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Rural Kings County families have a 50-50 chance their well is contaminated with nitrates

• by Monserrat Solis, California Local News Fellow
Editor’s note: Monserrat Solis covers Kings County water issues for SJV Water through the California Local News Fellowship initiative. There’s about a 50-50 chance the tap water that 10,000 rural Kings County residents are drinking is contaminated with nitrates. That’s a type of salt that can be toxic, even lethal to newborns, causing what’s commonly…
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Fresno State study examines how water recharge could help or harm disadvantaged communities on a regional scale

• by Lisa McEwen, SJV Water
A study examining the benefits and drawbacks of building groundwater recharge basins near rural communities is underway in Merced, Madera, Tulare and Fresno counties. The two-year study is a spinoff of an earlier feasibility study focused solely on Fresno County, and both are spearheaded by the California Water Institute at Fresno State University.  “Floodplains and…
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Kern disputes state’s take on its groundwater plan at first of two workshops

• by Lois Henry
Calling the state’s review of the Kern subbasin’s newest groundwater plan “cursory,” a representative of the agencies that wrote the plan detailed how it will  protect drinking water wells, improve water quality and restore the water table during a workshop held Monday. This was the first of two public workshops to discuss Kern’s groundwater plan….
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SJV Water’s Jesse Vad on the radio!

• by SJV Water
Not so humble brag. SJV Water’s Jesse Vad was interviewed on  KVPR recently  about his story on how the extreme heat earlier this summer affected domestic wells. Hint: Not in a good way. Take a listen HERE.   THANKS KVPR for taking an interest in our work. And good job Jesse!…
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Groups fighting for higher flows in upper Kern River

• by Lois Henry
Boaters and anglers believe Southern California Edison doesn’t leave enough water in a stretch of the Kern River above Kernville to support a healthy fish population. They want the utility to conduct a robust flow study as part of its quest to relicense its power plant. The company is conducting a “Level 1” study of…
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Kings County judge extends restraining order giving growers more time as they fight state pumping restrictions

• by Monserrat Solis, California Local News Fellow
Editor’s note: Monserrat Solis covers Kings County water issues for SJV Water through the California Local News Fellowship initiative. Kings County farmers will have more time to fight requirements from the State Water Resources Control Board to meter their wells and pay extraction fees. A temporary restraining order blocking those measures was extended to Sept. 13 by…
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Westlands uses $1 million in state money to take out orchards, increase recharge

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water
Westlands Water District has removed 452 acres of almond orchards thanks to a $1 million grant from the state Department of Water Resources (DWR.) It’s one project in an ongoing list aimed at bringing the district’s groundwater into sustainability.  “The district has been acquiring land since 2022 with the goal of reducing groundwater pumping in…
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Two sides attempt mediation to settle lawsuit over sinking Friant-Kern Canal

• by Lisa McEwen, SJV Water
Attorneys for the Friant Water Authority and Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency agreed to mediation on Friday in an attempt to resolve a dispute over how quickly payment for repairs to the sinking Friant-Kern Canal should be handed over. During a status conference in Visalia, both parties told Tulare County Superior Court Judge Bret Hillman…
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