As historic fires rip through the Los Angeles area, President-elect Donald Trump is demanding Gov. Gavin Newsom “open up the water main” and allow “beautiful, clean, freshwater to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA!”
At first glance, it seems to make sense. Why wouldn’t the leader of a state whose northern regions are currently enjoying above-average winter precipitation redirect water south to quench the burning metropolis as its fire hydrants run dry?
To start, there isn’t some central spigot nestled in the Sierra foothills that Newsom can just use a giant wrench to turn on. Then there’s the fact that firefighters were more hamstrung by the raging Santa Ana winds than empty hydrants due to a lack of water from Northern California.
Read on for a detailed explanation from our resident California water expert of the state’s complex water system and a brief history of Trump’s fixation with the issue.
