KDWD Newsletter November 14, 2024

Kern River Status Update

Starting November 15th the District’s water supply will be restricted. Grower water orders may be placed on a waiting list. Canals and laterals will begin to shut down for much needed maintenance following this historic year.

Speaking of history, Kern Delta’s long time General Manager, Mark Mulkay, was recognized by the Water Association of Kern County (WAKC). He received both the Water Leader of the Year and the Water Legacy Award on Wednesday, November 8th at the WAKC Annual Meeting. You can read more about these honors and the man receiving them from this press release by the WAKC and this write up by Mark’s favorite reporter, Lois Henry. Congratulations Mark!

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 2021-2022, the current period of 2022-2023, as well as other two-year periods in which the second year was 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 December 7
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 December 7
Rosedale-Rio Bravo WSD
849 Allen Road, Bakersfield, Ca 93314
Kern Groundwater Authority
Typically the fourth Wednesday of the month at 8:00 AM
Next Meeting: November 15
Via Zoom, see link for details.