The condition of the state’s system was already precarious when the US president ordered billions of gallons be let outFirst, there was Donald Trump’s executive order to release billions of gallons of water from two reservoirs in California’s Central valley, a move the feds walked back after farmers and water experts decried it as wasteful, ill-conceived – and an unnecessary risk factor for levees in the region.The mandate, said Nicholas Pinter, a professor of applied geoscience at the University of California at Davis who studies California’s levees, amounted to “hydrologic insanity”. Continue reading...
The Trump administration's executive order to release billions of gallons of water from Central Valley reservoirs was met with criticism for posing risks to California's vulnerable levees. Experts, including Nicholas Pinter, termed the move "hydrologic insanity," as the state's levees, rated a 'D' by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2019, were already fragile. Levees, designed to prevent flooding, are managed by various agencies, complicating assessments of their condition. The sudden water release exacerbated flood risks, especially with climate change increasing storm intensity. Vulnerable populations, particularly Hispanic communities in the Central Valley, face heightened risks due to these challenges.
