Bureau and the chaos surrounding grant funding, states and water users have been asking for a meeting with Burgum, according to two sources familiar with the situation.
“It would be beneficial to have clarity on their plans,” one source said.
- The lack of a nominee for the commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Reclamation, coupled with potential staff cuts of up to 40%, is causing concern among federal and state officials overseeing the West's vital water resources.
- The Trump administration's approach to water management, including initial actions like staff reductions and ordering the US Army Corps of Engineers to open dams, has led to apprehension about the future of water management in the region.
- Internal discussions within the Reclamation Bureau are focusing on ensuring the safety of essential staff members, as concerns grow about buyouts and staff dismissals leaving a 'barebones team' in charge of dam safety and hydropower.
