In 2007, Buena Vista Water Storage District forfeited 50,000 acre feet of its water rights because a court found that they had rights they weren't making use of. It's hard to wrap your mind around what 50,000 acre feet of water is. An acre foot is the amount of water it takes to cover an acre in a foot of water. 50,000 acre feet is enough water to cover an area the size of Lake Isabella with ~3.5 feet of water. This is enough water to make significant headway towards returning a year-round river on the lower Kern through Bakersfield.

The State Water Resources Control Board is the governing body that has the authority to reallocate this forfeited water. Many groups have applied for it, including the City of Bakersfield. Bakersfield's application states that the water would be run through the river channel to provide recreational, aesthetic, and groundwater recharge value.

The Board has delayed making a decision for over a decade. In the interim, the forfeited water has continued to be moved to local irrigation districts while the half a million residents of Bakersfield have had a non-existant river. We've all seen the dead trees that have dried up on the banks of what should be a thriving river.

We are fighting first for this forfeited 50,000 acre feet of water. The State Water Resources Control Board is staffed by the governors appointees. This petition will put pressure on the Board to stop delaying the ruling on the forfeited water, and to award the water to the people of Bakersfield. By the time this petition is sent to them, it will be one of the largest showings of public support for any issue any of those board members have seen in their respective tenures.

To succeed in winning back the forfeited water for the river, though, the Kern needs your help. Please tell your friends and family about why we need our river back and how we will prevail. Inspire others with your vision for a vibrant city feeding off of the energy of a thriving river. The Kern River Should be like this beautiful image of the rope swing all of the time! Share this petition with others via text, email, social media. With your help, we will soon pass our next big milestone - 2,000 signatures!

Remember, this isn't taking away local ag jobs. This water still can be used for farming. It just needs to go through the river channel first.