KDWD Newsletter February 25, 2020

Kern River Status Update

Last week, the Department of Water Resources lowered its B-120 forecast for the year. This updated forecast predicts that the April through July runoff for the Kern River will be around 52% of normal. This forecast is based on observed conditions through February 18 and assumes normal precipitation after that date. Every day that it doesn’t rain will cause the forecast to go down.

Work related to the Centennial Corridor Project that will impact the operation of the Stine Canal is expected to begin in early April. When the Stine Canal shuts down again it will remain off through April. District staff will do our best to keep growers informed. If you have any questions please call the District’s Dispatch Office at (661) 834-4653.

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.

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 March 5
City Hall North Conference Room A
1600 Truxtun Ave
Kern River Watershed Coalition Authority
First Thursday of the month at 1:00 PM
The next meeting will be on March 5
Kern County Water Agency
3200 Rio Mirada Drive
Kern Groundwater Authority
Fourth Wednesday of the month at 8:00 AM
Next Meeting: February 26
Klein, DeNatale, Goldner Law Offices
4550 California Ave, 2nd Floor