Trump officials gut 25 centers that monitor flooding and drought in the US

Source: The Guardian

Fri 2 May 2025 09.00 EDT
Last modified on Fri 2 May 2025 11.17 EDT


The Trump administration has ordered the closure of 25 scientific centers that monitor US waters for flooding and drought, and manage supply levels to ensure communities around the country don’t run out of water.

The United States Geological Service (USGS) water science centers’ employees and equipment track levels and quality in ground and surface water with thousands of gauges. The data it produces plays a critical role across the economy to protect human life, protect property, maintain water supplies and help clean up chemical or oil spills.

The targeted centers are part of a larger network, and the Trump administration based its decision to make cuts on leases near expiration, not scientific reasoning, said Kyla Bennett, director of science policy with the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility non-profit that is tracking the issue. The administration has not indicated a plan to fill the holes left by those that closed. “It’s not being done with any thought about human life, it was just ‘this seems so woke so let’s get rid of it,’” Bennett said. “People think water is free and comes out of your tap whenever you want, but it’s not that simple.”

The Trump administration has made few details available, but the leases were ordered cancelled by the General Services Administration, said a water center employee who requested anonymity to speak freely without retribution. They learned about the closure from their landlord, and centers from Alaska to Massachusetts will begin shuttering within four months.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/02/trump-administration-united-states-geological-service