There are two major problems with Trump’s order, water experts said: The water will not flow to Los Angeles, and it is being wasted by being released during the wet winter season.

The sudden, unplanned release of water from two dams has led to criticism from residents, water managers and members of Congress.

Donald Trump's demand for billions of gallons (liters) of water to be released in California, in what he said was a move to help combat fires in Los Angeles, was wasteful and pointless, experts say. Water scientist Peter Gleick of the Pacific Institute said the release amounted to Trump having "thrown away" billions of gallons of water.

It comes after water shortages allegedly hampered firefighting efforts in Los Angeles—a claim that state officials deny.

After the tragic wildfires in Southern California, President Trump often attributed the disaster to what he said was a lack of water being sent from the northern part of the state, and vowed to fix the problem.

Grammer now … A day after levying steep new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, President Trump acknowledged what economists, members of Congress and even some of his own aides — in their previous lives — have been saying all along: Americans may find themselves paying the costs.

President Trump startled some of his most ardent supporters in the San Joaquin Valley by having the Army Corps of Engineers suddenly release water from two dams.