Groundwater plans could cause up to 12,000 drinking water wells to run dry
If all goes according to plan — actually 26 groundwater sustainability plans — between 46,000 and nearly 130,000 Central Valley residents could be out of water by 2040, according to a new report released by the Water Foundation. Those sustainability plans are supposed to bring the valley’s depleted aquifers into balance, per the state’s Sustainable…
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Plans to fix the Friant-Kern Canal moving fast. Funding — not so fast.
Planning to fix the Friant-Kern Canal is moving at a lightning clip even as funding to put those plans into action lags. The massive project went from its initial notice on Dec. 3, 2019, to release of the draft environmental impact statement on May 8, 2020 — just five months. Comments on the draft environmental…
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Groundwater accountability sparks clash of Central Valley ag titans
Two giant Central Valley farming companies are slinging serious mud at one another over groundwater. And, in a rare break with tradition, they’re doing it in public. The fight has spilled out in public comments on the Tulare Lake Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan, which covers most of Kings County. The titans behind the comments are…
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Central Valley water districts take aim at each other’s groundwater plans
There is no tougher playground than California’s water world. Just take a look at the zingers flying back and forth between water districts on one another’s groundwater sustainability plans posted on the Department of Water Resources’ website. “It’s like a giant game of dodgeball,” said Dana Munn, General Manager of Shafter-Wasco Irrigation District. You need…
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Fresno Irrigation District video celebrating its centennial (and then some)
The Fresno Irrigation District has been quietly celebrating its 100 year anniversary during the global pandemic. Though several events had to be canceled for safety concerns, the district put together an informative video to help folks understand just how momentous bringing controlled irrigation and drinking water to the valley was. CLICK HERE to view the…
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New manager named at Kern Delta Water District
Steve Teglia, a long time Assistant City Manager of the City of Bakersfield, has formally taken over the reins of the Kern Delta Water District. He was appointed to the position to replace retiring Mark Mulkay on May 16 and officially took over on Monday, June 1. “This is a great move for Kern Delta…
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Westlands Water District is again eyeing San Joaquin River water
Westlands Water District sent shockwaves through the Central Valley water world recently after it alerted several districts that it intends to apply for rights to flood flows on the San Joaquin River. A previous attempt by Westlands to get rights to San Joaquin River water 20 years ago ignited a ferocious east-west battle in the…
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Kern River body count at 307 as Memorial Day weekend kicks off
Traffic was steady and growing, heading up to the Kern River Valley on Highway 178 by 9 a.m. Friday as a small group gathered for a grim kick off to Memorial Day weekend. The river’s body count, announced on signs at the mouth of the Kern River Canyon, was increased by nine. That brings the…
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May storms give state contractors 5% boost
Department of Water Resources press release: SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The State Water Project (SWP) now expects to deliver 20 percent of requested supplies in 2020 thanks to above-average precipitation in May, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced today. An initial allocation of 10 percent was announced in December and increased to 15 percent…
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PPIC: Valley groundwater plans not measuring up
Reviews are in and Central Valley groundwater plans are coming up short. The plans aren’t aggressive enough in stemming plummeting groundwater levels and land subsidence; they are overly reliant on the hope of new water as a fix; and they don’t work regionally. Those were the takeaways from a review by the Public Policy Institute…
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