Trump Blames the Delta Smelt for Worsening LA Fires

In one of his first actions after returning to the White House, President Donald Trump issued a directive aimed at redirecting water from Northern California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to Southern California.

The memorandum, titled “Putting People Over Fish: Stopping Radical Environmentalism to Provide Water to Southern California,” directs federal agencies to prioritize human water needs over environmental protections, particularly for the endangered Delta smelt.

The directive revives efforts from Trump’s first term that were halted by lawsuits filed by California Governor Gavin Newsom. This latest move comes amid renewed tensions between the two, which flared up as fire crews battled devastating wildfires in Los Angeles last week.

Trump’s administration is giving the Departments of Commerce and Interior 90 days to report on their progress in implementing the plan.

Why This Matters

California’s water management policies have long been a flashpoint between environmentalists, agricultural interests and urban planners.

The recent devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, several of which are still raging, brought the debate back into sharp focus. Then President-elect Trump took to social media to criticize Governor Newsom, accusing him of failing to redirect water from Northern California to the state’s drier southern regions.

Trump’s directive adds a new layer of tension by officially linking the issue to wildfire management, suggesting that implementation of his administration’s plan could help prevent or mitigate devastating fires.

Experts, however, dispute the connection, noting that water allocation from the Delta plays little role in firefighting efforts.

What Is the Delta Smelt Fish?

The Delta smelt is a small, three-inch-long fish native to California’s San Francisco Estuary. Listed as endangered under state and federal laws, its habitat is dictated by water flows through the estuary since it cannot thrive when sea water makes up more than one third of the total.

The fish’s population has declined drastically due to habitat changes, reduced freshwater outflows and environmental pressures.

“It was once one of the most abundant fish in the upper estuary, supporting a diverse array of predators, including striped bass,” Peter Moyle, distinguished professor emiritus at the Center for Watershed Sciences, University of California Davis, told Newsweek.

“The rapid collapse of its populations in the 1980s coincided with the decline of other pelagic fishes in the Delta.”

Trump has repeatedly blamed Newsom for blocking water infrastructure improvements during his first term, accusing the governor of prioritizing the Delta smelt over the needs of Californians.

In the directive, Trump claimed that water designated for environmental purposes is wasted as it flows into the Pacific Ocean.

In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump claimed that Newsom “refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California.”

Newsom, for his part, rebuffed these claims, stating via his press office that “there is no such document as the water restoration declaration—that is pure fiction.”

Moreover, while much of southern California is in the grips of drought at present, its reservoirs remain well stocked thanks to consecutive years of heavy rainfall and snow prior to this one.

What to Know About the New Directive

The directive instructs the Departments of Commerce and Interior, along with other federal agencies, to restart Trump-era efforts to increase water diversions from the Delta.

Within 90 days, federal agencies are required to report back on their progress and offer recommendations for future actions.

The policy faces potential implementation delays due to interim leadership at the departments as Trump’s nominees await Senate confirmation.

In his directive, Trump framed his policy as a fight against “radical environmentalism,” stating that California’s current approach prioritizes the protection of the Delta smelt and other fish over the well-being of its residents.

Newsom’s press office hit back on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, saying, “The only thing fishy are Trump’s facts. California pumps as much water now as it could under prior Trump-era policies. And there is no shortage of water in Southern California.”

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