By Don A. Wright
The Kern Groundwater Authority Groundwater Sustainability Agency held its board meeting on Wednesday, May 24, 2023 in Bakersfield and on Zoom. Good for them. The agenda looked normal but this meeting was not. In more than 20-years of covering water entity meetings I don’t recall one shorter than this. Bill Phillimore used to crank out a half-hour meeting at the Kern Water Bank now and then and if I recall correctly John Vidovich once capped a Buena Vista Water Storage District at 20-minutes.
The Meeting
Chairman Dan Waterhouse called the meeting at 8:00am. It was determined there was a quorum, there was a flag salute – the way you should start a government meeting – and I didn’t hear any public comments.
The minutes were approved and I believe Dave Hampton, General Manager North Kings Water Storage District gave the treasurer’s report for a vacationing Marinelle Duarosan. Both the minutes and the treasurer’s report were approved and the bills paid.
Attorney’s Report
Valerie Kincade reported the State Board has an informational item to add beneficial uses for tribal and Bay Delta flows. The question is, will increased flow through requirements be baked into this redefining of benefits. This item is on the State Board’s June 7th meeting agenda and could very well impact Delta exports and the Voluntary Agreements with the Tributary rivers and who knows what other mischief.
Ex O Report
Patty Poire said her executive officer report is slim this month because so much was accomplished last month. Please be sure, as I write this, such a claim might sound a bit arrogant but it wasn’t. She just got a lot done and not much new has come along. It happens. Good for her.
Correspondence
It was reported there have been Notice of Intent to Withdraw from the KGA letters received from: Shafter Wasco Irrigation District, North Kern Water Storage District, Cawelo Water District, Southern San Joaquin Municipal Utility District and Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage District. There’s a story I do not yet know the end of. The meeting went into closed session at 8:10am.
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SGMA The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014 calls for the formation of Groundwater Sustainability Areas within Basins and Sub-basins to develop Groundwater Sustainability Plans.
Staff: Patty Poire – Executive Director, Valerie Kincade – Attorney, Marinelle Duarosan – Treasurer
The Kern Groundwater Authority membership:
Chair Dan Waterhouse – Semitropic WSD, Vice Chair Brandon Morris – Southern San Joaquin MUD, John Gaugel – Cawelo WD, Royce Fast – Kern County WA, Andrew Pandol – Kern Tulare WD, Kim Brown – Kern Water Bank Authority, Kevin Andrew – North Kern WSD, Gary Unruh – Rosedale Rio Bravo WSD, Randy Bloemhof – Shafter Wasco ID, Gary Morris – West Kern WD & Rob Goff – Westside District Water Authority.
www.kerngwa.com DWR Listing: Basin San Joaquin, Sub Basin Kern 5-022.14
