KDWD Newsletter April 9, 2024

Kern River Status Update

Transfer water may be available at times through the remainder of April in order to meet end of month storage caps. As always, growers district wide are encouraged to reach out to the Dispatch Office to let us know of any potential demand.

The Department of Water Resources will be issuing their April 1 B-120 forecast this week. The District will use that forecast to produce an estimated proration for the summer months (June, July, and August). A final proration will be issued following the May 1 B-120 forecast.

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 2022-2023, the current period of 2023-2024, as well as other two-year periods in which the second year follows a significantly above average for the Kern River. The flows for this year are estimates only and subject to revision.

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 May 2
City of Bakersfield Water Resources Department
1000 Buena Vista Drive, Bakersfield CA 93311
Large Conference Room
Kern River Watershed Coalition Authority
First Thursday of the month at 1:00 PM
The next meeting will be on May 2
Rosedale-Rio Bravo WSD
849 Allen Road, Bakersfield, Ca 93314
Kern Groundwater Authority
Fourth Wednesday of the month at 8:00 AM
Next Meeting: April 24
To Be Determined