Published on January 20, 2025
This presidential memorandum directs the Secretaries of Commerce and Interior to resume previous efforts to redirect water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to Southern California, overriding environmental protections for fish species like the Delta smelt. The action frames the issue as a choice between human needs and environmental concerns, citing recent wildfires and the need for reliable water supply as justification for this policy reversal.
While presented as a straightforward solution to California's water crisis, this action appears to be strategically designed to weaken environmental regulations while consolidating federal control over state water resources. The memorandum's emotionally charged language ("Putting People over Fish") and dismissal of environmental concerns as "radical" suggests an attempt to create a false dichotomy between environmental protection and human welfare, potentially serving business interests that would benefit from reduced environmental oversight. The 90-day implementation timeline and vague reporting requirements could allow for rapid, poorly-vetted changes to long-standing environmental protections.
Although addressing California's water crisis is crucial, this memorandum's approach may create long-term environmental damage while setting a precedent for federal override of state environmental policies. The action's rushed implementation and dismissive attitude toward environmental concerns suggest it may be more focused on political messaging and regulatory rollback than on developing sustainable water management solutions.
January 20, 2025 MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR SUBJECT: Putting People over Fish: Stopping Radical Environmentalism to Provide Water to Southern California I hereby direct the Secretary of Commerce and Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the heads of other departments and agencies of the United States as necessary, to immediately restart the work from my first Administration by the National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation, and other agencies to route more water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to other parts of the state for use by the people there who desperately need a reliable water supply. During my first term, the State of California, at the direction of its Governor, filed a lawsuit to stop my Administration from implementing improvements to California’s water infrastructure. My Administration’s plan would have allowed enormous amounts of water to flow from the snow melt and rainwater in rivers in Northern California to beneficial use in the Central Valley and Southern California. This catastrophic halt was allegedly in protection of the Delta smelt and other species of fish. Today, this enormous water supply flows wastefully into the Pacific Ocean. The recent deadly and historically destructive wildfires in Southern California underscore why the State of California needs a reliable water supply and sound vegetation management practices in order to provide water desperately needed there, and why this plan must immediately be reimplemented. Within 90 days of the date of this memorandum, the Secretary of Commerce and Secretary of the Interior shall report to me regarding the progress made in implementing the policies in this memorandum and provide any recommendations regarding future implementation.