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NEWS

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Kern County agencies seek nearly $50 million to repair damage and dig out from last winter’s storms

• by Lois Henry
Kern County agencies are still digging out, literally in some cases, from last winter’s storms as they seek federal funding and hope for enough time to fix damage before another wet winter. County agencies submitted requests for reimbursements totalling nearly $50 million for costs to repair damage from the 2023 storms and floods, according to…
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Fresno hospital’s request for $1.23 million in flood relief funding for “X-Ray Rooms” remains unexplained

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water
After this year’s historic storms and devastating floods, the federal government has been swamped with requests from agencies across the San Joaquin Valley seeking reimbursement for repair costs.  The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided SJV Water a data sheet that enumerates more than 460 such requests from six counties, including Fresno, Madera, Merced, Kern…
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Judge orders Bakersfield to keep water in the Kern River

• by Lois Henry
In what one attorney called a “moment of truth” for the City of Bakersfield, a judge ordered the city to keep enough water in the normally dry Kern River to protect fish populations. The 21-page preliminary injunction was issued by Kern County Superior Court Judge Gregory Pulskamp Monday afternoon. Colin Pearce, who represents the city…
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One Central Valley dam project gets nearly $95 million in funding; two others still in proposal phase

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water
Three dam expansion projects could increase water storage for use in the Central Valley by a whopping 304,000 acre feet. Each of the projects would raise existing dams, not build new ones. The project that is furthest along would raise the B.F. Sisk Dam in Merced County to expand San Luis Reservoir storage by 130,000…
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Fiercely dedicated to the valley, a one-time housing assistance nonprofit emerges as a major player in water solutions

• by Lisa McEwen, SJV Water
In a state where there seems to be no middle ground on water, one entity has proudly planted a flag of neutrality. Self-Help Enterprises’ focus is apolitical and purely practical — getting water to people in need.  The Visalia-based nonprofit is known for both its quick response in emergencies as well as sticking around to…
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Two new laws aimed at protecting drinking water for small town residents

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water
Two bills aimed at protecting small towns mired in debt, drinking water contamination and dropping groundwater levels have become law.  Senate Bill 3, authored by state Senator Bill Dodd (D-Napa,) extends water shutoff protections to households in communities with less than 200 water connections. That includes a handful of towns in the San Joaquin Valley…
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Residents below Isabella Dam again swamped by seepage after new pump runs out of gas

• by Lois Henry
Residents living below the Isabella Auxiliary Dam were thrilled earlier this month with a temporary fix that finally dried up excessive seepage from the dam that had been swamping septic systems and breeding forests of mosquito-infested weeds around their homes. The didn’t realize how temporary the fix would be, however. After only 12 days without…
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Kern River legal wrangling raises questions about how – or whether – the river can serve the needs of people, fish and ag

• by Lois Henry
Kern County Superior Court Judge Gregory Pulskamp came back several times during an Oct. 13 hearing to what he saw as a “major issue” in the dispute over keeping water in the Kern River – its plumbing. The plaintiffs, a group of entities headed by Bring Back the Kern, have argued that water could flow…
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California’s “water cop” sets date for the first hearing on one of the valley’s subpar groundwater plans

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water
“Urgent” concerns about rapidly sinking land and potential harm to residential wells pushed the groundwater subbasin covering Kings County to the front of the line among several San Joaquin Valley water regions slated to go before the State Water Resources Control Board. Still, the hearing for the Tulare Lake subbasin won’t come until April 16,…
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