kern county water agency Archives

Funding could be biggest hurdle faced by the delta tunnel as water users weigh costs versus benefits of the $16 billion project

February 26, 2024

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

The controversial Delta Conveyance Project may have bigger problems than legal action over its recently approved environmental impact report. Who’s going to pay the estimated $16 billion price tag? The concept, a tunnel to take Sacramento River water beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to thirsty towns and farms further south, relies on the end users…

Floods • Uncategorized

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

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…

Rivers

Kern River “restoration” wells pumping but not to restore the river

December 28, 2022

• by Lois Henry

An observant reader emailed SJV Water recently asking about a well he noticed near Calloway Drive that was pumping water into the brimful Cross Valley Canal just north of the dry Kern River “all summer long and beyond.” He wondered if that was a well owned by the City of Bakersfield and, if so, where…

Personalities

“Drop out” from race for seat on a powerful Kern water board appears poised to win

November 11, 2022

• by Lois Henry

If challenger Eric Averett maintains his lead over incumbent Phil Cerro for a seat on the powerful Kern County Water Agency board, it may prove just how effective a campaign statement can be. Averett said he tried to withdraw his name from the ballot after belatedly learning Cerro would run. But he missed the deadline…

Personalities

Challenger for seat on powerful Kern water board “withdraws,” at least in spirit

September 12, 2022

• by Lois Henry

Would-be challenger Eric Averett said he is “withdrawing” from the race for a seat on the powerful Kern County Water Agency board of directors. His name will still appear on the ballot, however. Averett said he couldn’t get his name off the ballot as the deadline to do so had already passed when he decided…

Drinking Water

Some rural California residents doubt they’ll ever get clean water

May 5, 2021

• by Claudia Boyd-Barrett

EDITOR’S NOTE: This piece is part of a collaboration that includes the Institute for Nonprofit News, California Health Report, Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism, Circle of Blue, Columbia Insight, Ensia, High Country News, New Mexico In Depth and SJV Water. It was made possible by a grant from The Water Desk, with support from Ensia…

Conservation • Drought • Federal System • Rivers • State System • Water Banking

Virtual Water Summit – May 25

April 20, 2021

• by Lois Henry

The Water Association of Kern County’s annual Water Summit is virtual this year but will still pack a punch of who’s who in the water world. The day kicks off with an update on water brought to the San Joaquin Valley via the federal Central Valley Project. The speaker will be Deputy Bureau of Reclamation…

Rivers

State will hear Kern River water rights case

April 2, 2021

• by Lois Henry

Is there water available on the Kern River and, if so, how much? Parties to the long-running river dispute will finally get a hearing by the State Water Resources Control Board on those questions, at least. The big question — who should get the water? — will have to wait. Still, this is the first…

Conservation • Drinking Water • Drought • Groundwater

Students find saving water “elementary”

March 16, 2021

• by Lois Henry

When a region’s groundwater is critically depleted and its dirt as hard as a frying pan, how do you refill the aquifer? Ask a fifth grader. Actually, ask the fifth and sixth grade combination class at Bakersfield’s Munsey Elementary School taught by Barbara Elrod. Elrod’s students discovered a pretty cool way to both conserve water…

NEWS

Funding could be biggest hurdle faced by the delta tunnel as water users weigh costs versus benefits of the $16 billion project

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

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

Kern River “restoration” wells pumping but not to restore the river

“Drop out” from race for seat on a powerful Kern water board appears poised to win

Challenger for seat on powerful Kern water board “withdraws,” at least in spirit

Some rural California residents doubt they’ll ever get clean water

Virtual Water Summit – May 25

State will hear Kern River water rights case

Students find saving water “elementary”

Subscribe To Our Weekly Newsletter & Get Email Notifications