Articles from Kern County Water Agency

The Kern County Water Agency (Agency) has noted that the federal government has refused to direct additional funding towards the high-speed rail. The Agency strongly encourages elected officials to shift these infrastructure investment funds towards California’s proposed State Water Project (SWP), Delta Conveyance Project (DCP). The SWP supports a $2.3 trillion regional economy, delivers water to 27 million people, supports 750,000 acres of farmland, and sustains 8.7 million jobs and 800,000 businesses. It has delivered consistent, measurable benefits and remains a California essential infrastructure system, but one that is in serious need of investment and federal funding. In contrast, the high-speed rail project continues to face delays and cost overruns.

The Kern County Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) have finalized and approved a coordinated Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP), endorsed by all 20 GSAs. The adopted plan addresses deficiencies previously identified by the California Department of Water Resources and the State Water Resources Control Board. Originally drafted in May 2024, the final version was revised based on feedback from the State Water Resources Control Board staff and public comments. The plan can be found at https://kerngsp.com/gsp-documents/.

The Kern Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) have responded to a draft report from the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). The draft report finds the Kern subbasin’s Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) to be inadequate and recommends that the subbasin be placed on probation. The GSAs’ response was submitted during public workshops held on August 26, 2024, and August 29, 2024, and highlighted the significant improvements made in the 2024 GSP, which addresses previous deficiencies and outlines a strategy to achieve groundwater sustainability by 2040.

On April 23, 2024, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced that the State Water Project (SWP) water allocation increased from 30 to 40 percent of the contracted amount. The SWP provides water to more than 25 million residents and more than 750,000 acres of agricultural land throughout California. The Kern County Water Agency (Agency) holds contracts with DWR for approximately one million acre-feet (af) of water from the SWP. The 40 percent allocation represents about 400,000 af of SWP water for Kern County.

The Kern County Water Agency (Agency) announces the successful culmination of Water Year 2023. The year was marked by unprecedented water levels in the Kern River and record-breaking precipitation, securing water supply for the previously drought-stricken Bakersfield and neighboring communities. The Agency and the Water Association of Kern County collaborated in commemorating this historic water year with a visual narrative video entitled “Charting The Course: Managing an Extraordinary Water Year 2023.”