In late January, Donald Trump used the devastating Los Angeles fires to push harmful, pro-corporate water policies. His executive order to move water to Southern California would mostly benefit the fields of big agribusiness in the San Joaquin Valley. “None of the policies in this executive order will move even a single drop of water to communities devastated by these wildfires,” said California’s Representative Jared Huffman. 

Earlier, Trump ordered the release of billions of gallons of water from dams, claiming to help Los Angeles. In reality, he created panic in the Central Valley and released water from reservoirs at a time when it wasn’t needed and they weren’t prepared to receive it — essentially wasting this precious resource. 

This is a sick ploy that will make matters worse. It also underscores long-standing water problems in our state. For years, California has pursued unsustainable water policy. We need a rapid reorientation away from policies that prop up Big Ag and Big Oil toward a progressive vision of water and climate resilience that benefits all Californians.

That means addressing the root causes of climate change to stem the tide of disasters. It means investing in strong local water infrastructure that can meet people’s water needs, even in times of crisis. And it means ensuring all Californians — not just Big Ag and Big Oil — have long-term access to clean, affordable water. 

LA Wildfires Show the Stark Need for Climate Resilience

Many factors lead to the devastating fires in Los Angeles, but the main driver is climate change. Long dry periods are becoming more frequent, and Los Angeles had seen almost no rain since the previous May. The extremely dry conditions, coupled with unseasonably strong winds, allowed the fires’ rapid spread. 

Contrary to Trump’s claims, there was plenty of water in Southern California at the time. Reservoirs were at historic averages or higher. But at the neighborhood level, water infrastructure in LA — like many places across the country — was built to fight smaller structural fires, not climate-fueled mega-fires.

As a result, it couldn’t deliver as much water, or as quickly, as such large and fast-moving fires demanded. Hydrants lost pressure as local water supplies drained.

All of this demands solutions that ensure our communities are climate resilient. That means investing to prepare for, recover from, and adapt to climate change. It includes projects like upgrading local water systems so they can respond to mega-fires. Resiliency projects are essential to ensuring everyone can access basic needs and services in a climate-changed world, or through a climate disaster.

However, rather than promoting resilience, California’s water policy supports the very industries driving the climate crisis: Big Ag and Big Oil. 

California’s Unsustainable Water Policies Put Profits Over People

More than 1 million Californians lack access to clean drinking water, and thousands of household wells are running dry. Many of these families that lack access are low-income, people of color, or already-overburdened by pollution.

Yet, California water policy supports massive amounts of water going to unsustainable industries that are fueling the climate crisis. 

For example, as of 2021, mega-dairies use more than 51 billion gallons per year, and the oil and gas industry uses 750 million gallons. Not only are these industries profiting from exploiting our water — they’re also polluting it and driving the climate crisis. They’re directly causing more droughts and more water scarcity. 

Other areas of Big Ag are even more water-intensive. Pistachios use 466 billion gallons a year. We simply cannot sustainably grow this level of tree nuts with California’s water and climate reality. 

Worse, corporations export 60% of pistachios and almonds, another massive and water-intensive industry. Much of this water isn’t even contributing to our food supply — it’s used to generate profit for CEOs and shareholders. These abuses enrich billionaires like Stewart and Lynda Resnick, owners of the Wonderful Company.

Notably, in 2020, Trump’s Department of Interior granted the Westlands Water District — the biggest agricultural water district in the state and home to rampant almond farming — a huge permanent water contract. It provided the district with twice as much water as is used by the 4 million residents of Los Angeles. Trump’s Secretary of the Interior at the time, David Bernhardt, was a former lobbyist for Westlands Water.

Alfalfa is another thirsty industry — it guzzles 945 billion gallons of water each year. Alfalfa companies are irrigating the desert to grow feed for factory-farmed animals at home and abroad. Saudi Arabia has banned alfalfa farming in its arid climate, yet a Saudi company acquired land in California to grow alfalfa and send it back to Saudi Arabia to feed cows on factory farms.

This is not inevitable. Corporations aren’t stealing water in the dark of night — our leaders are giving it to them through policy. Step #1 for water and climate resilience: Tackle climate change by ending fossil fuels and factory farming and stop water giveaways to corporations.

