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Residents, scientists press Bakersfield council over Kern River drying and mass fish deaths
Summary
Scientists and residents told the Sept. 11 city council that thousands of fish have died as flows in the Kern River fell after Labor Day; city staff said reduced flows reflected available water and legal obligations, and councilmembers referred the issue to a standing interdepartmental meeting while continuing legal advocacy.
At the Sept. 11 Bakersfield City Council meeting, residents, university scientists and river advocates urged city leaders to act after a sudden reduction of flows in the Kern River that speakers said has produced a mass die‑off of fish.
"3,033. This is the number of dead fish," said Dr. Rae McNish, a freshwater ecologist and associate professor at California State University, Bakersfield, who told the council her research team documented that total in roughly a 1.5‑mile stretch over the past seven days and described multiple mass fish‑death events since Aug. 28.
Other public speakers echoed the ecological concerns and urged the…
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