kern river

The city may be named for Colonel Thomas Baker, but he wasn't the first to call the area home.

In a wide-ranging ruling that could have larger implications for public interest lawsuits throughout California, the 5th District Court of Appeal reversed a preliminary injunction that had required water in the Kern River through the heart of Bakersfield.

Justices with the 5th District Court of Appeal peppered attorneys with questions about the application of state water law and the fight over Kern River flows during arguments in Fresno on Thursday.

Traces of the old stagecoach route can still be found in Central Valley communities today.

Hundreds of dead and dying fish found near the Stockdale Highway bridge suggest water along the Kern River had been ratcheted back earlier than thought.

The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that at least two others have drowned at the photogenic site known as the Seven Teacups.

Kern County Superior Court Judge Gregory Pulskamp let the battalion of attorneys in court know he was inclined to drop at least one cause of action in the ongoing lawsuit.

In what one attorney called a “moment of truth” for the City of Bakersfield, a judge ordered the city to keep enough water in the normally dry Kern River to protect fish populations.

As river flows reach historic highs, white water rafting outfitters are celebrating, but law enforcement agencies have restricted access to most riverfronts due to the extreme risk of injury and death.

Several public interest groups sued the City of Bakersfield Nov. 30 alleging the city has been derelict in its operation of the Kern River by diverting most of its flows to agriculture and other uses leaving a dry riverbed through the heart of town.