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Kern County: Lake Ming Could Dry Up By July; Bakersfield Gets No Kern River Water

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California’s drought is about to hit Kern County in a big way. FM89’s Joe Moore reports on why officials are concerned Lake Ming could dry up next month.

Officials call the situation unprecedented. With the Kern River projected for its lowest level since records began in 1894, the City of Bakersfield has announced that it won’t get any new water from the river this year. The city is currently drawing down what little water it has stored in Lake Isabella, and that’s likely to be exhausted by mid-July.

That means the city won’t be able to supply water to a number of county owned properties. They include Lake Ming, the California Living Museum, Hart Park, The Kern River Golf Course, and the Kern County Soccer Park. Officials say the lake could have no water by mid-July.

The almost complete lack of Kern River water will also affect California Water Service customers. According to a county report, the company says it won’t have any water at its northeast treatment plant by mid July. That means residential customers in the northeast could experience water pressure and volume problems.

The Board of Supervisors is expected to discuss a response plan on Tuesday. It could include using 500 acre feet of water in Lake Ming to provide service to the county’s properties in the area.

Joe Moore is the President and General Manager of KVPR / Valley Public Radio. He has led the station through major programming changes, the launch of KVPR Classical and the COVID-19 pandemic. Under his leadership the station was named California Non-Profit of the Year by Senator Melissa Hurtado (2019), and won a National Edward R. Murrow Award for investigative reporting (2022).