One of the West’s top water officials was pushed to resign by the Trump administration. Anne Castle was appointed to serve as federal representative to the Upper Colorado River Commission by the Biden administration in 2022.
It’s not uncommon for her position to turn over with a change in the White House. But Castle says she’s worried about the future under Trump. She says recent orders to release water from California reservoirs were based on a "total lack of understanding about how the system works."
"While it's rational, I think, for us to think that the Colorado River system and its policy direction isn't partisan, and therefore may be safe … while that's rational to think, these are not rational orders," Castle said.
Although she’s left her position, Castle says she’ll be watching how states sharing Colorado River water work towards a compromise.
"I think that there is opportunity and possibly some reason for optimism that the states are talking more substantively now about how to get to a consensus agreement," Castle said.
