JD Vance’s team had the army corps of engineers in Louisville, Ohio, take the unusual step of changing the outflow of a lake to accommodate a recent boating excursion on a family holiday, the Guardian has learned.
The request from the US Secret Service was made to “support safe navigation” of the US vice-president’s security detail for an August outing on the Little Miami River, according to a statement by the US army corps of engineers (USACE).
Vance was spotted in the south-western Ohio area on 2 August, his 41st birthday, according to social media posts that noted the vice-president was seen canoeing on the river, a tributary that Caesar Creek Lake feeds into.
One source with knowledge of the matter who communicated with the Guardian anonymously alleged that the outflow request for the Caesar Creek Lake was not just to support the vice-president’s Secret Service detail, but also to create “ideal kayaking conditions”. The Guardian could not independently confirm this specific claim.
The news raises questions about whether Vance’s office was potentially exploiting public infrastructure resources for his personal recreation at a time when the Trump administration has cut billions of dollars in foreign aid, scientific research and government jobs as part of its “efficiency” drive.
The vice-president’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
The Guardian first approached the USACE in Louisville for a comment about the change on Tuesday. Publicly available data on the US Geological Survey (USGS) shows a sudden increase in the river level and corresponding drop in lake elevation during the early August days when Vance was vacationing.
The request was forwarded to the USACE headquarters. In a statement emailed to the Guardian on Wednesday, spokesperson Gene Pawlik said the USACE Louisville had received “a request to temporarily increase outflows from Caesar Creek Lake to support safe navigation of US Secret Service personnel”.
In a statement, the Secret Service said it had closely coordinated with the Ohio department of natural resources and USACE to conduct planning to ensure motorized watercraft and emergency personnel could operate safely during a recent visit. It said it could not discuss specifics of its operational planning.
It is not unprecedented for the USACE to modify outflows to accommodate public use – for example for use in community river events and training for emergency responders.
In one instance, Caesar Creek Lake’s USACE, Louisville district Facebook page announced a “special release” as requested by the Ohio department of natural resources last year on 22 August but later publicly announced that the special release had been cancelled. No such public announcement was made before 1 August.
According to the Guardian’s anonymous source with knowledge of the matter, “special releases” are generally not done for individuals or by individual request.
The Guardian also sought information about whether the request was appropriately documented. USACE regulations regarding requests for so-called “deviations” – or any changes to normal practices – require approval and documentation that demonstrates why the deviation is justified. This process also ensures that risks associated with any deviation – including a flood risk or other environmental impact – is detailed.
Pawlik said 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”.
He added: “It was determined that the operations would not adversely affect downstream or upstream water levels. Downstream stakeholders were notified in advance of the slight outflow increase, which occurred August 1, 2025.”
While there is no allegation that Vance’s office did anything illegal, the ethics lawyer Richard Painter, who served in the George W Bush administration, said it seemed hypocritical and “pretty outrageous” for Vance to be receiving these particular accommodations for his family holiday when the administration’s cuts have led to drastic cuts in the National Park Service (NPS).
The National Parks Conservation Association has estimated that the NPS has lost about a quarter of its staff since January, which in turn has led to sections of some parks to be closed and hours to be changed due to staffing issues.
“Those cuts are directly impacting middle class families’ vacations,” he said. “Whether they are doing it for the Secret Service or for him I think is splitting hairs. What he ought to be doing is choosing another place.”
Norm Eisen, a former White House special counsel for ethics and government reform, said: “When I was President Obama’s ethics czar in the White House I got a lot of unusual requests but I never got one to increase the outflow of a waterway as part of a government official going kayaking.
“My nickname was ‘Mr No’ and I certainly would have lived up to it in this situation. I never would have permitted this kind of a thing because whether it technically violates the rules or not, it creates the appearance that the vice-president of the United States is getting special treatment that’s not available to the average person who wants to utilise that body of water for recreational purposes.
“While there may well be security related explanations or justifications that come into the analysis, my reaction is: I don’t care. We shouldn’t be utilising government resources in this way. I never would have allowed it.”
Additional reporting by Kira Lerner
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