White House scraps water expert’s nomination as states hash out Colorado River plan

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE N M AP A veteran water expert from Arizona says the Trump administration withdrew his nomination to lead the federal agency that oversees water management in the western U S leaving the Bureau of Reclamation without permanent leadership this year Ted Cooke communicated The Associated Press late Wednesday that he was preparing for a Senate confirmation hearing early this month but his name was removed from the agenda He wasn t communicated until this week that there was an unspecified issue with his background check Cooke noted the White House didn t offer any details and inquired only that he withdraw himself from consideration The real story here is that I ve been sacrificed on the altar of political expediency because of party politics and maybe Colorado River basin intrigues Cooke announced adding that he believes he was given a fabricated excuse to avoid having any discussion on what the real issue is Related Articles Trump suggests US troops could return to base in Afghanistan citing its proximity to rival China Pete Buttigieg rallies against redistricting in home state of Indiana Trump administration to close Miami organ donation group it calls failing Turned off by Trump rhetoric Canadians cancel trips New England pays the price Howie Carr Jimmy Kimmel s clown show demise long overdue Cooke revealed he didn t know what the issue was The shift comes as the bureau and seven states face a deadline to decide how to share the Colorado River amid ongoing drought and shrinking water supplies The Interior Department which oversees the bureau referred questions about Cooke to the White House which did not respond to multiple emails seeking comment Trump s announcement in June that he had tapped Cooke the former general manager of the Central Arizona Project drew praise from countless who noted Cooke s experience delivering water to the state s majority populous communities would be a plus for the bureau Still representatives in other Western states had concerns that Cooke would give deference to his home state as negotiations over the future of the Colorado River come to a head Water managers have been grappling with the prospect of painful cuts in water supplies as the river dwindles The Colorado River is a critical lifeline to seven U S states more than Native American tribes and two Mexican states It provides electricity to millions of homes and businesses irrigates vast stretches of desert farmland and reaches faucets in cities throughout the Southwest including Los Angeles and Las Vegas In Mesa Arizona Mayor Mark Freeman had celebrated Cooke s nomination back in June in a social media post On Wednesday the Republican advised the AP he was disappointed to learn the nomination wouldn t move forward Mr Cooke has dedicated his career to managing Arizona s water guidance and his deep knowledge of the Colorado River system would have provided valuable insight during this critical time Although his nomination was not certified the challenges before us remain Freeman stated highlighting the need to ensure reliable water supplies Anne Castle former chair of the Upper Colorado River Commission announced in an email that withdrawal of the nomination looks like backroom politics at a time when what we really need is straightforward leadership on western water issues FILE The Central Arizona Project canal runs through rural desert near Phoenix Oct AP Photo Ross D Franklin File Cooke reported he heard from specific people that his knack for being fair and even-handed might have worked against him He theorized that specific executives might have been pushing to find a more ruthless nominee since Colorado River negotiations have been anything but easy Sarah Porter director of the Kyl Center for Water Program at Arizona State University revealed that while Cooke s withdrawal is a lost opportunity to have a highly qualified person in the job it s not likely to disrupt ongoing negotiations She announced the bureau s acting leadership has been working assiduously to figure out a way forward for river management She also doubted that having Cooke lead the bureau would have given Arizona a leg up saying there are too a large number of other decision-makers and considerable stakeholders involved for that to ever be a real possibility And they know that Ted would have tried hard to rise above all that It s unclear whether the Trump administration is considering other candidates for the top post at the bureau Associated Press writers Felicia Fonseca in New York City Matthew Daly in Washington D C and Dorany Pineda in Los Angeles contributed to this overview