water Archives - Page 24 of 26

Valley groundwater may get (small) slice of state’s $15 billion surplus

January 13, 2021

• by Lois Henry

The Governor’s proposal for how to spend California’s $15 billion surplus includes $60 million in direct grants to help replenish groundwater in the valley’s most depleted basins. The measure specifies the money is to be used in “critically over-drafted basins,” which lie mostly in the San Joaquin Valley. Water managers were pleasantly surprised, but not…

Rivers

Valley irrigation district OKs plan to harvest mountain stream

January 13, 2021

• 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…

Drinking Water

COVID-19 relief includes money for water bill debt. Will it be enough?

January 12, 2021

• by Lois Henry

The COVID-19 relief bill passed last month includes $638 million to address the growing issue of water bill debt across the nation. When the pandemic dug in last spring, many states, including California, issued moratoriums on household water shut offs for lack of payment. That moratorium is still in place in California and water debt…

Friant-Kern Canal

Proposed agreement could boost funds to fix Friant-Kern Canal

December 16, 2020

• by Lois Henry

In what was hailed as a “landmark agreement,” farmers in an area of southern Tulare County blamed for sinking the Friant-Kern Canal from excessive groundwater pumping will chip in a hefty amount to help pay for a fix. How hefty could be decided by their payment choice. A longer term payment option would be $200…

Conservation • Groundwater

New land trust focused on groundwater aims to give farmers options

December 2, 2020

• by Lois Henry

Southern Tulare County farmers inching toward a cliff of groundwater restrictions that could dry up tens of thousands of acres have joined with conservationists to potentially soften their own landing and help improve wildlife habitat at the same time. At least that’s the goal of the newly formed Tule Basin and Water Conservation Trust. “Land…

State System

Funding for the proposed delta tunnel could be slipping

December 2, 2020

• by Lois Henry

The Metropolitan Water District likely won’t pick up the slack to cover planning costs for the proposed Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta tunnel That’s a huge shift from MWD’s “all in” support of the previous tunnel project. And MWD’s pull back could create a ripple of iffyness among other State Water Contractors about how much of their…

State System

Kern farmers tapped for $14 million to study delta tunnel

November 24, 2020

• by Lois Henry

Kern County farmers on Wednesday agreed to chip in $14 million over the next two years to kick off another attempt to move water through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta via tunnel. The level of Kern’s participation in the proposed Delta Conveyance Facility was closely watched, particularly by the giant Metropolitan Water District of Southern California,…

Rivers

SJV Water on TV talking about the Kern River

November 24, 2020

• 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…

State System

Pricey tunnel sparks talk of water sales

November 11, 2020

• by Lois Henry

Getting water through a tunnel under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta would be pricey. So pricey, some Kern County water districts were looking for an “off-ramp” by potentially selling their main state water supply out of the county. The request was shot down at a special meeting on Nov. 6 by the Kern County Water Agency,…

Drought • Rivers

Historic move: Fresno River rights to be decided

October 30, 2020

• 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…

NEWS

Valley groundwater may get (small) slice of state’s $15 billion surplus

Valley irrigation district OKs plan to harvest mountain stream

COVID-19 relief includes money for water bill debt. Will it be enough?

Proposed agreement could boost funds to fix Friant-Kern Canal

New land trust focused on groundwater aims to give farmers options

Funding for the proposed delta tunnel could be slipping

Kern farmers tapped for $14 million to study delta tunnel

SJV Water on TV talking about the Kern River

Pricey tunnel sparks talk of water sales

Historic move: Fresno River rights to be decided

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