KDWD Newsletter June 4, 2024

Kern River Status Update

Throughout the month of May the Department of Water Resources (DWR) B-120 May 1 Forecast held steady. The 50% exceedance for the Kern River from April through July is 460,000 acre feet. That is 108% of average for DWR’s model period from 1991 to 2020 and 103% of the Kern Rivers long term historical average.

All District canals are in operation and are expected to remain so through August. All water users are encouraged to coordinate their demands with dispatch accordingly. As a reminder, water orders can also be placed via email at waterorder@kerndelta.org.

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 June 6
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 June 6
Rosedale-Rio Bravo WSD
849 Allen Road, Bakersfield, Ca 93314
Kern Groundwater Authority
Fourth Wednesday of the month at 8:00 AM
Next Meeting: June 26
To Be Determined