KDWD Newsletter March 3, 2020

March 3, 2020

Kern River Status Update

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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 48% of normal. This forecast is based on observed conditions through February 25 and assumes normal precipitation after that date. Every day that it doesn’t rain will cause the forecast to go down.

The Kern River Watershed Coalition Authority meeting for March has been canceled. The next meeting will be April 2nd.

Work related to the Centennial Corridor Project that will impact the operation of the Stine Canal is expected to begin in early April. The Stine Canal 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 April 2
Kern County Water Agency
3200 Rio Mirada Drive
Kern Groundwater Authority
Fourth Wednesday of the month at 8:00 AM
Next Meeting: March 25
Location To Be Determined