We Need to Fund Local Water Infrastructure Improvements

To deliver clean water to everyone, we also need major upgrades to California’s water infrastructure, from the pipes to the treatment plants. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates the price tag at nearly $704 billion for California’s drinking water, stormwater, and wastewater systems. And those needs are growing as climate change worsens. 

This requires major investments and a strong commitment from the federal government. Without federal support, the costs will fall to local water providers, and water utilities will raise their rates to cover the costs. This will leave behind communities with fewer funds and resources and families already struggling to pay their bills.

The EPA has found that nationwide, we need $1.3 trillion to repair and upgrade water infrastructure. To that end, Congress needs to pass the WATER Act, which would create permanent support for water infrastructure projects at the level the EPA determines is necessary. 

This funding is not even a twinkle in Trump’s eye. In fact, he wants to slash federal water programs. During his last term, Trump proposed cuts to State Revolving Funds, which send federal dollars to states for these kinds of projects. At a time of such dire need, when many families can’t even access clean, safe water, this is outrageous. 

On the bright side, investing in water infrastructure is incredibly popular in California. Last year, Californians voted to pass Prop 4, which creates a $10 billion bond to fund water and climate resilience projects. Along with reining in water-intensive industries, we need more public investment like this to ensure our local public water providers can weather climate disasters and deliver clean water for all.

We Need to Reject Wasteful, Expensive Water Projects Benefiting Corporate Interests

To be clear, California has enough water to meet the needs of its residents. But some California leaders — including Governor Newsom — are promoting expensive and harmful mega-projects that won’t address the state’s water woes. Instead, they will spend billions of dollars to dedicate even more water to Big Ag and Big Oil’s profits.

Newsom is currently pushing new desalination projects to turn saltwater into fresh. However, desalination is incredibly expensive and energy-intensive. Turning to desalination will raise water prices for families and harm ocean ecosystems.

Newsom is also proposing the Delta tunnel project to move more water from Northern California to agricultural operations in the Central Valley. The incredibly costly project — $16 billion by one estimate — is harmful to vital ecosystems and unnecessary.

Desalination and Delta are ridiculously expensive shortcuts to avoid the necessary work of saying “No” to corporations. The bottom line is pretty simple. We don’t need big fancy desalination plants or huge concrete tunnels. We need to invest in local water infrastructure and end water policy that puts corporations’ water use over people. 

Leaders Must Hold Corporations Accountable for Their Role In This Crisis

California is looking at a bad water year ahead. With climate change, we’re going to have longer dry periods. While reservoir levels are high right now, much of the state is in drought, and things could get much worse. Without more rain, we’ll deplete these reservoirs.

Rather than sending more water to Big Ag and Big Oil, policy should force the industries most responsible for the crisis to pay for the damage they have caused. To that end, California legislators introduced the Polluters Pay Climate Cost Recovery Act.

This “Climate Superfund” law, one of several that states across the country are now considering, would assess climate damages in California and require oil and gas majors to contribute to a fund for disaster recovery and climate resilience based on their contribution to climate change. It could raise tens or even hundreds of billions of dollars over the next two decades.

In the 2023-2024 legislative session, Big Oil and Gas spent big and successfully shut down this law. Fossil fuel industry lobbying jumped to record levels, much of it targeting the Climate Superfund Act.

But legislators have another chance to pass a bill this year. Food & Water Watch will be working tirelessly with allies and communities to ensure our leaders pass it this time, instead of giving in to Big Oil.

The roots of California’s water crisis lie squarely with polluting corporations. Rather than address this, Trump is trying to change California’s water policy by fiat to provide even greater benefits to Big Ag at the expense of Californians and the environment. 

This approach must be rejected. Instead, California leaders should invest in climate-resilient water infrastructure and tackle corporate guzzlers. To solve these water crises, ensure clean water for everyone, and prepare for future disasters, we must have bold, strong action on water and climate resilience.

California Leaders’ To-Do List for Water and Climate Resilience:

• Stop corporate water giveaways,
• End fossil fuels and factory farms,
• Fund water infrastructure improvements with legislation like the WATER Act,
• Stop building unnecessary, expensive water projects that benefit the same industrial users, and
• Make polluters pay for climate damages.