Roscoe Moss Company

Kern Water Bank June 11, 2018

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The Kern Water Bank Authority met on Monday, June 11, 2018 at its Bakersfield headquarters. As always one feels as though they’ve stepped into a unique club of sophisticated gentlemen. All that’s missing is the cigars and brandy snifters and overstuffed chairs and dress code and paneled walls and valets in tuxedos. Oh, and there was a lack of sophisticated gentlemen with British accents, because Bill Phillimore was missing and Bill Taube took over as Vice Chair. So, I guess it wasn’t really like an exclusive club after all. Before the meeting began there was a discussion of what to call worm dirt suitable for fertilizer. Skoll and tube guano were the only ones I can repeat here.

Danelle Lopez gave the treasurer’s report and the expense report. The board approved. General Manager Jon Parker reported an extension of the proposed bike path from the county that will get extras from the previous offer. A new rail fence, a paved road and indemnity from any horseplay such as graffiti or other vandalism. Parker asked the board to approve this subject to review by counsel. The board went for it.

Parker then gave staff reports saying 5,744 a/f was recharged in January and 7,474 a/f in February. Recovery began in March. Parker said in some of the wells are still experiencing a rise in water levels. Recovery on the bank is mostly to the west. If I understood this is to help Wheeler Ridge Maricopa WSD to meet some of its recovery obligations. Rosedale Rio Bravo WSD is building ponds adjacent to the KWB at its very northmost and center.

Parker said work on the Integrated Regional Water Management Project infrastructure has wrapped up. Parker said the endangered species fund has never been used so the idea is to do away with it. The US Fish & Wildlife Service is OK with an additional 1,135 acres of recharge basins. Staff will take a trip up to Sacramento to talk with California Fish & Wildlife. Cattle grazing on the bank will be taking place mostly to the western most portions. Maintenance has been moving ahead pretty rapidly. Superintendent Nick Torres said recharge structures are being replaced by staff and this is going very well. The KWB has hired two additional employees but only got permission to buy one truck. While the board tended to believe the new guys could car pool like Knights Templar on the same horse Torres and Parker came to the rescue saying they are good workers and need the mobility. The board agreed.

Parker said the last Kern Groundwater Authority coordination committee is working on best management guides. Taube asked about the special activity agreement on coordinating GSPs and dispute resolutions between GSAs. The board approved. There was no old or new business and no public input. So, the only thing left was to go into closed session. An undisclosed source said Bill runs a faster meeting than Bill.

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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  Copyright 2018 by Don A. Wright   No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of DAW.

KERN WATER BANK AUTHORITY

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

Staff: Jon Parker-General Manager, Danelle Scott-Accountant, Ernest Conant-Attorney, Nick Torres-Superintendent

Board: William Phillimore-Chair Westside Mutual Water Company, William Taube-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, Wilmar Boschman Semitropic Water Storage District & Scott Hamilton 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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