JD Vance Accused of Changing Water Levels for Kayaking Trip

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Jordan King is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her current focus is on religion, health, food safety and population. She has covered the persecution of religions in the global south, fertility and birth rate issues around the world, multiple disease outbreaks in the U.S. and ongoing vaccination discourse. Jordan joined Newsweek in 2024 from The Evening Standard and had previously worked at Metro.co.uk, she has background in international human-interest stories and is a graduate of Kingston University, in London. You can get in touch with Jordan by emailing j.king@newsweek.com. Languages: English.

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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) changed the outflows of an Ohio lake at the request of the Secret Service to accommodate a private boating trip by Vice President JD Vance, according to a report by The Guardian.

USACE said it received the request to “temporarily increase outflows from Caesar Creek Lake to support safe navigation of US Secret Service personnel” during Vance’s visit to the Little Miami River on his 41st birthday last Saturday, the newspaper reported.

A source familiar with the situation told Newsweek that water levels were raised for security reasons, not to improve kayaking conditions.

The Secret Service confirmed to Newsweek that it “conducted operational planning to ensure that motorized watercraft and emergency personnel could operate safely with appropriate water levels during a recent visit.”

A spokesperson for Vance told Newsweek: “The Secret Service often employs protective measures without the knowledge of the Vice President or his staff, as was the case last weekend.”

Newsweek has contacted the White House and USACE, via email, for comment.

Why It Matters

The adjustment of water flows for a government official’s private trip could raise concerns about equitable access to public resources and the potential for exploiting government infrastructure for private benefit.

It comes as Trump administration’s budget cuts have left the National Park Service with severely reduced staffing—straining the agency’s ability to meet soaring visitor demand during peak vacation months.

What To Know

Publicly available water data showed increased river levels and a corresponding drop in lake elevation during at the weekend.

A Secret Service spokesperson told Newsweek that while it could not reveal the specifics of operational planning, it acted with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to provide a “safe and secure environment for our personnel and law enforcement partners.”

USACE spokesperson Gene Pawlik said stakeholders downstream were notified in advance of a “slight outflow increase” on 1 August, which did not adversely affect water levels in the area, The Guardian reported.

USACE records seen by the paper showed that while the agency had modified outflows for community events and emergency responder training in the past, such “special releases” were not typically made for individual requests.

The source familiar with what happened told Newsweek that the decision was made to raise the water level on the Little Ohio River after a public safety boat “ran aground” during a joint scouting mission carried out by the Secret Service and public safety officials before Vance’s trip.

“Claims that the water level was raised to improve kayaking conditions are false,” they said.

There are no allegations of illegal conduct in connection with the incident.

What People Are Saying

A Secret Service spokesperson told Newsweek on Thursday: “The Secret Service in close coordination with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Army Corps of Engineers conducted operational planning to ensure that motorized watercraft and emergency personnel could operate safely with appropriate water levels during a recent visit.”

USACE spokesperson Gene Pawlik told The Guardian that the Secret Service request “met the operational criteria outlined in the Water Control Manual for Caesar Creek Lake and did not require a deviation from normal procedures.”

Former chief White House ethics lawyer Richard Painter, who served under the George W Bush administration, said on X: “It’s outrageous for the Army corps of engineers to spend taxpayer money to increase water flow in a river so JD Vance can go canoeing when budget cuts to the National Park Service have severely impacted family vacations for everyone else.”

What Happens Next

No formal allegation of wrongdoing has been made against Vance or his office.

USACE has indicated that procedures were followed, and the Secret Service has not announced any changes to its operational guidelines regarding public waterway adjustments for official security purposes.

Update 8/8/25, 6:58 a.m. and 8:35 a.m. ET: This story has been updated with comment from a spokesperson for JD Vance and additional information.