lawsuit Archives - Page 2 of 2

Second lawsuit over flood damages in Merced is filed against state and local agencies

December 15, 2023

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

Another lawsuit is moving forward against the state and local agencies over flood damage to homes and businesses in Merced County. In the latest filing, 13 residents and business owners are suing the County of Merced, Merced Irrigation District, the City of Merced, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the California Fish and…

Uncategorized

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…

Uncategorized

Fish to receive 40% of Kern River flow under judge’s order

November 14, 2023

• by Lois Henry

A judge’s order signed Tuesday ensures there will be at least some water flowing in the Kern River through Bakersfield in perpetuity. Unless, of course, it’s overturned. Kern County Superior Court Judge Gregory Pulskamp signed an order that requires 40% of the Kern River’s flow to remain in the river to keep fish populations healthy….

Rivers • Uncategorized

Kern River legal wrangling raises questions about how – or whether – the river can serve the needs of people, fish and ag

October 13, 2023

• by Lois Henry

Kern County Superior Court Judge Gregory Pulskamp came back several times during an Oct. 13 hearing to what he saw as a “major issue” in the dispute over keeping water in the Kern River – its plumbing. The plaintiffs, a group of entities headed by Bring Back the Kern, have argued that water could flow…

Groundwater • SGMA

State water agency wades into lawsuit to maintain its authority over groundwater plans

November 18, 2022

• by Rose Horowitch, SJV Water reporting intern

A lawsuit over groundwater plans in the northern end of the San Joaquin Valley is being closely watched as it could have implications for how the state’s groundwater mandate moves forward, according to a recent briefing on the issue at the Kern Groundwater Authority. At the Nov. 16 meeting, authority attorney Valerie Kincaid explained that…

Rivers

Bakersfield has been derelict toward the public on the Kern River, group alleges

September 21, 2022

• by Lois Henry

Several public interest groups have issued a direct challenge to Bakersfield over the Kern River alleging the city has not lived up to its responsibilities to address the public trust. Water Audit California, an advocacy group based in Napa, sent a letter to the Bakersfield Water Resources Department July 27 demanding the city conduct a…

Rivers

Public is in the ring in fight over Kern River

August 17, 2021

• by Lois Henry

It was clear during the first hearing on the Kern River Tuesday that the public has a seat at the table as never before. Tuesday’s hearing was mostly procedural — setting out which issues would be sorted first and how. Permeating the discussion at nearly every turn, however, was the public trust doctrine, which gives…

Federal System • Groundwater

District sues to stop salty water exchange

March 25, 2020

• by Lois Henry

The James Irrigation District in western Fresno County has sued the Westlands Water District over its plan to let farmers pump salty groundwater into the Mendota Pool in exchange for water from the San Luis Reservoir. The lawsuit could scuttle Westlands’ plans to create a certain supply for its farmers as they, and farmers throughout…

NEWS

Second lawsuit over flood damages in Merced is filed against state and local agencies

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

Fish to receive 40% of Kern River flow under judge’s order

Kern River legal wrangling raises questions about how – or whether – the river can serve the needs of people, fish and ag

State water agency wades into lawsuit to maintain its authority over groundwater plans

Bakersfield has been derelict toward the public on the Kern River, group alleges

Public is in the ring in fight over Kern River

District sues to stop salty water exchange

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