Farmers and others reliant on water provided by the Bureau of Reclamation are warning that staffing cuts at the agency could threaten access to supplies — and in one case are offering to step into the breach to help keep flows moving. Reclamation, like other federal agencies operating under a directive from the White House and so-called Department of Government Efficiency, has been actively reducing its staff across the 17 states where it manages canals, reservoirs, dams and hydropower facilities. That leaves open concerns that the agency won’t merely be short-staffed, but lack employees who are literally responsible for turning on pumps and releasing water to irrigators, said Shane Leonard, who serves as secretary and district manager for the Kennewick Irrigation District.

Other Bureau of Reclamation and water agency news:

• Los Angeles Times: Water officials knew Trump’s demand to open dams was ill-advised
• E&E News by Politico: ‘The hatchet’: DOGE spending freeze fuels agency chaos
• AgAlert: Initial Central Valley Project water allotment may not increase plantings