English | Español

Facebook-f Twitter Linkedin-in Instagram
Login
Donate

NEWS

Battle for Kern River water goes deep into rights, history

• by Lois Henry
The state hearing on whether there is “loose” water on the Kern River got started Thursday and was quickly snared in a thicket of procedural issues, arcane water rights and water diversion practices. After two very full days of testimony and legal wrangling, the upshot is that there is no upshot, just yet. Administrative Hearing…
Read More

New Kern River coalition; Grassroots or astroturf?

• by Lois Henry
The main water district involved in several legal battles for Kern River water has launched a new coalition/messaging campaign it is calling Sustainable Kern River. Its website says the organization is a coalition and lists several members, but its creation and funding comes from North Kern Water Storage District, according to North Kern’s General Manager…
Read More

March for the Kern River

• by Lois Henry
About 30 hardy souls marched the length of the dry Kern River bed — nine miles — from near Manor Street in east Bakersfield all the way to Stockdale Highway Saturday morning to protest the lack of water in the river. At the start of the hike, the group filled bottles and jugs with water…
Read More
•

New Kern River Watermaster in the wings

• by Lois Henry
It appears a new Kern River Watermaster will be chosen to replace Dana Munn, whose contract winds up at the end of this year. If he’s officially approved by all the voting members of the “river interests,” Mark Mulkay will likely become the fourth ever Kern River Watermaster. He said he’s discussed it with all…
Read More

River march

• by Lois Henry
A march to bring awareness to the Kern River will take place November 13 in the dry river bed through Bakersfield. Local nonprofit Bring Back the Kern is organizing the protest march ahead of a hearing on the Kern River by the state Water Resources Control Board. That hearing will be held online Dec. 9….
Read More

Public can get in on the upcoming Kern River hearing, sort of

• by Lois Henry
The public can weigh in on the Kern River at an upcoming hearing but the proceeding will be very narrowly focused, according to a ruling  released Wednesday. Too narrowly focused, according to one attorney representing several nonprofits hoping to bring water back to the river through town on a regular basis. “We have a ruling…
Read More

Water in the Kern River an inspiration for local artists

• by Lois Henry
Painters, poets and musicians converged on the state Water Resources Control Board Tuesday as part of an unrelenting campaign to get water in the Kern River through Bakersfield. Bring Back the Kern, a local grassroots group, has facilitated public comments from a wide variety of individuals and groups, including brewers and, now, artists, at the…
Read More

Kern River lawsuit “unleashed” public’s rights

• by Lois Henry
A new player has entered the fray over forfeited Kern River water rights, bolstering the position that the public has a right to a flowing river. The state Department of Fish and Wildlife argues in a legal brief filed recently that the state Water Resources Control Board is absolutely obligated to consider the public trust…
Read More

They came, they saw, they took out the trash

• by Lois Henry
The Kern River got a lot of love this National Clean Up Day with two groups picking up trash along different sections of the river on Saturday. In Bakersfield, about 40 volunteers with Bring Back the Kern, a nonprofit group dedicated to getting water flowing on a more regular basis through town, cleared away trash under…
Read More
Sponsored

Receive the latest news

Subscribe To Our Weekly Newsletter & Get Email Notifications

Enter your email address to receive INSTANT ALERTS of new articles and to be added to SJV Water’s WEEKLY NEWSLETTER