KDWD Newsletter July 21, 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. Over the weekend the Stine Canal and associated Service Areas were shut down. The Buena Vista Canal will be going off some time late this week or early next week. The Farmers Canal and the Eastside Canal will continue to run into August. Growers are encouraged to contact the Dispatch office at (661) 834-4653 for their proration balances.

The District office is undergoing an extensive remodel and addition project that is expected to last through December. Currently, access to the main District office building and parking lot is restricted, however 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 during the project. However, 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.

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 August 6
Will likely be held via video conference
Link to be made available at a later date
Kern River Watershed Coalition Authority
First Thursday of the month at 1:00 PM
The next meeting will be on August 6
Kern County Water Agency
3200 Rio Mirada Drive
Kern Groundwater Authority
Fourth Wednesday of the month at 8:00 AM
Next Meeting: July 22
Will be held via video conference
See KGA website for link