A senior Army Corps of Engineers official offered few specifics to lawmakers Tuesday on the agency’s controversial decision last month to suddenly release billions of gallons of water from dams in California’s Central Valley.
Speaking before the House Appropriations Committee, Lt. Gen. William Graham Jr. said the unexpected water release was in response to a directive from President Donald Trump and was “within the statutory authority” of the Army Corps.
But Graham, the agency’s chief of engineers, was mum in response to questions from Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.) about whether the flow of water actually helped with efforts to fight wildfires in Los Angeles, as Trump has claimed.
“I don’t know what happened to the water once it was released from the dams,” Graham said.
