Douglas County Cooled Dam – The Trump administration’s workforce cuts at the federal agency that oversees US dams are threatening its ability to provide reliable electricity, supply farmers with water and protect communities from flooding, employees and industry experts warn.
The Bureau of Reclamation provides water and water power to the public in 17 Western Provinces. Management officials said about 400 agent workers were cut through the Trump reduction plan.
A “fork reduction” memo has also been sent to current workers, with more layoffs expected. The cut included workers at Grand Cooley Dam, North America’s largest hydroelectric power plant, according to two fired staff interviewed by The Associated Press.
“Without the operators, engineers, hydrologists, geologists, researchers, emergency managers and other experts of these dams, there could be serious risks to public safety and economic or environmental damage.”
White House spokesman Anna Kelly said that cuts in the federal workforce will ensure that bureaucracy and bloat will not disrupt disaster response.
“A more efficient workforce means more timely access to resources for all Americans,” she said in an email.
However, hydrologists at the department said people at work were needed to ensure that the dam was functioning properly.
“These are complex systems,” said Midwest workers.
Workers keep the dam safe by monitoring data, identifying weaknesses, and performing site testing to check for cracks and penetration.
“As we scramble to obtain these screenings, we limit our ability to ensure public safety as we lose institutional knowledge from retirees or early retirees,” the workers added. “It’s important to have people who can respond to operational emergencies. Staff cuts threaten our ability to do this effectively.”
A federal judge on Thursday ordered the administration to rehire fired probation workers, but a Trump spokesperson said he would fight back, but it is unclear if anyone will return.
The head of 14 California water and power agencies last month wrote to the Burial Bureau and the Department of Home Affairs to warn workers to eliminate “specialist knowledge” in the operation and maintenance of aging infrastructure.
The US Army Corps of Engineers also operate dams nationwide. Spokesman Matt Lave refused to say how many workers have left through the early acquisition, but said the agency has not been told to reduce the workforce.
But Neil Maun, executive director of the Pacific Northwest Waterway Association, said more than 150 Army Corps workers in Portland were fired and said they were expected to lose about 600 more in the Pacific Northwest.
The firing would include “a district chief to the operators of the vessels” and those essential for a safe river voyage, he said.
Their last day is unknown. The Corps was told to provide plans to the U.S. Personnel Management Office by March 14th, Maun said.
Several other federal agencies that ensure the dams operate safely are also facing layoffs and closures. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has fired 10% of its workforce, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Dam Safety Review Board dissolved in January.
Cuts come when the country’s dams require expert attention.
An AP review of Army data last year showed that at least 4,000 dams were inadequate or inadequate conditions, which could kill people or harm the environment if they fail. The AP needs inspection, maintenance and emergency repairs to avoid catastrophe.
In 2017, heavy rains at California’s Oroville Dam were damaged, forcing nearly 190,000 residents to evacuate, and in 2020, the AP found that Edenville Dam in Michigan violated the storm.
Stephanie Ducross of the Burial Probation Office, who was fired at Grand Cooley Dam, said she was among the dozens of workers who were first fired. The dam across the Columbia River in central Washington generates and supplies millions of homes with electricity and water in a 27-mile reservoir irrigating the Columbia Basin project.
“It’s a huge infrastructure,” she said. “It’s going to take a lot of people to do that.”
Some fired employees worked there for decades, but were on probation due to position switch. Duclos was an assistant to the program manager who organized the training and was in touch with human resources. The only person doing that job is afraid of how others will cover their work.
“You’re going to get employee burnout,” she said.
“We’ve seen a lot of effort into ensuring the National Dam Safety Program,” said Sen. Alex Padilla, a California Democrat who promoted bipartisan efforts until 2028 to ensure the National Dam Safety Program.
“Americans are worth better and I will work to make sure this administration is held accountable for their reckless actions,” Padilla said.
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Associated Press White House reporter Chris Megerian contributed from Washington, DC
