Bakersfield may not be as scenic as Hetch Hetchy, but it’s home to 400,000 people. The City has just received news that a superior court has ruled that the Kern River must be allowed to to flow through town. The court ruling is the result of a lawsuit filed by environmental groups, including Bring Back the Kern, Center for Biological Diversity, Kern River Parkway Foundation, Water Audit California, the Sierra Club and Kern Audubon Society.
HOORAY!
Like the Tuolumne River and Hetch Hetchy, diverting the Kern River further downstream need not result in lower diversions to cities and farms, but leaving the water instream longer will provide environmental and recreational benefits.
Unlike its west flowing siblings in California’s Sierra Nevada, the Kern River takes a decidedly southbound route, splitting the range in two.
The Kern is the subject of a pair of country ballads written and performed by Merle Haggard – Kern River and Kern River Blues (the last song he wrote).
It’s not usual to find a river at an elevation of 7000 feet, yet there it is, cutting a clean slice sandwiched between Mt Whitney (14,505 feet) to the east and 13,807 foot Mt. Kaweah (13,807 feet) to the west. The upper canyon is a sight to see, whether from above or within. (Photo: Sierrasouth.com)
As it descends, the Kern turns into a mecca for whitewater enthusiasts. The upper “Forks” stretch is best left for experts and thrill seekers who must hike in (usually hiring burros to carry their rafts), while the lower Kern, downstream from Lake Isabella offers a still wet but tamer experience. (Photo: Sierrasouth.com)
When the Kern reaches the flatlands of the Central Valley, its flow is tapped by canals and diversions to some of the California’s famously productive cropland. Kern County is California’s top producer of grapes (take that, Napa) and also is a leader in oranges, pistachios and almonds. Not surprising, the Kern River is wholly dried up before it reaches Bakersfield, the county seat. Working in the fields is extremely demanding, even when shade provides protection from the summer sun.
Kern County Superior Court Judge Greg Pulskamp has now ruled that the river must be allowed to flow through Bakersfield with enough water to keep fish in good condition. Some of the farmers with water rights to the Kern will need to reduce their diversions upstream. The water will still be available downstream as the Kern, as well as the Kings and other rivers in the Tulare Basin, don’t flow out to sea. Any river flow not diverted will replenish groundwater and still be available for agriculture.
There’s an obvious similarity to our Hetch Hetchy situation. Take the water, but take it downstream. Let the river provide environmental and human benefits, whether in Hetch Hetchy Valley or within the city limits of Bakersfield, before it is gobbled up for consumption.
The market for Bakersfield’s sardonic “A riverbed runs through it” T shirt may dry up when the river flows.