floods Archives - Page 3 of 4

Kern River water may be plentiful this year but it’s never cheap

May 8, 2023

• by Lois Henry

The Kern Water Bank Authority paid $35,000 just to file an application for a temporary permit to take up to 300,000 acre feet of Kern River flood water. There’s no guarantee the permit will be approved. Nor that the conditions in the permit – that rights holders are so full they can’t take more water…

Floods • Rivers

CLOSED: Public is told to stay out of most valley rivers; closure on a portion of the Kern tries to make room for rafters

May 5, 2023

• by Jesse Vad and Lois Henry, SJV Water

This year’s epic runoff into San Joaquin Valley rivers is creating a tricky tightrope for local agencies tasked with keeping the public safe. How do you let people enjoy the bounty of water while making sure they don’t do anything lethally stupid? Upper Kern River It’s a difficult balance, as Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux…

Floods

Raising the Corcoran levee on sinking ground

May 4, 2023

• by Lois Henry

The Corcoran levee is being raised – again. The fear is it won’t be high enough as runoff from record breaking snowpack above several rivers that feed into the old Tulare Lake gets underway. Before repair work got started the levee stood at 188 feet. That’s four feet shorter than when it was last…

Floods • Uncategorized

Water tour showcases San Joaquin Valley flood damage; preparation for incoming snow melt

May 3, 2023

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

Throughout a recent tour of key water sites in the San Joaquin Valley, flooding, historic wet conditions and preparation for runoff from record-breaking snowpack were the main topics at almost every stop. The tour is one of several offered by the nonprofit Water Education Foundation. San Luis Reservoir The first stop was San Luis Reservoir…

Floods

Kern River water heads north through flood channel but won’t hit Tulare Lake – yet

April 27, 2023

• by Lois Henry

The heavily overgrown Kern River flood channel that heads north past Highway 46 and eventually meanders into the southern end of the Tulare Lake bed is filling with water. But it’s not “flood water” and it won’t make it into Tulare Lake, said Tim Ashlock, General Manager of Buena Vista Water Storage District. The district…

dams • Floods

“Vibration” in Isabella Dam power plant causes temporary halt of Kern River outflows

April 25, 2023

• by Lois Henry

The Army Corps of Engineers will temporarily drop outflows from Isabella Dam to zero starting at midnight Wednesday so the power plant at the dam can shut down, according to Kern River Watermaster Mark Mulkay. Once the power plant, run by Isabella Partners, is down, water will be routed through the dam’s gates and outflows…

Floods • Uncategorized

Kern River “orphan channel” could pose problems during the big melt

April 24, 2023

• by Lois Henry

The Kern River flood channel that heads north to the old Tulare Lake bed from Highway 46 is decidedly not ready for what may become massive runoff. It’s a thicket of trees and shrubs and its banks are a weedy, trash strewn mess. But figuring out who’s in charge of clearing out that 16-mile stretch…

Floods

Who’s in charge? Agencies deal with fragmented flood response in the south San Joaquin Valley

April 20, 2023

• by SJV Water

Editors note: This story is a collaboration between SJV Water and Fresnoland, a non-profit news site in Fresno. Contributing reporters Jesse Vad, SJV Water, jesse.vad@sjvwater.org Gregory Weaver, Fresnoland, gregory@fresnoland.org Shaikh Rashad, Fresnoland, omar@fresnoland.org Residents and agencies struggle with jurisdiction in historic flood fight near the old Tulare Lake bed Flood water flowing toward the small…

Floods • Uncategorized

Longtime agreement keeps J.G. Boswell Company land dry in the old Buena Vista Lake bed in Kern County

April 19, 2023

• by Lois Henry

The old Buena Vista Lake bed in Kern County will remain mostly dry and continue being farmed by the J.G. Boswell Company despite the coming, epic snow melt. But unlike in Kings County where Boswell has been taking heat for continuing to farm parts of the old Tulare Lake bed while others have been flooded…

Floods • Uncategorized

Boswell holds flood water off some lake bed ground while planting tomatoes

April 2, 2023

• by Lois Henry

The rumors were so rampant, that Kings County sent agricultural inspectors into the old Tulare Lake bed to see if the powerful J.G. Boswell Company was holding back flood waters in order to plant tomatoes. “They could not find anything,” Kings County Supervisor Doug Verboon said in a text to SJV Water on March 24….

NEWS

Kern River water may be plentiful this year but it’s never cheap

CLOSED: Public is told to stay out of most valley rivers; closure on a portion of the Kern tries to make room for rafters

Raising the Corcoran levee on sinking ground

Water tour showcases San Joaquin Valley flood damage; preparation for incoming snow melt

Kern River water heads north through flood channel but won’t hit Tulare Lake – yet

“Vibration” in Isabella Dam power plant causes temporary halt of Kern River outflows

Kern River “orphan channel” could pose problems during the big melt

Who’s in charge? Agencies deal with fragmented flood response in the south San Joaquin Valley

Longtime agreement keeps J.G. Boswell Company land dry in the old Buena Vista Lake bed in Kern County

Boswell holds flood water off some lake bed ground while planting tomatoes

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