Rehearing on Kern River rejected by appellate court. Next step could be the California Supreme Court
The 5th District Court of Appeal denied a petition Friday to rehear the court’s earlier decision to put a hold on a Kern County court’s order that had required the City of Bakersfield keep enough water in the Kern River for fish to survive. Both plaintiffs in the action have said they will likely petition the California Supreme Court to review the 5th District’s ruling. … Keeping enough water in the river for fish, Keats noted, would be more cost effective. Bakersfield does want water in the river, said its attorney Colin Pearce. But it only has so much to give. “The city has been trying to get water in the river for decades,” Pearce said. “The fight is really between the water districts, who have more water than the city, and the plaintiffs, who want more water in the river.”