Laerke Christensen reported for Snopes that U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Truth Social on Jan. 27, 2025, that the U.S. military had “turned on the water” in California.
Shortly afterward, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) responded on X, stating that the military had not entered the state.
The agency said the federal government had restarted water pumps that had been offline for maintenance for three days.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) later appeared to take responsibility for the action in a Jan. 28 post on X.
Snopes reported that the exact details of what occurred remain unclear.
According to Snopes, Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 24 directing federal agencies to “ensure adequate water resources in Southern California.”
The order instructed the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce to consider revisiting Trump’s 2020 water management plans.
These plans were challenged in court by California Governor Gavin Newsom over concerns about protections for endangered species.
Snopes reported that the Biden administration replaced Trump’s policies in 2024 with a different approach to water management.
Snopes noted that Trump’s Truth Social post claimed the military had restored water flow, suggesting that previous restrictions were due to environmental policies.
The DWR denied any military involvement and said that water supplies in Southern California were “plentiful.” The agency attributed reports of water shortages, such as during recent wildfires in Los Angeles County, to infrastructure limitations rather than supply issues.
According to Snopes, data from the DWR showed that California’s reservoirs were at or above historical averages as of Jan. 6.
Snopes reported that Trump has made previous claims about California’s water supply, including a suggestion that pumps or valves in northern California or Canada could be opened to redirect water to the south.
During a Jan. 25 press conference, Trump referenced his executive order, stating: “I’m signing an executive order to open up the pumps and valves in the north.
“We want to get that water pouring down here as quickly as possible.”
Snopes noted that Trump’s previous attempts to revise California’s water policies were blocked by legal challenges and later replaced by Biden administration policies.
Snopes reported that President Donald Trump claimed on Truth Social that the U.S. military had “turned on the water” in California.
The California Department of Water Resources refuted this claim, stating that federal water pumps had been restarted following maintenance.
Trump’s claim followed an executive order he signed on Jan. 24, directing federal agencies to ensure water resources for Southern California, potentially reviving his 2020 water management plans.
The Department of Government Efficiency later appeared to take responsibility for the pump activation in a Jan. 28 X post, but Snopes reported that official confirmation remains unclear.
According to Snopes, the DWR maintains that California does not have a water shortage and that reports of limited water availability during firefighting efforts resulted from infrastructure demands rather than supply constraints.
Trump has previously suggested that northern California water systems could be used to alleviate supposed shortages in the south, a claim disputed by state officials.
