New Bakersfield water chief named

Daniel Maldonado will take the reins of the Bakersfield Water Resources Department as its Director effective immediately, according to a City of Bakersfield press release.

News of his appointment was met with enthusiasm by others in the water world.

“That’s great news!” wrote North Kern Water Storage General Manager Dave Hampton in a text. “Daniel deserves that position and will do great things for the City of Bakersfield. I look forward to working with Daniel and the Water Resources Department.”

Likewise, Tim Ashlock, General Manager of Buena Vista Water Storage District, was happy with Maldonado’s appointment.

“Daniel is a good guy and easy to work with,” Ashlock said.

Ashlock and Hampton represent districts that hold rights to Kern River water, collectively known as “the river interests,” which can be a contentious bunch. But Maldonado, described as extremely knowledgeable and easy going, got kudos all around.

“Daniel is the right person for the job,” Art Chianello, who retired as Director of Water Resources in 2022 and now works as the Kern River Watermaster, wrote in a text. “His experience and depth of knowledge of Kern River operations and water/wastewater systems will serve Bakersfield well for many years to come.”

Maldonado has worked for Water Resources since 2015, starting in maintenance and working his way up to Assistant Director in 2023.

In that time, he helped see the department through two of the state’s worst multi-year droughts on record and one of its biggest water years in 2023.

Most recently, he helped oversee construction of a key piece of infrastructure on the Kern River, the “Backup Weir” at Coffee Road, which helps regulate heavy flows so water isn’t lost to the California Aqueduct or doesn’t rush northwest into the old Tulare Lakebed.

That weir had just received funding to begin construction when the flood hit in 2023. A sand plug at Coffee Road that was in danger of washing away and letting water barrel down the riverbed, was overlain with giant tubing to try and hold back flows so water could be siphoned off in an orderly fashion.

Ultimately, only a small amount of Kern River water had to be released to the California Aqueduct and no Kern River water escaped to Tulare Lake.

Though the tubes worked, the new backup weir should make regulating Kern River flows a bit easier. With another El Niño looming, Maldonado may get to test that backup weir later this year.

Maldonado will also faces challenges as the city remains embroiled in a lawsuit over Kern River flows as well as an ongoing political fight over a 300% sewer rate increase approved by the City Council earlier this year.

“I don’t take this responsibility lightly,” the city press release quotes Maldonado. “I am excited to work alongside our team of water professionals to build a sustainable and reliable water future for our city.”

Maldonado was born and raised in Bakersfield. He graduated from Ridgeview High School before earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration from California State University, Bakersfield and a master’s degree in water resource mangement from California State University, Fresno.

He began his career with the city in 2012 working for Solid Waste under the Public Works Department before signing on with the Water Resource Department.

Water Resources manages the city’s Kern River rights and operates the river on behalf of all river interests. It also owns water banking facilities and oversees a domestic water system providing 143,000 residents with drinking water.

Maldonado’s predecessor, Kristina Budak, retired in July after about three years as director.

It’s unknown what Maldonado’s salary will be. In 2025, Budak earned $203,286 in salary plus $39,837 in benefits as Director of Water Resources, according to Transparent California.