Heavy water year lets wildlife thrive on Kern Water Bank grounds

The goal is to be able to preserve and store water during wet years for use during years of drought.

Photo by: 23ABC News

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The Kern Water Bank is a recharge facility that diverts water into an underground aquifer. The goal is to be able to preserve and store water during wet years for use during years of drought.

It is a 32-square-mile property just west of Highway 43 near Panama Lane. The property has over 80 recharge basins, where water slowly seeps into the ground aquifer. The groundwater basins resemble lakes, which fill up during wet years, and with all that water, comes the wildlife.

“We hired an ornithologist because I can’t tell, and he’s counted 240 species of birds on the water bank and as far as water birds go he’s counted as many as 35,000,” explained John Parker, the general manager of the Kern Water Bank Authority.

Since it’s been a high-water year, birds and plant life are abundant at the water bank.

“There’s endangered plants. We have San Joaquin Wooly Threads, are an endangered plant. We have other plants that are special status plants. We have endangered species on the water […]

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