Gavin Newsom is slammed for car crash interview as he furiously tries to shift blame for LA fires

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Gavin Newsom is slammed for car crash interview as he furiously tries to shift blame for LA fires

Daily Mail
By JAMES CIRRONE
12 January 2025

Governor Gavin Newsom was slammed for claiming that reservoirs in southern California were 'completely full' when at least one of them has been confirmed to be bone dry.

Newsom made the claim during an interview he gave to NBC's Meet The Press about his response to the raging wildfires in Los Angeles that have caused 16 deaths and billions of dollars worth of damages.

NBC News correspondent Jacob Soboroff asked the governor about President-elect Donald Trump's criticism. Trump argued that Newsom's efforts to protect a fish called the Delta smelt has stopped water from being delivered to farmers and major cities.

'I don't know what he's referring to when he talks about the Delta smelt in reservoirs. The reservoirs are completely full, the state reservoirs here in Southern California,' Newsom said.

However, the LA Times reported Friday that the the Santa Ynez Reservoir, a 117-million-gallon water storage complex has been completely empty for over a year. This reservoir serves the Pacific Palisades, an area of west of downtown Los Angeles where a wildfire has grown to about 23,654 acres. Firefighters have only been able to contain 11 percent of the out-of-control blaze.

DailyMail.com further revealed that this reservoir was left disconnected by Department of Water and Power (LADWP) CEO Janisse Quiñones.

On top of that, fire hydrants usually fed by the reservoir were left broken for months before the fires, leading to firefighters running out of water as they battled the devastating blazes.

(more)
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14275803/gavin-newsom-suggests-cause-LA-fires-California-denies-blame-game.html

[IsailedawayfromFR]

When engaged in damage control, tough to be running off to DC and smoozing with the political Dem crowd.

[PeteS in CA]

Governor Gavin Newsom was slammed for claiming that reservoirs in southern California were 'completely full' when at least one of them has been confirmed to be bone dry.

SoCal reservoirs - in contrast to the 117M gallon "reservoir" (storage tank would be more accurate) over which Noisome has zero control - are at around 70%-90% of capacity, with a couple more months of rainy season ahead. For example, nearby Lake Castaic, which I checked up on a couple of days ago, is at 76.6% of "full pool", ~250,000 acre feet. An acre-foot is almost 326,000 gallons.

The Delta Smelt is utterly irrelevant to firefighting capability in the LA area because the San Joaquin-Sacramento River system does not extend far south to LA. Also, the many reservoirs on those rivers and tributaries are in the 85%-110% of "full pool" range currently. Contrary to the stereotype some conservatives seem to want to be true, California does not let all its rain and snow melt run off into the Pacific Ocean. Also, what California lets flow through the Delta is mandated by Federal court, not by bureaucrats in Sacto.