Kern River advocates accuse utility of "lawless" water diversions on behalf of a long closed fish ha

hatchery

As water in the North Fork of the Kern River dwindles, controversy over its diminished flows is ramping up.

At least some river watchers are accusing Southern California Edison of misusing a portion of the flows by continuing to divert water, ostensibly, for a state-owned fish hatchery that has been closed since 2020. The state Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) even sent a letter to Edison in January 2022 directing the utility to stop taking water out of the river for the hatchery, saying the facility and its pipeline are inoperable.

Yet, Edison continues to remove 37 cubic feet per second from the river’s natural flow at Fairview Dam near McNally’s resort purportedly for the shutttered hatchery, which is just downriver from Edison’s Kern River No, 3 (KR3) power plant in Kernville.

River advocates say the water is simply being diverted to spin turbines at KR3 without regard for the health of the 16-mile stretch of river between Fairview and Kernville that is being dewatered.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/kern-river-advocates-accuse-utility-of-lawless-water-diversions-on-behalf-of-a-long-closed-fish-hatchery/ar-AAZNHPg