State backs environmentalists after water shutoff kills thousands of fish in Kern River

California officials have joined a legal effort to restore water to the Kern River after an abrupt shutoff of water dried up the river and killed thousands of fish in Bakersfield.

The decision by state officials and Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta to intervene in the court case gives new impetus to environmental groups as they try to compel the city of Bakersfield and agricultural water districts to bring back a flowing river.

Bonta announced Monday that he and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife filed a brief supporting the environmental groups in the case before the state’s 5th District Court of Appeal.

“California’s waterways and ecosystems are the lifeblood of our state’s rich and diverse wildlife and natural habitats,” Bonta said. “Yet, in Bakersfield, the sudden loss of Kern River flows due to the city officials’ decisions to divert all water away from the river, is leaving behind a dry wasteland where fish are dying in droves.”

https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2024-10-14/california-joins-legal-fight-to-keep-water-in-kern-river

Bakersfield...