water sales Archives

Heated water district race reveals fears that wealthy outsiders are calling the shots, selling water

October 28, 2024

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

A contentious race for a seat on the Laguna Irrigation District board of directors in Kings County is revealing deep-seated fears that wealthy outside interests are driving district policies tipping the scales against smaller, local farmers. At the heart of those fears is a name that’s well-known in water circles, John Vidovich. Vidovich controls Sandridge…

Rivers

VIDEO: Kern River Parkway wells

January 4, 2023

• by Lois Henry

In 2000, the Kern County Water Agency got $23 million in funding from Proposition 13 for a number of water projects, including to restore a minimum flow in the Kern River through Bakersfield using six wells. The agency built the wells. But has never used them to restore the river….

Rivers

Kern River “restoration” wells pumping but not to restore the river

December 28, 2022

• by Lois Henry

An observant reader emailed SJV Water recently asking about a well he noticed near Calloway Drive that was pumping water into the brimful Cross Valley Canal just north of the dry Kern River “all summer long and beyond.” He wondered if that was a well owned by the City of Bakersfield and, if so, where…

SGMA

Desert groundwater agency to pay $8,500 per acre foot for valley water rights

August 2, 2022

• by Lois Henry

The Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority in eastern Kern County has signed a “letter of intent” to buy the rights to 750 acre feet of state water for $6,396,000 from a State Water Project contractor in Kings County. The purchase is part of the authority’s plan to bring that overdrafted groundwater basin into balance. The…

Drought

Third year of drought pushes price of water to $2,000 an acre foot

April 26, 2022

• by Lois Henry

A sale of agricultural water within the Panoche Water District on the upper west side of the San Joaquin Valley hit the eye-popping price of $2,000 per acre foot recently. The buyer bought 668 acre feet in a deal that was brokered by Nat DiBuduo with Alliance Ag Services. The buyer, whose name was withheld,…

Groundwater • Personalities

Large water pipeline in Kings County raising questions, concerns

December 22, 2021

• by Lois Henry

A large water pipeline being built near Lemoore in Kings County is raising eyebrows as much for its possible uses as for the name associated with its construction — John Vidovich. The large, black pipe could be seen earlier this month being tucked into the ground along 21st Avenue just south of Highway 198 and…

Drought

Where is the water going?

November 22, 2021

• by Lois Henry, SJV Water

This 2021 article is part of a collaboration that includes the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN), California Health Report, Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism, Circle of Blue, Colorado Public Radio, Columbia Insight, The Counter, High Country News, New Mexico In Depth and SJV Water. The project was made possible by a grant from the Water…

Drought

Water transfers helped farmers survive this year. Now, all eyes are on the coming water year

September 15, 2021

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water reporting intern

Water transfers, trades and sales doubled this year as drought left San Joaquin Valley farmers scrambling for supplies. “This has been kind of an exceptional year for transfers,” said Sam Boland-Brien, program manager at the State Water Resources Control Board’s Division of Water Rights. Boland-Brien said he’s seen about twice the amount of transfers this…

Groundwater

SJV on VPR!

June 4, 2021

• by Lois Henry

Valley Public Radio in Fresno interviewed me about SJV Water’s story on subsidence in Corcoran that ran in the New York Times. TAKE A LISTEN!…

Drought • SGMA • State System • Water Markets

Drought driving up water prices

May 28, 2021

• by Lois Henry

If you were looking for some bargain priced water this year, you’re out of luck. “We got out of the market when we started seeing prices north of $900 an acre foot,” said Jason Gianquinto, General Manager of Semitropic Water Storage District in western Kern County. “That’s just too much for us. We had some…

NEWS

Heated water district race reveals fears that wealthy outsiders are calling the shots, selling water

VIDEO: Kern River Parkway wells

Kern River “restoration” wells pumping but not to restore the river

Desert groundwater agency to pay $8,500 per acre foot for valley water rights

Third year of drought pushes price of water to $2,000 an acre foot

Large water pipeline in Kings County raising questions, concerns

Where is the water going?

Water transfers helped farmers survive this year. Now, all eyes are on the coming water year

SJV on VPR!

Drought driving up water prices

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