NEWS

by Jesse Vad, SJV Water
A new water quality initiative in Kern County is gearing up to go live in the next few months to help residents whose water is contaminated with nitrates. The state’s nitrate control program launched in 2021. It offers free well testing and water deliveries for residents whose wells test over the limit for nitrates. The…
As another storm barrels toward California, local officials are warning residents to stay up to date on weather conditions and be prepared in case of flooding, power outages or other emergencies.  An atmospheric river will bring widespread rain and gusty winds throughout the San Joaquin Valley starting Saturday night. The storm will last into Monday,…
How did Porterville, where a then raging Tule River cuts through the town, stay dry while so many other San Joaquin Valley communities got flooded out last spring? Planning, coordination and permits. Sounds simple, but it took officials from the city, irrigation district, Tulare County and federal offices years to establish. It paid off as…
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…
A string of emails appears to show that one state agency stood in the way of stream channel maintenance for more than five years, which may have led to flooding that caused severe damage in Merced County, according to a recent lawsuit.  The emails begin in 2018 and go back and forth for years between…
Three dam expansion projects could increase water storage for use in the Central Valley by a whopping 304,000 acre feet. Each of the projects would raise existing dams, not build new ones. The project that is furthest along would raise the B.F. Sisk Dam in Merced County to expand San Luis Reservoir storage by 130,000…
All across Tulare County, the race is on to repair flood-damaged infrastructure before an anticipated El Niño winter and an even more looming expiration of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order that relaxed permitting for levee work and debris clean up. The work has lagged, though, as creeks and rivers are still flowing or the ground…
On Tuesday, the state announced $187 million in funding for its final round of groundwater agency funding for the time being. The money will fund 103 groundwater projects throughout the state including four in the San Joaquin Valley.  The Oakdale Irrigation District in Stanislaus County will receive $14.3 million to expand a groundwater recharge facility…
California’s Central Valley was slammed by one epic storm after another this winter. The water flooded roads, overtopped rivers, broke levees and swamped entire towns. Without flood insurance and few other resources, residents of these mostly small, rural enclaves have had to rely on family, friends and neighors to rebuild. Months later, many are still…
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