LOIS HENRY: The story of the Kern River this year was one of historic numbers, luck and long term plans paying off

Despite a few white-knuckle moments, the Kern River’s historic flows were successfully managed through a combination of incredible timing, long-term planning and pure luck, according to Kern River Watermaster Mark Mulkay.

During a detailed discussion of Kern River and Isabella Dam operations before a packed room, Mulkay led the audience through the run-up to this year’s epic runoff. The luncheon discussion was hosted by the Water Association of Kern County at Bakersfield College.

Lois Henry is the CEO and editor of SJV Water, a nonprofit, independent online news publication dedicated to covering water issues in the San Joaquin Valley. She can be reached at lois.henry@sjvwater.org. The website is sjvwater.org.