california water Archives - Page 7 of 22

Utility stops flows to closed hatchery but keeps some North Fork Kern water for itself

July 28, 2022

• by Lois Henry

Southern California Edison has stopped taking water out of the North Fork of the Kern River for a state fish hatchery that has been closed for nearly two years but added a new diversion that river advocates are calling a “dangerous precedent.” The move comes several weeks after river advocates complained the utility was using…

dams

Central Valley’s two major dam projects moving forward

July 27, 2022

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

It’s no simple feat to raise a dam. In fact, it’s taken the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 34 years to get from the first feasibility study to expand the dam at Lake Success in Tulare County to finally getting construction underway. The improvements to Lake Success’ Schafer Dam, named after longtime Tule River watermaster…

State System • Uncategorized

Costs vs. benefits still unknown for the latest delta tunnel alignment, released Wednesday

July 27, 2022

• by Lois Henry

Kern County water managers are, for the most part, sticking with the proposed Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta tunnel but are keeping an eye on details still to come – how it will actually operate and how much the water will cost. The Department of Water Resources released a draft environmental impact report on the latest iteration…

Personalities • SGMA

Latest blow in Boswell-Vidovich water war could bring state control over region’s groundwater

July 25, 2022

• by Lois Henry

The latest blow in an ongoing water war between two Kings County agricultural titans may put control of the entire region’s groundwater into state hands. The J.G. Boswell Farming Company and Sandridge Partners, controlled by John Vidovich, have been scuffling over water in court, on ditch banks and even in the air with accusations on…

Drought • Rivers

Kern River advocates accuse utility of “lawless” water diversions on behalf of a long closed fish hatchery

July 20, 2022

• by Lois Henry

As water in the North Fork of the Kern River dwindles, controversy over its diminished flows is ramping up. At least some river watchers are accusing Southern California Edison of misusing a portion of the flows by continuing to divert water, ostensibly, for a state-owned fish hatchery that has been closed since 2020. The state…

Drinking Water • Drought

Even emergency water suppliers are close to tapped out as more valley towns go dry

July 19, 2022

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

Groundwater levels are dropping and domestic wells throughout the San Joaquin Valley are going dry as California’s third year of drought grinds on. That includes entire towns, such as East Orosi and Tooleville in Tulare County, which both went dry last week. It’s bad. But it may get worse. Area water suppliers are “locking down”…

SGMA

Will $10 million “make a dent” in Tulare County groundwater use?

July 7, 2022

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

Three San Joaquin Valley water agencies are gearing up to spend $10 million each in grant funding they received from the state Department of Conservation to retire or repurpose farmland. Valley agencies that received grants so far include the Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District, Pixley Irrigation District Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) and Madera County. SJV…

Drought

Talkin’ water on KGET Channel 17’s “Kern County In Depth” with Jim Scott – and friends

July 5, 2022

• by Lois Henry

Thanks KGET Channel 17 anchor Jim Scott for including SJV Water CEO Lois Henry on your “Kern County In Depth” show this week to chat about water! CLICK HERE for the “In Depth” version (that means longer…) And here’s the short version:…

SGMA

Farmers who helped sink the Friant-Kern Canal reject a fee to pay off their share of the fix

July 5, 2022

• by Lois Henry

Farmers in southern Tulare County on June 30 soundly rejected a proposed land fee that would have helped pay a lump sum settlement of $125 million toward fixing the Friant-Kern Canal, which has sunk because of excessive groundwater pumping. The Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency agreed in 2020 to pay a portion of the cost…

Drought

State water funding to help upgrade mountain systems

June 29, 2022

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

A sliver of state money will help upgrade drinking water systems in eastern Fresno County mountain communities that have been plagued by both drought and devastating wildfires. The money is part of an overall $300 million in Department of Water Resources funding aimed at drought impacts. In Fresno County, the Sierra Resource Conservation District was…

NEWS

Utility stops flows to closed hatchery but keeps some North Fork Kern water for itself

Central Valley’s two major dam projects moving forward

Costs vs. benefits still unknown for the latest delta tunnel alignment, released Wednesday

Latest blow in Boswell-Vidovich water war could bring state control over region’s groundwater

Kern River advocates accuse utility of “lawless” water diversions on behalf of a long closed fish hatchery

Even emergency water suppliers are close to tapped out as more valley towns go dry

Will $10 million “make a dent” in Tulare County groundwater use?

Talkin’ water on KGET Channel 17’s “Kern County In Depth” with Jim Scott – and friends

Farmers who helped sink the Friant-Kern Canal reject a fee to pay off their share of the fix

State water funding to help upgrade mountain systems

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