KDWD Newsletter June 16, 2026

Kern Delta Water Supply Update

District assessments were sent out at the end of December 2025 and will become delinquent after June 30th and be subject to penalties. If you have any questions please contact Joan at (661) 834-4656

The final California Department of Water Resources (DWR) Water supply forecast model predicted 240,000 acre-feet during the April through July runoff season, which is 52% of the long-term historical average for the Kern River. The DWR allocation of State Water Project water increased on Friday, May 15th to 45%.

The District does not expect prorations for the Kern Island and Eastside Utility ground this summer, though waiting lists may be necessary from time to time. Utility and State Water Project (SWP) water are currently prorated for the Buena Vista, Stine, and Farmers Utility ground, and State ground both east and west of the 99. Stine Utility is expected to be available through June to the later half of July. All other District systems will be operating through July and into mid-August.

Join the Kern Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Agencies and the Water Association of Kern County for a workshop outlining the current status of the Kern Subbasin in the SGMA process, highlights from the 2025 water year, and an opportunity for Q&A.

RSVP to jenny@wakc.com
June 30, 2026
9:00–10:30 AM
Kern Agricultural Pavilion
3300 E Belle Terrace
Bakersfield, CA 93307

Protect our water from Golden Mussels, use the Golden Rule: Clean. Drain. Dry. More information can be found on our website here as well as from a county wide campaign here.

Land IQ has been providing field-by-field monthly evapotranspiration (ET) and precipitation results to irrigation districts (Districts) and Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) since 2016. This tool takes ET and precipitation to the daily timestep, providing results in 1-2 days, allowing growers to better manage their water. Contact the District Office for more details at (661) 834-4656

To help visualize the current state of the River, the District is providing this graph that compares flow rates for the twelve-month periods starting October 1 of 2024-2025, the current period of 2025-2026, as well as other recent water years. 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
Typically the first Thursday of the month at 10:00 AM
The next meeting will be on July 9
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 July 2
Rosedale-Rio Bravo WSD
849 Allen Road, Bakersfield, Ca 93314
Kern Non-Districted Land Authority (KNDLA)
Fourth Monday of the month at 2:00 PM
Next Meeting: July 26
Kern County Water Agency
3200 Rio Mirada Dr, Bakersfield, CA 93308