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Kern Water Bank Authority December 14, 2021

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Bermad irrigationThe Kern Water Bank Authority held its Tuesday, December 14, 2021 board of directors meeting at its Bakersfield headquarters and on Zoom. Listening in before the meeting Wheeler Ridge Maricopa Water Storage District General Manager Sheridan Nicholas called in from his home in Tehachapi in the mountains east of Bakersfield where it was snowing. Neither Bill Phillimore nor Rob Yraceburu were able to attend so it looked like there might be a problem getting a quorum. With Tejon’s Dennis Atkinson tuning in there was just enough landowner representation to conduct the meeting. A quorum is  based on a simple majority of land being represented. KWB General Manager Jon Parker said Phillimore had a minor procedure that removed one of his internal organs and was doing good, just going to sit this one out. That’s good news he’s doing better but Phillimore is a big draw for folks who like well run meetings. But they solder on, I mean soldiered on without him.

The Meeting

Nicholas chaired the meeting in Phillimore’s absence. The first action was approving a remote meeting and the financial report by Danelle Lopez. Sometime during all of that Yraceburu and Kim Brown snuck in and joined Jason Gianquinto, Dave Beard, Steve Jackson, Nicholas, Atkinson and I don’t know who all else.Technoflo

Everyone liked Lopez’s report and further financial views of John Ocana who helps with budgeting and special financing of projects. Like everyone attending this Kern Water Bank meeting he’s smarter and better looking than the average denizen of the northern hemisphere. They got into a longish discussion about debt management and I played solitaire.

Reports

Next Parker gave the staff report and started with posting a great photo of Tule Elk. Beautiful, there is an elk preserve located adjacent to the water bank.

Ocana gave the board an update on capital projects and Superintendent Nick Torres gave the board some boots on the ground info about construction expenses and progress. Parker spoke about the 2,800 acre of new recharge basins. There was some problems with the Kern County Water Agency granting right of way or something. I did hear Parker mention KWB has been waiting 20-years for KWCA to act so don’t screw around. KWB also has siphons, turnouts, road crossing and of course wells. A good deal of the work is being completed. Although KWB is a government agency it operates much more like a business. That goes for to some degree to all the water districts, at least the ones that supply ag water. Some of the districts serving large urban areas run into the goberment bog and get stuck.

Torres said the bank is waiting on PG&E to connect a new pump. The problem is it’s wet and muddy in a water bank with rain coming down. So it might be a few days before the utility company gets the pump hooked up.

Water Operations

Parker showed a couple of slides showing the amount of water being moved in and out. There is going to be about 198,607 a/f of recovery this year and the overall storage is more than two million a/f. Brown asked if there has been any discrepancy with the amount of channel loss the bank is recording and what the KWCA records. Parker said Torres has been working with DWR on a review to find out why there is a difference in the amounts recorded.

Parker reported the Kern Groundwater Authority GSA received “the” letter from DWR regarding its GSP but it wasn’t as sever as others sent out. Closed session was next and you can bet attorney Steve Torigiani set them straight on all things legal. The public portion of the meeting ended at 3:53pm. This is nothing against Nicholas, but I can’t help but believe if Phillimore had been there they’d have shaved some time off the length.

I know the Kern Water Bank comes under fire from those who like to castigate “Big Ag.” God bless America for giving us a country where one can object strenuously and I hope we can all continue to do so. But I also hope folks will remember not everything successful is big and not everything big is bad. But there are two big things that come to mind which I think are bad and which are only successful if you don’t live in the San Joaquin Valley. High speed rail and the State Board’s unaccountability are not bad because they’re big, they’re bad because they are causing harm and are part of the government. Well that’s enough of that. Merry Christmas everyone.

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KERN WATER BANK AUTHORITY

1620 Mill Rock Way, Bakersfield, CA 93311 Office: 661/398-4900 www.kwb.org

Staff: Jon Parker-General Manager, Danelle Lopez-Accountant, Steve Torigiani-Attorney, Nick Torres-Superintendent

Board: William Phillimore-Chair Westside Mutual Water Company, Sheridan Nicholas-Vice Chair Wheeler Ridge Maricopa Water Storage District, Steve Jackson-Treasurer Dudley Ridge Water District, Dennis Atkinson Tejon Castac Water District, David Beard KCWA Improvement District 4, Jason Gianquinto Semitropic Water Storage District & Rob Yraceburu Westside Mutual Water Company

Located on a large, undeveloped section of the Kern River’s sandy alluvial fan, the Kern Water Bank covers nearly 30 square miles over California’s southern San Joaquin Valley. Ideally situated, both for its unique geology and its proximity to water supply and delivery systems, the Kern Water Bank plays a dual role in California’s economically vital agricultural heartland.

 

 

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