SGMA Archives - Page 21 of 26

Historic move: Fresno River rights to be decided

October 30, 2020

• by Lois Henry

If all you’ve ever seen of the Fresno River is through Madera as you drive over it on Highway 99, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s just a weed-infested, shopping cart collector rather than a real river. But there’s a lot to this unobtrusive waterway, which just made history as the first river in 40…

Friant-Kern Canal fix approved over concerns the plan isn’t fully baked

October 28, 2020

• by Lois Henry

The Friant Water Authority on Thursday approved the final environmental review for a massive project to fix a 33-mile segment of the Friant-Kern Canal despite continued questions about funding and other concerns expressed by some Friant contractors. One water manager compared the plan to several bungled construction projects, including California’s High Speed Rail and a…

Groundwater • Rivers

Locals speak up for the Kern River at the State Water Board

October 23, 2020

• by Lois Henry

Love was overflowing for the Kern River Tuesday at the State Water Resources Control Board’s monthly meeting. A slew of Bakersfield locals told board members how much an actual, wet river means for residents. Speakers asked board members to make the Kern a priority and finally allocate unappropriated water on the river that has been…

Federal System • Friant-Kern Canal

Crews to get water flowing from area ravaged by Creek Fire

October 1, 2020

• by Lois Henry

Southern California Edison crews will be able to restart some releases from lakes in the San Joaquin River watershed after the Creek Fire overran much of the area through September. Edison spokesman Reggie Kumar said portions of the Big Creek facility went back online Sept. 29 but restoration has been hampered partly because of extremely…

Conservation • Groundwater • Water Markets

“Madness and arrogance” blamed for one lawsuit against desert groundwater agency

October 1, 2020

• by Lois Henry

Two lawsuits accusing the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority of ramming through a plan that ignores water rights and, according to one plaintiff, is intended to “destroy agriculture” were filed this week. At issue is a controversial $2,000-per-acre-foot fee approved by the authority last month that would be charged to certain groundwater users over a…

Federal System • Groundwater • Rivers • State System

Happy 50th “Kern Riversary!” 1970 vote brought river into public hands

September 30, 2020

• by Lois Henry

Fifty years ago this week, the Bakersfield City Council committed an audaciously historic act. On Monday evening Sept. 28, 1970, council members decided to sue Tenneco West for a slice of the Kern River. “The shock was great to many, but from that day forward we had their attention and cooperation,” states the “Kern River…

Federal System • Friant-Kern Canal • Groundwater

20-mile replacement canal is preferred fix for the sagging Friant-Kern Canal

September 19, 2020

• by Lois Henry

A rapid-fire review of potential fixes to the Friant-Kern Canal favors building a replacement canal for 20 miles alongside the existing canal where land subsidence has caused it to sag, severely restricting water flow, according to final environmental documents released Friday. The environmental documents, which looked at the project under both state and federal environmental…

Conservation • Groundwater • Water Markets

Evaporation adds up. How much? Google it – someday

September 17, 2020

• by Lois Henry

There are lots of new water gizmos popping up these days but there’s only one Google. Which makes the massive tech company’s involvement in a proposed water measurement tool both intriguing and slightly suspicious to some agricultural water managers. The same goes for another partner in the effort, the Environmental Defense Fund, a well-known advocacy…

Drinking Water • State System • Water Banking

Proposed $171 million Central Valley groundwater bank faces TCP contamination

September 11, 2020

• by Lois Henry

A Kern County groundwater bank proposal just at the starting blocks has been hit with 1,2,3-TCP contamination. Irvine Ranch Water District and Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage District had just begun the environmental review process for their joint banking project this past April when TCP reared its head. “It doesn’t appear TCP is an existential threat…

Drinking Water • Groundwater • Water Banking

Tainted valley groundwater could stymie banking deals

September 3, 2020

• by Lois Henry

The big kahuna of California water — Metropolitan Water District of Southern California — has stopped taking supplies from one Kern County groundwater bank because the water is heavily tainted with a cancer-causing agent that is pervasive in Central Valley’s aquifers. While only one banking program has been affected so far, the emergence of this…

NEWS

Historic move: Fresno River rights to be decided

Friant-Kern Canal fix approved over concerns the plan isn’t fully baked

Locals speak up for the Kern River at the State Water Board

Crews to get water flowing from area ravaged by Creek Fire

“Madness and arrogance” blamed for one lawsuit against desert groundwater agency

Happy 50th “Kern Riversary!” 1970 vote brought river into public hands

20-mile replacement canal is preferred fix for the sagging Friant-Kern Canal

Evaporation adds up. How much? Google it – someday

Proposed $171 million Central Valley groundwater bank faces TCP contamination

Tainted valley groundwater could stymie banking deals

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