Wednesday August 5, 2026
SJV Water —
The trial to determine whether the City of Bakersfield must re-evaluate how it operates the Kern River was bumped another eight months to October 4, 2027, at a court hearing on Monday.
The case was set to be heard in February next year, but the parties agreed to move it back as the state Supreme Court gears up to hear arguments on a crucial piece of the case possibly as early as next month.
Though the issues are different in the underlying lawsuit and the portion of the suit being heard by the state Supreme Court, a ruling from the justices could influence the rest of the case.
Justices agreed to review a ruling by the 5th District Court of Appeal that overturned a temporary injunction that was issued by Kern County Superior Court Judge Gregory Pulskamp in 2023 to keep some water in the river.
Pulskamp had required water be allowed to flow in the river based on California Fish and Game Code Section 5937, which requires dam owners to let enough water run downstream to keep fish in good condition.
River rights owners appealed Pulskamp’s order stating he first needed to determine how much water was needed and then balance that need against existing uses for the water. The 5th District Court of Appeal agreed and overturned the ruling in April 2025.