Bakersfield.com Take Our River Back

Judge hears arguments in Kern River rights battle

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 18:43:23 PDT

By LOIS HENRY

Californian staff writer

LOIS HENRY: Bakersfield turns out for the Kern River

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:30:27 PST

Bakersfield residents packed the City Council chambers Thursday night in a show of overwhelming support for the city's quest to run water down the Kern River year round.

The chambers were standing room only and nearly 30 people spoke. The City's Planning Department had received more than 100 letters and emails by Thursday afternoon regarding the project, also overwhelmingly supportive.

LOIS HENRY: Speak up for your river

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 17:16:54 PST

The Kern River needs you again.

Specifically, it needs your rear end planted in a seat at the City Council chambers Thursday night.

City takes a major step in fight for the river

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 14:50:16 PST

hirty-six years is a long time to wait.

Too long.

The allure of the Kern’s cool, clear water — many couldn’t resist

Fri, 05 Nov 2010 19:54:21 PDT

The Kern River had water this summer for the first time in years. The lure of cool, clear water brought residents to its shores every day. Not to mention egrets, ducks, cranes, hawks and even some osprey.

Water in the river took some of the edge off Bakersfield’s searing heat. For the brief time it was here, it gave us a living, breathing heart through the center of town.

Water and trees, why can't Bakersfield have both?

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 15:46:02 PDT

I'd love to point a finger and complain about how the city of Bakersfield hates trees and that's why whole groves along the Kern River were mowed down in the last few months. Unfortunately, it's not that simple.

Fortunately, for me though, this story is yet another example of why it is imperative that we get water flowing in the Kern River.

LOIS HENRY: Look for water in the river by 2012

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 15:46:02 PDT

It's funny what you pick up when you're not even looking. The other day I e-mailed the city of Bakersfield double checking whether volunteers should even muster an effort to re-establish an irrigation system along the Kern River Parkway to replace the dead trees cut down this summer.

I got back a very interesting response. The reply said that doing so might not be cost effective considering the city is "actively pursuing" a plan to restore at least seasonal flows

Water enough for deals, but not the river

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 15:28:09 PDT

Maybe it's just me, but when an agricultural water district ships thousands of acre feet of Kern River water south to grow suburbs in Irvine, it kind of takes the oomph out of their argument that running water down the actual river bed right here in Bakersfield will devastate local farmers.

Buena Vista Water Storage District is one of a handful of local ag water districts fighting tooth and nail to keep the city of Bakersfield from getting some forfeited Kern River water to run down the river bed.

Local feedback on the Kern River

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 17:05:08 PDT

Articles about the city's fight to get water back in the Kern River have generated a lot of controversy. Collected here are letters to the editor, editorials and other bits of local feedback.

-----------------------2010----------------------------

LOIS HENRY: Water districts sue state board

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 16:04:15 PDT

Editor's note: This article was first published on 6/5/2010. Water districts opposing the city of Bakersfield's efforts to get water in the Kern River filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the State Water Resources Control Board over its decision that water is available on the Kern River.

This is the districts' second attempt to nullify the board's historic February order finding that the Kern is no longer "fully appropriated."

HERB BENHAM: Pull of the river almost impossible to resist -- so don't

Fri, 21 May 2010 10:00:00 PDT

At first, it was a trickle. Like a scout sent down the riverbed to see if it was safe to send more soldiers. If the trickle met with disaster, no use wasting good water to rescue a rivulet left writhing in the sand.

This was a couple of weeks ago, at Yokuts Park, when visitors were met with the pleasing sight of water flowing down the center. Not wide yet, but promising. We watched the river from the corner of our eyes as we would a solar eclipse because staring straight ahead might render us blind.

LOIS HENRY: Historical glance at the Kern River | 1877

Thu, 06 May 2010 14:45:58 PDT

Miller and Haggin battled in court for nearly a decade over the Kern River. The fight established two main principles of California water law, riparian, which are attached to land along the water and appropriative, belonging to those who use the water away from its source. Miller, who had riparian rights, won in court but divided the river with Haggin privately in a settlement known as the Miller-Haggin Agreement.

LOIS HENRY: How forfeited water would be used

Thu, 06 May 2010 14:17:12 PDT

The entities seeking forfeited Kern River water offered different requests and purposes in their applications to the State Water Resources Control Board.

LOIS HENRY: What the Kern River sells for

Thu, 06 May 2010 14:12:47 PDT

What Kern River water sells for (price per acre foot)

$20
Paid by City of Bakersfield to Kern Delta Water Storage District

$20
Paid by North Kern Water Storage District and other ag contractors to Bakersfield

$311
Potential cost to Shafter via North Kern to be paid to Bakersfield

$500
Paid by Glorious Land Company, a Coachella Valley housing developer to Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage District

$550
Paid by Castaic Lake Water Agency to Buena Vista Water Storage District

$560
Paid by housing developers Newhall Ranch Co. in Ventura County and DMB Associates in Redwood City to the Nickel Family LLC.

LOIS HENRY: How the Kern River is divvied up

Thu, 06 May 2010 13:01:04 PDT

For more than a century, fights over the Kern River have pitted ag against ag or, more recently, ag versus urban uses.

But really, there's a third right that until now has been ignored -- the public's right to simply have a river.