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NEWS

Drought brings torrent of media attention to the Central Valley

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water reporting intern
The drought in California is making headlines every day across the country, and for good reason: Almost the entire state is in severe drought. And the whole San Joaquin Valley is experiencing extreme or exceptional drought, the two worst categories. As journalists set their sights on California, many news stories highlight impacts on farmers, particularly…
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California’s mountains are dry. Now we know how dry

• by Lois Henry
In a pitifully dry year like 2021, understanding the state’s skimpy snowpack is critical. Multi-million dollar decisions can hinge on even the smallest amounts of snow melt squeezed out of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Which makes information provided by Airborne Snow Observatories, Inc. flights vital, according to water managers. “Right now, there’s still 10,000 to…
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Bakersfield brewers send suds with a message to State Water Board

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water reporting intern
Bakersfield raised a brew, literally, to the State Water Resources Control Board on Friday in honor of the Kern River. An iced down package of seven locally made craft beers was delivered to board members as part of the latest outreach effort by Bring Back the Kern, a local group advocating for water to flow…
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State will hear Kern River water rights case

• by Lois Henry
Is there water available on the Kern River and, if so, how much? Parties to the long-running river dispute will finally get a hearing by the State Water Resources Control Board on those questions, at least. The big question — who should get the water? — will have to wait. Still, this is the first…
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Dry Kern River gets conceptual “flow”

• by Lois Henry
Earthscape artist Andres Amador installed a conceptualized flow in the dry Kern River bed Thursday. It was a joint project with Bring Back the Kern, a citizens group hoping to bring attention to the dry riverbed in order to get water flowing through Bakersfield  on a more regular basis. Bring Back the Kern shared several…
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Kings River floodwater dispute goes to the state

• by Lois Henry
A bid by Kern County farmers to take Kings River floodwater officially got underway Tuesday as state regulators hashed out procedures and next steps with the various parties. An initial hearing had been set for April 15, but may now be pushed back to July, depending on how Administrative Hearing Officer Nicole Kuenzi rules. Kuenzi…
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Valley irrigation district OKs plan to harvest mountain stream

• by Lois Henry
A plan to bring water from the South Fork of the Kern River through Isabella Lake and down 60 miles to farm fields west of Bakersfield was unanimously approved by the Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage District board of directors on Tuesday. If the environmental documents supporting that plan survive what is sure to be a…
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SJV Water on TV talking about the Kern River

• by Lois Henry
SJV Water discussed the Kern River on “Kern County In Depth,” a weekly feature on KGET Channel 17. Anchor Jim Scott discussed a new effort by a group of Bakersfield folks to get water in the river more often. The group, called “Bring Back the Kern,” started an online petition to bring awareness to the…
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Historic move: Fresno River rights to be decided

• by Lois Henry
If all you’ve ever seen of the Fresno River is through Madera as you drive over it on Highway 99, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s just a weed-infested, shopping cart collector rather than a real river. But there’s a lot to this unobtrusive waterway, which just made history as the first river in 40…
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