Lois Henry / SJV Water

The Kern River west of Allen Road is typically dry (top 2020) except in heavy water years (bottom 2019). A lawsuit seeks to force the City of Bakersfield to study the impacts of drying up the river in most years.

Order that had kept water in the Kern River reversed by 5th District Court of Appeal

In a wide-ranging ruling that could have larger implications for public interest lawsuits throughout California, the 5th District Court of Appeal reversed a preliminary injunction that had required water in the Kern River through the heart of Bakersfield.

Top, California State University, Bakersfield students wade through a flowing Kern River just east of Calloway Drive on Aug. 31, 2024. Bottom: Four days later, on Sept. 4. 2024, that section of river was already dry as Bakersfield’s water right had petered out.

Environment

5th District Court of Appeal hears arguments over Kern River flows

Lois Henry / SJV Water

Justices with the 5th District Court of Appeal peppered attorneys with questions about the application of state water law and the fight over Kern River flows during arguments in Fresno on Thursday.

Local News

Bank seeks more than $105 million and foreclosure of multiple properties owned by John Vidovich

Lois Henry / SJV Water

A bank is suing large San Joaquin Valley grower John Vidovich for more than $105 million in allegedly defaulted loans and is demanding the foreclosure and sale of large swaths of farmland, solar sites, a nut-hulling facility and the SunnyGem almond processing plant in Wasco.

Environment

Trump’s emergency water order responsible for water dump from Tulare County lakes

Lois Henry / SJV Water

Tulare County water managers were perplexed and frustrated, noting both physical and legal barriers that make it virtually impossible for Tulare County river water to be used for southern California fires.

Terminus Dam impounds Lake Kaweah in Tulare County. The zig-zagged fusegates in the foreground mark the top of the dam’s emergency spillway, which was activated when the reservoir reached capacity in early March.

Environment

Decision to dump water from Tulare County lakes altered after sending locals into a mad scramble

Lois Henry / SJV Water

Water managers were relieved after the Army Corps of Engineers agreed to back off of a sudden decision to dump massive amounts of water from Kaweah and Success lakes.

Crews from the Kern County Fire Department were called to help fight the massive Los Angeles wildfires. Hydrants running dry and low water pressure hampered fire fighting efforts.

Environment

Are the Resnicks 'hoarding' water while LA burns? No

Lois Henry / SJV Water

“The Wonderful Company uses less than 1% of the state’s water,” wrote Seth Oster, a Wonderful spokesman, in an email. The company put out a thread on “X” in response to the swirl of social media falsities.

A rainbow arcs over the Kern River west of Allen Road in February 2024.

Environment

Kern River trial date is set even as appeal over order to keep up flows continues grinding along

Lois Henry / SJV Water

The long-running lawsuit against the City of Bakersfield over how it operates the Kern River is set to go to trial in December 2025.

Canada geese have been found dead on the shore of Truxtun Lake, in central Bakersfield, California.

Environment

Nearly a dozen dead birds found around Truxtun Lake, no cause named yet

Lois Henry / SJV Water

California State University Biology Professor Rae McNeish counted at least 10 dead adult birds along the shore of Truxtun Lakes and saw another two on the island.

California State University, Bakersfield biology student Andrew Alba, counts dead and dying fish on Friday, Aug. 30, in the Kern River near the Stockdale bridge as part of a river monitoring project with CSUB professor Rae McNeish and fellow student Isaac Owens, in the background.

Environment

Students scramble to study the Kern River as Bakersfield cuts off flows, leaving fish to die en masse

Lois Henry / SJV Water

Hundreds of dead and dying fish found near the Stockdale Highway bridge suggest water along the Kern River had been ratcheted back earlier than thought.

Local News

Groundwater agency sues Delano over Niagara water bottling plant

Lois Henry / SJV Water

Concerns over how a newly built water bottling plant will impact the already over drafted aquifer prompted the Southern San Joaquin Municipal Utility District to sue the City of Delano last month.