isabella Archives - SJV Water

MEETING NOTES: Bakersfield accrued the most Kern River water last year since buying its river rights in 1976

February 26, 2024

• by Sonia Lemus, freelance for SJV Water

* “Meeting Notes” is a new feature focused on Kern County water districts, funded through a grant from the James B. McClatchy Foundation. Please consider supporting SJV Water to continue this important coverage. Meeting: City of Bakersfield Water board of directors Date: February 21, 2024. Agenda and Packet: CLICK HERE Operations Report: City of Bakersfield…

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“Where’s the river?” Bakersfield lowers required Kern River flows pending interim flow agreement

January 25, 2024

• by Lois Henry

Required flows down the Kern River channel were lowered by the City of Bakersfield on Monday as officials have collected more data on how much water is actually needed for the river to get west of town, according to an email from the City Water Resources Department. The move is part of a larger effort…

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Isabella power plant operators have a plan to make repairs without drying up Kern River

December 29, 2023

• by Lois Henry

Engineers with Isabella Partners, which operates the power plant at the base of Isabella Dam, believe they’ve found a way to make repairs to the plant without drying up the lower Kern River for weeks on end. If successful, water levels will drop from where they are now, but the river won’t go totally dry….

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Army Corps approves cuts to Isabella Dam releases as groups look for ways to protect Kern River fish flows and legal maneuvers expand

December 19, 2023

• by Lois Henry

The Army Corps of Engineers approved a request by operators of the power plant at the base of the dam to drastically cut water releases between Dec. 18 and Jan. 7 for a planned repair project to the plant. Under the approval, releases would drop from between 500 and 700 cubic feet per second down…

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Isabella power plant repairs postponed to protect Kern River fish flows – for now

December 15, 2023

• by Lois Henry

Work on a power plant at the base of Isabella Dam has been postponed while plant owners and several public interest groups look for a solution to keep enough water in the Kern River to protect fish. “We are not proceeding on the 18th and are working to find a solution that works for everyone,”…

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Losing McCarthy and Feinstein is a double-barreled blow for California’s water clout

December 12, 2023

• by Lois Henry

Kevin McCarthy’s chaotic exit from Congress on top of the death of Senator Dianne Feinstein has left California’s water world – and particularly the San Joaquin Valley – in somewhat of a representational void at the federal level. Both politicians brought a lot of firepower in their respective leadership positions as well as wealth of…

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Isabella Dam power plant repairs could cut Kern River flows causing a “massive fish kill”

December 4, 2023

• by Lois Henry

Anticipated repairs to the power plant at the base of Isabella Dam could cause a “massive fish kill” along the length of the Kern River as flows would have to be cut to almost nothing for weeks. Isabella Partners, which operates that power plant, submitted a request to the Army Corps of Engineers to cut…

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Kern River interests allowed to squeeze a little extra water into Lake Isabella this winter

October 18, 2023

• by Lois Henry

Kern River irrigators will be able to store more water than usual in Lake Isabella this winter, but not as much as they’d like. Typically, the “carry over” amount is 170,000 acre feet to allow enough room in the lake to handle a heavy winter. Isabella can hold 568,000 acre feet at full capacity. Agricultural…

dams • Uncategorized

Residents below Isabella Dam again swamped by seepage after new pump runs out of gas

October 17, 2023

• 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…

dams • Floods

The story of the Kern River this year was one of historic numbers, luck and long term plans paying off

July 26, 2023

• by Lois Henry

Despite a few white knuckle moments, the Kern River’s historic flows were successfully managed through a combination of incredible timing, long term planning and pure luck, according to Kern River Watermaster Mark Mulkay. During a detailed discussion of Kern River and Isabella Dam operations Tuesday before a packed room, Mulkay led the audience through the…

NEWS

MEETING NOTES: Bakersfield accrued the most Kern River water last year since buying its river rights in 1976

“Where’s the river?” Bakersfield lowers required Kern River flows pending interim flow agreement

Isabella power plant operators have a plan to make repairs without drying up Kern River

Army Corps approves cuts to Isabella Dam releases as groups look for ways to protect Kern River fish flows and legal maneuvers expand

Isabella power plant repairs postponed to protect Kern River fish flows – for now

Losing McCarthy and Feinstein is a double-barreled blow for California’s water clout

Isabella Dam power plant repairs could cut Kern River flows causing a “massive fish kill”

Kern River interests allowed to squeeze a little extra water into Lake Isabella this winter

Residents below Isabella Dam again swamped by seepage after new pump runs out of gas

The story of the Kern River this year was one of historic numbers, luck and long term plans paying off

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