Monday November 2, 2026
SJV Water —
Kern County water managers and officials were left scratching their heads after the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) refused to declare an emergency due to golden mussels because “…there is no identified long-term solution to eliminate or control the continuation of the Golden Mussel Invasion,” according to a letter from CalOES.
Without an emergency declaration, local water agencies aren’t eligible for California Disaster Assistance Act funding to help defray what’s conservatively estimated to be more than $36 million in annual costs to combat the invasive pest.
“I’ve never seen an answer like this,” said Kern County Supervisor Jeff Flores who helped lead the effort to declare a countywide emergency in response to the growing infestation last spring. “I didn’t know a declaration was predicated on known solutions. I thought it was for emergency relief. Our farmers need to be reimbursed for their costs and we need help toward finding a solution.”
At least three other counties, San Joaquin, Sacramento and Yolo, have also declared county emergencies because of golden mussels.