san joaquin valley Archives - Page 20 of 27

Feds not giving “fair share” of water to all contractors, some say

March 8, 2022

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

In California’s byzantine water world, some water districts are, apparently, more equal than others, to paraphrase George Orwell. That appears to be the case in the federally operated Central Valley Project, particularly when it comes to two main sets of water districts: the San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors and the Friant Contractors. On Feb. 27,…

Personalities

Kings County judge orders both sides to neutral corners in Boswell-Vidovich ditch bank battle

March 5, 2022

• by Lois Henry

Heavy equipment blockading a pipeline project from cutting through a canal was ordered removed on Friday and the pipeline project was halted temporarily by a Kings County Superior Court judge. The fight between the Tulare Lake Canal Company, controlled by the J.G. Boswell Company, and Sandridge Partners, controlled by John Vidovich, will be back in…

SGMA

Madera farmers may be facing a steep bill under county efforts to stem the groundwater overdraft

March 5, 2022

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

Madera County farmers who’ve never had to pay for water, could be facing an expensive new future under a new fee plan being drafted by the county’s groundwater sustainability agency. The new fees could add up to more than $23,000 per 100 acres, tacked on to the cost of doing business for some growers. The…

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…

Drought

Snow pack for Kern River watershed at 39% of normal

March 1, 2022

• by Lois Henry

Local water watcher Scott Williams put out his monthly Kern River watershed report Tuesday and the outlook is skimpy without more storms before May. Williams compiles stats from a number of publicly available sources, including state electronic snow sensors, called “pillows,” stashed in the upper reaches of the watershed and compares them to historic trends….

Groundwater • Personalities

Latest allegation in Boswell-Vidovich ditch bank battle: Environmental laws were willfully ignored

February 27, 2022

• by Lois Henry

Last we left off, Kings County’s two biggest farming companies were at impasse over a pipeline with heavy equipment and work crews standing guard atop the Tulare Lake Canal to keep a trench from being cut through its banks. Attorneys for the Tulare Lake Canal Company, controlled by the giant J.G. Boswell Company, and Sandridge…

Drinking Water • Groundwater

“Massive dollars” needed to clean tainted groundwater from Kern County’s banking projects

February 24, 2022

• by Lois Henry

Southern California’s reliance on Kern County’s prolific groundwater banks for drought insurance could be jeopardized by a chemical known as 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP). The cancer-causing agent has been found in several large groundwater banking operations in Kern and a first look at how much it may cost to clean up is a doozy. Up to $465…

Drought • Groundwater

Contamination a looming possibility for groundwater bank to be built using public funds

February 24, 2022

• by Lois Henry

A proposed Kern County groundwater bank that would be partially funded with $87 million in Proposition 1 money for new water storage, may have to deal with contamination before it spreads its first drop. The Kern Fan Groundwater Storage Project has not found contamination yet, but is sandwiched between areas that have confirmed 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP),…

Personalities

Water policy and politics, always an interesting mix

February 23, 2022

• by Jesse Vad and Lois Henry, SJV Water

Just before announcing she was switching her quest for reelection from one state Senate district to another, Melissa Hurtado appears to have thrown up a flag announcing her conservative bona fides in what could become a contest of the most right-leaning Democrat. On Feb. 17, Hurtado, who currently represents Sanger, introduced Senate Bill 1219 to…

Federal System • Friant-Kern Canal

Federal water allocation of 0% to 15% too skimpy, contractors say

February 23, 2022

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

The Bureau of Reclamation announced its 2022 water allocations for the Central Valley Project (CVP) on Wednesday. The CVP is a more than 400-mile network of federal canals and dams that transport water to farms and towns throughout the valley. CVP contractors south of the Delta will receive no water, except for a couple specific…

NEWS

Feds not giving “fair share” of water to all contractors, some say

Kings County judge orders both sides to neutral corners in Boswell-Vidovich ditch bank battle

Madera farmers may be facing a steep bill under county efforts to stem the groundwater overdraft

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

Snow pack for Kern River watershed at 39% of normal

Latest allegation in Boswell-Vidovich ditch bank battle: Environmental laws were willfully ignored

“Massive dollars” needed to clean tainted groundwater from Kern County’s banking projects

Contamination a looming possibility for groundwater bank to be built using public funds

Water policy and politics, always an interesting mix

Federal water allocation of 0% to 15% too skimpy, contractors say

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