Powerful Kern water agency board ignores ag members and appoints urban water expert to its ranks

Directors of the Kern County Water Agency selected Tamara Johnson, a long time California Water Services manager, to fill a vacant board seat, despite an outpouring of support from agricultural water districts for another candidate.

Representatives from several of the agency’s 13 member ag districts spoke at Wednesday’s meeting in support of Mark Mulkay, former Kern River Watermaster and retired General Manager of the Kern Delta Water District.

Managers agreed all candidates were outstanding but said Mulkay brought needed expertise with regard to the State Water Project as well as local water rights.

“He can step right in,” said Sheridan Nicholas, General Manager of the Wheeler Ridge-Maricopa Water Storage District.

Director Gene Lundquist, who served on the ad hoc committee that considered board candidates, agreed Mulkay was a strong candidate. In fact, any of the three who applied for the seat would be good choices, he added. Longtime western Kern farmer Greg Wegis also applied.

“Frankly, the committee agonized over this decision because of the quality of the applicants,” Lundquist said before recommending Johnson.

Fellow director and committee member Royce Fast agreed, saying this was the hardest decision he’s had to make during his tenure on the agency’s board.

“What it boiled down to for me was, when I look at the makeup of this board, it’s only 15% M&I (municipal and industrial),” Fast said. “Our board is predominantly made up of ag representatives.”

Because the agency also runs Improvement District 4 (ID4), which wholesales water to urban purveyors, Fast said, he felt Johnson brought a needed urban water skill set and perspective.

In fact, CalWater is one of ID4’s largest customers.

Tim Ashlock, General Manager of the Buena Vista Water Storage District, disagreed with Fast’s assessment noting that two director divisions already represent primarily urban areas

“So, that’s more than 15% (of board seats),” Ashlock said. “I feel urban already has two seats, it doesn’t need a third.”

Eric Averett, the agency’s General Manager, intervened saying that since all of the agency’s board members also sit as the board for ID4 and only two are urban heavy, that actually leaves urban under represented.

For her part Johnson said she looks forward to working with everyone involved in agency issues and was focused on protecting Kern County’s water for future generations.

“I genuinely understand the concerns brought up today and my promise to that group is that I’m here to communicate and collaborate,” Johnson said, shortly after being sworn in.

It’s unclear if there is any potential conflict for Johnson voting on ID4 issues while also serving as CalWater’s Director of Field Operations for its southern region.

Agency Director Jay Kroeker was the only “no” vote on Johnson, saying prior to the vote that he also supported Mulkay.

The term for this seat, which became available in October when Averett resigned from the board to take the General Manager position, runs through December 2026.

The agency is the second largest contractor on the State Water Project, able to bring close to one million acre feet of water to local farms and drinking water agencies when the state has enough water.

It also runs ID4, which has its own treatment plant and owns rights to high flow water on the Kern River. It is one of six entities that control the massive Kern Water Bank.  And is one of three entities that govern the Kern River Groundwater Sustainability Agency, which monitors water tables and can set pumping limits.

The agency also controls the movement of significant amounts of water into and out of the county through its Cross Valley Canal.

The agency is partially funded through property taxes.