Some San Joaquin Valley farmers could someday have a new “crop” to sell — their groundwater. In the face of looming groundwater pumping restrictions, some groundwater agencies are looking at internal markets to give growers a way to save water and still earn a profit. These nascent markets are still...
Local Group Files Papers in Fight Over Kern River
A new player has entered the legal fray over the Kern River — the public. Actually, it’s a consortium of Bakersfield and other nonprofit, public interest groups that hope to sway the state Water Resources Control Board to, ultimately, re-water the mostly dry Kern River through town. Board to Determine...
State’s Water Curtailment Order Could Have Long-Reaching Effects
The real test of the state’s recently passed ban on the use of water from most of the state’s rivers won’t be later this summer when the ban will likely to go into effect, it will be the upcoming water year. And possibly longer term. This irrigation season is nearly...
Tulare County Officials Say State Red Tape Made Water Crisis, Suffering Worse for Teviston
The state’s response to the water crisis that gripped tiny Teviston, California earlier this summer should have been a no brainer, according to Tulare County officials. The rural central San Joaquin Valley county, with help from the state, had seen wells go dry en masse during the 2012-2016 drought leaving...
Madera, Merced Cattle Ranchers Circle Wagons Against Water ‘Rustling’
Central Valley cattle ranchers are gearing up for a fight against what they see as groundwater rustling. Their fear is that newly formed groundwater agencies in some areas could devalue their land by not giving them a fair share of their own groundwater. Ranchers believe those fears were realized on...
Clint Olivier's New Gig Is With BizFed Central Valley
BizFed Central Valley has hired former Fresno City Councilman Clint Olivier to lead efforts to promote legislation and public policy boosting the region's economy. “Our grassroots network of diverse business networks will be well served by Clint’s skills and passion for politics and communication," founding BizFed CEO Tracy Hernandez said...