VIDEO: Kern River water goes mostly to agriculture

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August 19, 2025

Here is the third in our series of videos examining how rights to the water of the Kern River were divvied up through a complex matrix of settlements, decrees and contracts stretching back more than 135 years.

This series:

Tubatulabal: The tribe lived along the branches of the upper Kern River for 6,000 years.

Yokuts: The Kern River was a lifeline for the various San Joaquin Valley tribes, collectively known as Yokuts.

Rights: Most Kern River rights are held by agricultural water districts and the City of Bakersfield Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025.
Public Trust: Several local groups believe the public has a right to Kern River water and are suing Bakersfield. Coming Tuesday, August 26, 2025.

You can see all SJV Water video projects on our YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@thesjvwaterchannel9570

* Made possible by a grant from the Virginia and Alfred Harrell Foundation.

Author

Lois Henry

CEO and editor Lois Henry has spent 30 years covering the San Joaquin Valley.

She was raised on a ranch east of Fresno and attended Fresno State where she majored in Journalism.

In Bakersfield she covered a variety of beats including the military, social services, the oil industry, city and county government and did a stint in Sacramento at The Californian’s capitol bureau.

Henry spent 10 years as a manager and was the lead editor for the paper’s many award-winning projects.

In 2007, she began a twice weekly, investigative column and was able to focus on one of her passions – water.

Valley residents innately understand the importance of water. Henry has helped develop that understanding by untangling the complicated knots of rights, lawsuits, contracts and deals by which water is moved and consumed.

She plans to continue that mission through SJV Water.

Henry lives with her husband, one dog and two very spoiled cats in Bakersfield.

VIDEO: Kern River water goes mostly to agriculture

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