public trust Archives

Court to consider cutting water diversions out of Kern River

October 3, 2023

• by Lois Henry

A preliminary injunction that could cut water being taken out of the Kern River if those diversions are harmful to fish will be taken up Friday, October 13 in a Kern County courtroom. The request for the injunction was filed in August by a group of entities suing the City of Bakersfield for what it…

Drought • Rivers

Putah Creek’s experience suggests getting water back in the Kern River could be a “slam dunk”

October 22, 2022

• by Lois Henry

If water rights on the Kern River were challenged in a public trust lawsuit, those rights would lose water, according to a legal expert on the public trust doctrine. Even when water rights go back more than 100 years, which is the case on the Kern River, the public trust doctrine holds sway. “It’s not…

Rivers

Merced Irrigation District sued over defunct fish ladder

October 11, 2022

• by Lois Henry

A long defunct fish ladder on an historic dam on the Merced River is the focus of a public trust lawsuit by advocacy group Water Audit California. The lawsuit, filed in late September, demands the Merced Irrigation District repair and properly maintain a fish ladder on the Crocker-Huffman Dam, about 30 miles northeast of the…

The Law of the River

VIDEO: The Kern River’s work starts long before it hits Bakersfield

September 29, 2022

• by Lois Henry

In our continuing series, we head upstream with Kern River Watermaster Mark Mulkay for a quick look at how some of the structures and obligations on the river above the San Joaquin Valley influence “the law of the river.” NEXT: The lower river – once the river hits the valley, it’s spliced and diced through…

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

POSTPONED!!!! Panel: Is there a way for all sides to “win” in the Kern River fight?

March 2, 2022

• by Lois Henry

!!!POSTPONED!!! Scheduling conflicts have waylaid this panel for some time. Please check back here or on the Bring Back the Kern site. The local grassroots group, Bring Back the Kern, will host a series of roundtable discussions to look at ways to restore the Kern River through Bakersfield and still satisfy…

Rivers

March for the Kern River

November 13, 2021

• 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…