Kern River Archives - Page 7 of 15

Kern River watershed “Lookin’ good!”

March 1, 2023

• by SJV Water

Water watcher Scott Williams, who issues a Kern River Snow and Water Report every month, was practically giddy in his March 1 email stating: “Lookin’ good!” for this month’s report. The report compiles water and snow statistics from a variety of public sources. The upshot is the Kern River is forecast at 190% of average….

Rivers • Uncategorized

VIDEO: More water in the Kern River – where from this time?

February 21, 2023

• by Lois Henry

The Kern River came alive again recently as the Kern County Water Agency pumped water into one section of the dry riverbed from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Various water agencies have been using the river to move or store water as supplies have increased thanks to the relatively wet winter California has experienced so…

Floods • Uncategorized

Funding to protect valley towns from flooding yanked out of budget even as climate change increases threat

February 9, 2023

• by Lois Henry

The same day that water gushed over the banks of Miles Creek swamping the small town of Planada in Merced County last month, the Newsom’s administration pulled $40 million out of its proposed budget that was intended for flood protection projects in the San Joaquin Valley. Advocates had worked for years to get that money…

Drought • Rivers

River water from 150 miles away flows through parts of the Kern River

February 6, 2023

• by Lois Henry

The lower Kern River has flowing through its dry bed after years of drought. But it’s not actually Kern River water….

Drought • Rivers

A river appears in the Kern River bed

January 14, 2023

• by Lois Henry

There was water snaking through the Kern River bed through Bakersfield on Friday. The City of Bakersfield was moving water it was obligated to release down the river for power plants through the riverbed and into Truxtun Lakes, the lake at the Park at Riverwalk and Aera Park, according to Daniel Maldonado, a city water…

Rivers

VIDEO: Kern River Parkway wells

January 4, 2023

• by Lois Henry

In 2000, the Kern County Water Agency got $23 million in funding from Proposition 13 for a number of water projects, including to restore a minimum flow in the Kern River through Bakersfield using six wells. The agency built the wells. But has never used them to restore the river….

Rivers

Conditions “significantly improved” for Kern River watershed

January 3, 2023

• by SJV Water

Water watcher Scott Williams put out his Kern River Snow and Water Report on Monday and, based on national, statewide and local data, things have gone from “eh…” to fairly promising. Precipitation in the upper Kern basin, which feeds the North Fork of the Kern river was 134% of average for the water year to date….

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…

Rivers

Bakersfield sued over “dewatering” of Kern River

November 30, 2022

• by Lois Henry

Several public interest groups sued the City of Bakersfield Nov. 30 alleging the city has been derelict in its operation of the Kern River by diverting most of its flows to agriculture and other uses leaving a dry riverbed through the heart of town. “The river is dry, but not because of a lack of…

Rivers • The Law of the River

VIDEO: Understanding the Kern River, east to west

November 7, 2022

• by Lois Henry

Water on the Kern River works hard from start to finish. In this Law of the River video, we continue our journey down the river starting at Truxtun Avenue and Coffee Road in the heart of Bakersfield. The Kern River is mostly dry through Bakersfield as its waters are moved to farms, drinking water plants…

NEWS

Kern River watershed “Lookin’ good!”

VIDEO: More water in the Kern River – where from this time?

Funding to protect valley towns from flooding yanked out of budget even as climate change increases threat

River water from 150 miles away flows through parts of the Kern River

A river appears in the Kern River bed

VIDEO: Kern River Parkway wells

Conditions “significantly improved” for Kern River watershed

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

Bakersfield sued over “dewatering” of Kern River

VIDEO: Understanding the Kern River, east to west

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