Floods Archives - Page 4 of 9

Floods

Floodwater is filled with icky stuff but won’t likely hurt drinking water long term

May 12, 2023

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

Floodwater covering parts of the San Joaquin Valley is nasty – filled with animal and septic waste, road oil and other grunge from whatever it’s washed over. Swimming in it is definitely not advised. But over the long term, experts don’t think it will harm groundwater, which is where most valley residents get their drinking…

Floods • Uncategorized

Kern River water to go into California Aqueduct to keep it out of Tulare Lake; flows to ramp up mid-June

May 12, 2023

• by Lois Henry

For the first time in 17 years, the Kern River “intertie” will be opened on Monday to release Kern River flood waters into the California Aqueduct, according to the Kern River Watermaster. The move is an attempt to keep more flood water off the already waterlogged Tulare Lake bed as officials anticipate significantly increased Kern…

Floods • Uncategorized

State to pay $17 – $20 million for repeated rebuild of Corcoran levee

May 11, 2023

• by Lois Henry

The state will front Kings County $17-$20 million to pay for raising the Corcoran levee but said it didn’t want to throw “good money after bad” and would require local groundwater agencies do more to stem subsidence, land sinking. Gov. Newsom’s administration made the announcement Thursday as a separate measure among several water-related spending proposals…

Floods

Officials identify local infrastructure at risk of flooding in Bakersfield

May 9, 2023

• by Lois Henry, SJV Water and John Cox, The Bakersfield Californian

Senior Kern County officials assessing flood risks to critical local infrastructure have identified Bakersfield Heart Hospital as potentially vulnerable to inundation in the weeks ahead, followed to a lesser degree by Mercy Southwest and the former Big West refinery on Rosedale Highway. In case either medical center does flood, a plan has been put in place…

Floods • Uncategorized

Kern River water may be plentiful this year but it’s never cheap

May 8, 2023

• by Lois Henry

The Kern Water Bank Authority paid $35,000 just to file an application for a temporary permit to take up to 300,000 acre feet of Kern River flood water. There’s no guarantee the permit will be approved. Nor that the conditions in the permit – that rights holders are so full they can’t take more water…

Floods

Safe – for now: State prisons in Corcoran should stay dry, but flood water is creeping up

May 8, 2023

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

As Tulare Lake flood water creeps ever closer to the small city of Corcoran, officials at the two state prisons there have stopped accepting inmate transfers while they develop larger evacuation plans. Together, the prisons house 8,000 people, many with severe mental health and substance abuse issues as well as rival gang members. Moving the…

Floods • Rivers

CLOSED: Public is told to stay out of most valley rivers; closure on a portion of the Kern tries to make room for rafters

May 5, 2023

• by Jesse Vad and Lois Henry, SJV Water

This year’s epic runoff into San Joaquin Valley rivers is creating a tricky tightrope for local agencies tasked with keeping the public safe. How do you let people enjoy the bounty of water while making sure they don’t do anything lethally stupid? Upper Kern River It’s a difficult balance, as Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux…

Floods

Raising the Corcoran levee on sinking ground

May 4, 2023

• by Lois Henry

The Corcoran levee is being raised – again. The fear is it won’t be high enough as runoff from record breaking snowpack above several rivers that feed into the old Tulare Lake gets underway. Before repair work got started the levee stood at 188 feet. That’s four feet shorter than when it was last…

Floods • Uncategorized

Water tour showcases San Joaquin Valley flood damage; preparation for incoming snow melt

May 3, 2023

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

Throughout a recent tour of key water sites in the San Joaquin Valley, flooding, historic wet conditions and preparation for runoff from record-breaking snowpack were the main topics at almost every stop. The tour is one of several offered by the nonprofit Water Education Foundation. San Luis Reservoir The first stop was San Luis Reservoir…

Floods

Recreation sites above Lake Kaweah closed due to dangerous conditions

May 2, 2023

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

The Army Corps of Engineers closed two recreation areas at Lake Kaweah on Tuesday because of dangerous riverbank instability. The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office made the request for closure and the Corps closed down the Cobble Knoll and Slick Rock recreation areas. They will remain closed until conditions are safe again, according to the Corps….

NEWS

Floodwater is filled with icky stuff but won’t likely hurt drinking water long term

Kern River water to go into California Aqueduct to keep it out of Tulare Lake; flows to ramp up mid-June

State to pay $17 – $20 million for repeated rebuild of Corcoran levee

Officials identify local infrastructure at risk of flooding in Bakersfield

Kern River water may be plentiful this year but it’s never cheap

Safe – for now: State prisons in Corcoran should stay dry, but flood water is creeping up

CLOSED: Public is told to stay out of most valley rivers; closure on a portion of the Kern tries to make room for rafters

Raising the Corcoran levee on sinking ground

Water tour showcases San Joaquin Valley flood damage; preparation for incoming snow melt

Recreation sites above Lake Kaweah closed due to dangerous conditions

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