January 21, 2025 - President Trump signed a memorandum yesterday titled Putting People over Fish: Stopping Radical Environmentalism to Provide Water to Southern California. Salmon advocacy and environmental groups today issued statements slamming Trump for the falsehoods contained in his executive order.
Read the order here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/putting-people-over-fish-stopping-radical-environmentalism-to-provide-water-to-southern-california/
Save California Salmon targeted the deceptive title of the memorandum — and exposed the canard that water flowing into the ocean is “wasteful”:
“The title suggests a water scarcity that does not exist and by prioritizing increased water diversions from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California's economy, waterways, salmon populations, and Indigenous communities are seriously threatened. Statements from Southern California water agencies, Tribes, and the governor demonstrate no water shortage in So. California, but there are serious infrastructure considerations.
“The new Trump administration is picking up where it left off four years ago. This new memorandum continues a pattern of prioritizing industrial agriculture above the needs of urban water users. Under the last Trump presidency, his policies led to a 50%-90% decrease in salmon populations and serious pollution issues in California’s largest watersheds. California’s waterways are still feeling the impacts of these policies. The commercial and recreational salmon harvest has been shut down for the last two years. This has been devastating to Northern California economies,” said Regina Chichizola of Save California Salmon.
“The notion that water flowing into the Pacific Ocean is ‘wasteful’ ignores the livelihoods of Tribal and rural communities in Northern California. Salmon are more than simply wildlife. For Tribes, salmon are central to cultural identity, food security, and Traditional Knowledge. Salmon survival is tied to our health and the health of our rivers,” said Josa Talley of Save California Salmon.
“Protecting water quality, Delta smelt, salmon, and other species is not ‘radical environmentalism’—it is a matter of protecting water supplies and economies. Rivers must have enough water to sustain businesses, prevent toxic algae blooms, and ensure clean water for downstream communities.
“We can prepare for fire and to protect reliable water supplies. We urge the President to:
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Modernize urban and agricultural water use: Incentivizing conservation, reuse, and efficiency measures can reduce waste and lessen the strain on Northern California's rivers and enhance Southern California water storage.
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Support wildfire resilience through cultural and prescribed burns: Traditional fire practices by Indigenous Tribes have proven to reduce wildfire risk, protect homes, and maintain healthy forests without endangering waterways.
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Fund Emergency Preparedness and Response: The water supply issues in the LA fires were based on fire hydrant pressure, scheduled maintenance, and electricity. Due to the climate crisis, every town and city in California needs to have funded community preparation plans and localized water and power supplies.
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Collaborate with Tribal Nations: Consulting with Tribes is critical to understanding the cultural, ecological, and economic impacts of water policy.”
Scott Artis, Executive Director of the Golden State Salmon Association, called the new executive order a “salmon extinction plan” — and urged California Governor Gavin Newsom to ensure that new federal policies do not kill Central Valley salmon runs and California’s fishing jobs:
“The 2019 National Marine Fisheries Service biological opinion authorized the Bureau of Reclamation to kill all of the baby salmon in the Sacramento River – the most important salmon producing system south of the Columbia River. This is a salmon extinction plan. The Bureau took advantage of that new authority. During the recent drought, the Bureau killed virtually all of the baby endangered winter-run Chinook salmon, as well as juvenile fall-run Chinook salmon in the Sacramento River. That salmon extinction plan is responsible for the collapse of Central Valley salmon runs, the closure of the California and coastal Oregon salmon fishing seasons in 2023 and 2024, and the loss of tens of thousands of salmon fishing jobs.
“GSSA, our NGO allies, and the State of California challenged these 2019 biological opinions in court. At the end of 2024, the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service adopted new biological opinions to replace the 2019 biological opinions. Those new biological opinions are far too weak, but do improve protections in some areas. President Trump’s new executive order on California water issues calls for the weakening of Endangered Species Act protections for the Bay-Delta ecosystem, Central Valley rivers, and salmon. Such a decision could further devastate fishing businesses, families, and communities.
“The State of California has the authority to prevent the Bureau of Reclamation from killing all of our salmon runs and salmon jobs with lethal temperatures and inadequate releases when fish need water. Frankly, Governor Newsom and state agencies failed to do that in response to the 2019 biological opinions – it was a joint state and federal water grab that not only harmed ecologically and economically important salmon but thousands of people that directly or indirectly rely on fishing to feed their families. California’s policies since 2019 are remarkably similar to the federal salmon extinction plan – as the former General Manager of the Westlands Water District acknowledged in a recent news article.
“Governor Newsom, California’s salmon fishing businesses, families, and communities call on your administration to ensure that new federal policies do not kill Central Valley salmon runs and California’s fishing jobs. You’ve followed these same policies before and now it’s time to save California’s rivers and fishing communities. California state agencies have the legal obligation to protect salmon. Please tell those agencies to do their job.”
The Stockton-based Restore the Delta also pointed out the falsehoods in Trump’s memo, taking aim at the canard that water from the Delta flows “wastefully” into the ocean and his claim that Delta water protections cause water shortages and exacerbate wildfires like the ones in Los Angeles County:
”In his first day back in office, President Trump issued a memorandum to the Secretary of Commerce and Secretary of the Interior directing federal agencies to undermine essential environmental protections for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. By reviving discredited policies from his first administration, the President is once again choosing to ignore science and attack California’s communities and ecosystems for political gain.
“The directive to ‘put people over fish,’ which mirrors corporate agribusiness rhetoric in the San Joaquin Valley, grossly misrepresents the reality of California’s water system and the needs of its residents. Contrary to the President’s statement, water diverted from the Delta does not flow ‘wastefully into the Pacific Ocean.’ Instead, it sustains the largest estuary on the West Coast—a vital resource for California’s economy, recreational and commercial fishing industries, Delta farmers, local businesses and millions of residents who depend on clean, safe water. The directive also disregards the cultural and economic importance of the Sacramento River, its tributaries, the Bay-Delta to Delta communities, and California Indian tribes.
“President Trump’s claims that Delta water protections cause water shortages and exacerbate wildfires are false. Experts agree that Southern California’s water challenges stem from climate-driven drought and infrastructure constraints—not protections for fish or the Delta. This misinformation ignores that Los Angeles reservoirs are currently full and Delta water sustains essential ecosystems and local economies.
“Delta communities have fought for years to restore this vital estuary, which supports tens-of-thousands of jobs and a rich cultural heritage. This memorandum undermines those efforts, prioritizing corporate interests at the expense of sustainable water management and equitable solutions. These policies, if enacted, will provide water flows for the Delta Conveyance Project, eradicate seven Delta fish species in the near term, and worsen toxic algae in the Delta.
“Restore the Delta calls on state leaders to reject this reckless policy and to advocate for a water future that protects environmental health for all Californians throughout the state, not just a powerful few.
“We remain steadfast in defending the Delta, its communities, and the resources that sustain California’s future.”