Vice President JD Vance’s team requested that water levels in an Ohio lake be raised so he would enjoy “ideal kayaking conditions” on a birthday outing, according to a report.
Vance was on a family vacation in south-western Ohio last week and spotted by locals canoeing down the Little Miami River on his birthday on August 2.
The vice president’s team requested that Army Corps engineers change the outflow of Caesar Creek Lake, which feeds into the river, to “support safe navigation” of Vance’s security detail, The Guardian reports.
An anonymous source reportedly told the newspaper the request was made not only for safety and security reasons, but to create the “ideal” conditions on the water so Vance could enjoy a paddle down the river.
The outlet said it could not independently verify the claim.
The vice president’s office did not immediately respond to The Independent’s request for comment.
A Secret Service spokesperson told The Independent it coordinated with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Army Corps of Engineers to ensure that Vance’s security detail could “operate safely with appropriate water levels during a recent visit.”
In early August, aligning with the dates Vance was in the area, there was a sudden increase in the river level and a corresponding drop in Caesar Creek Lake’s water surface elevation, according to public data on the U.S. Geological Survey website.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokesperson Gene Pawlik told The Guardian that a request was received to “temporarily increase outflows from Caesar Creek Lake to support safe navigation of U.S. Secret Service personnel.”
The Guardian’s source, who was reported to have knowledge of the matter, said the request for “special releases” is not generally something that’s granted for individuals.
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,” Pawlik said.
“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,” the spokesperson added.
While there is no suggestion that the vice president’s team did anything illegal, critics said it appeared hypocritical of Vance to receive “special treatment” for his family vacation in the beauty spot when his administration has overseen drastic job cuts in the National Park Service.
“It’s outrageous for the Army corps of engineers to spend taxpayer money to increase water flow in a river so @VP can go canoeing when budget cuts to the National Park Service have severely impacted family vacations for everyone else,” ethics lawyer Richard Painter, who served in George W. Bush’s administration, reacted in a post on X.
“While there may well be security-related explanations or justifications that come into the analysis, my reaction is: I don’t care,” Norman Eisen, former President Barack Obama’s ethics czar, told The Guardian. “We shouldn’t be utilizing government resources in this way. I never would have allowed it.”
“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 utilize that body of water for recreational purposes,” Eisen added.
Protesters have frequently crashed Vance’s family vacations in the six months he has been in office.
After news that Vance and his family planned a day out at Disneyland in California last month, hundreds turned out to protest at the theme park to condemn the Trump administration’s immigration raids across the state.
In March, protesters lined the streets near the ski resort the vice president was staying at with his family in Vermont.
Vance is soon headed for the U.K. countryside hotspot of the Cotswolds on his next family vacation, where he is expected to rent a quaint rural cottage.
