NEWS

Hikers and Kern River advocates began finding multiple dead Canada geese in and around Truxtun Lakes starting Thursday. California State University Biology Professor Rae McNeish counted at least 10 dead adult birds along the shore and saw another two on the island, according to an email string SJV Water was included on. “The birds look…
by Monserrat Solis, California Local News Fellow
Editor’s note: Monserrat Solis covers Kings County water issues for SJV Water through the California Local News Fellowship initiative.  A projected increase in the kind of “atmospheric river” type storms California experienced in the historic 2023 water year could be disastrous for the San Joaquin Valley – or its salvation. The difference depends on whether locals can…
The evolution of the Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency continued Thursday, as outgoing – and outspoken – board member Matt Leider attended his final meeting sporting a new hat emblazoned with the words “Tea Pot Dome GSA.”  For those who follow the ebb and flow of groundwater agencies in the Tule subbasin, Leider’s hat was…
Residents and advocates in the small community of Fairmead have been working for years to find ways to relieve pressure on the area’s aquifer to protect domestic wells. With the latest election, they hope all that planning can finally come to fruition. On Tuesday, Californians voted to approve Proposition 4, $10 billion in bonds for…
by Lisa McEwen, SJV Water
Access to a reliable water supply can make or break an agricultural investment, especially in the San Joaquin Valley where aquifers are coming under intense scrutiny from state and local agencies. Without at least two sources of water, farms and ranches throughout the San Joaquin Valley are quickly losing their value — some by more…
The legal fracas over who should pay to fix the sinking Friant-Kern Canal grew Friday when three Tulare County irrigation districts sued the Friant Water Authority for imposing steep fees on the districts approved through allegedly secret communications and serial meetings. In a suit filed Nov. 1 the Terra Bella, Saucelito and Porterville irrigation districts…
From Water Education Foundation’s press release: Henry is third recipient of Rita Schmidt Sudman Award for Excellence in Water Journalism Lois Henry, a journalist who launched SJV Water as a nonprofit news site devoted to covering water in the San Joaquin Valley, was named the 2024 recipient of the Water Education Foundation’s Rita Schmidt Sudman Award for…
by Lisa McEwen, SJV Water
Board seats on four Tulare County irrigation districts will be on the ballot this election. At least one of the districts has been in the news recently for its connection to a groundwater agency being sued for allegedly not doing enough to stem sinking beneath the Friant-Kern Canal. The Porterville Irrigation District is within the…
A contentious race for a seat on the Laguna Irrigation District board of directors in Kings County is revealing deep-seated fears that wealthy outside interests are driving district policies tipping the scales against smaller, local farmers. At the heart of those fears is a name that’s well-known in water circles, John Vidovich. Vidovich controls Sandridge…
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