KDWD Newsletter May 2, 2025

Kern River Status Update

Lake Isabella has received 8.37 inches of precipitation since October 1, 2024. The latest California Department of Water Resources (DWR) water supply forecast model is predicting 350,000 acre-feet during the April through July runoff season, which is 75% of the long-term historical average for the Kern River. According to DWR’s 30-year model period (which uses the years from 1991 through 2020) this would reflect 82% of average. The current DWR allocation of State Water Project (SWP) water is 50%.

The District does not expect prorations for Kern Island and Eastside Utility ground this summer, though waiting lists may be necessary from time to time. Utility and SWP water will be prorated for the Buena Vista, Stine, and Farmers Utilities, and State ground both east and west of the 99 during June, July, and August. It is anticipated that all District systems will be in operation beginning in early May and will continue operations into early August. Estimated amounts for Utility and SWP prorations in acre-feet per acre are as follows beginning June 1, 2025:

	Utility	State	Total
Buena Vista	1.02	0.21	1.23
Stine	1.08	0.15	1.23
Farmers	1.45	0.00	1.45
State West of 99	0.00	1.23	1.23
State East of 99	0.00	0.36	0.36

These quantities are estimates only and are subject to revision. As the season continues, adjustments will be made as needed due to changes in the estimated run-off.

District Staff will do our very best to keep you informed of any changes in water supplies. Growers are encouraged to sign up for our weekly newsletter for the latest information. Please visit KernDelta.Org and follow the link at the bottom of the page to sign up for the newsletter. We ask for your continued cooperation and patience during this process. Any questions or concerns can be directed to the Operations Department at (661) 834-4653. A copy of this letter can be found on our website here.

The Kern County Subbasin will be hosting a series of community pop-up events. In coordination with Self-Help Enterprises the KCS will be hosting an event at Bear Mountain Park in Lamont on Saturday, May 10th from 9 AM to 11 AM. Learn about resources available through Self-Help Enterprises and engage with your Groundwater Sustainability Agency. Your voice shapes water solutions! For more information see our website here.

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 2023-2024, the current period of 2024-2025, as well as other two-year periods in which the second year follows an average year 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 5
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 5
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: May 26
Kern County Water Agency
3200 Rio Mirada Dr, Bakersfield, CA 93308