KDWD August 25, 2020

Kern River Status Update

As the District’s Kern River entitlements and storage begin to run out, the District will be shutting down canals over the coming weeks. The Farmers Canal and the Eastside Canal will continue to run through at least the end of August.

To better serve our customers, the District is now accepting credit card payments in person or over the phone. Customers may now pay water bills, assessments or any other District bill via credit card (2% surcharge does apply).

The August 26 Kern Groundwater Authority meeting has been canceled. The next meeting is scheduled for September 23.

To help visualize the current state of the River, the District is providing this graph that compares flow rates for the two-year periods of 2017-2018, 2018-2019, the current period of 2019-2020, as well as other two-year periods in which the first year was above average for the Kern River. The flows for this year are estimates only and subject to revision.

The District office is undergoing an extensive remodel and addition project that is expected to last through December. There is no public access to the main District office building and parking lot during construction. Customers may use Ramos Avenue for public parking and to visit the temporary office during this time. Our water delivery capabilities will not be diminished due to the project. We ask that in-person visits be kept to a minimum and encourage our customers to do as much business as possible over the phone. If customers must come to the District Office, they are asked to wear a mask.

Below is a list of upcoming meetings that may interest our growers. The information presented at these meetings may directly affect agricultural practices and costs.

Upcoming Meetings:

Kern River Groundwater Sustainability Agency
First Thursday of the month at 10:00 AM
The next meeting will be on September 3
To Be Determined
Kern River Watershed Coalition Authority
First Thursday of the month at 1:00 PM
The next meeting will be on September 3
To Be Determined
Kern Groundwater Authority
Fourth Wednesday of the month at 8:00 AM
Next Meeting: September 23
To Be Determined