Dudley Ridge Water District

About Dudley Ridge Water District

Dudley Ridge Water District is a California water district located in southern Kings County on the western edge of the San Joaquin Valley. The district was organized on January 26, 1963 under California Water District Law. Land use within the district is agricultural, and through a number of annexations over the years, the district has expanded in size from the original 29,330 acres to its current size of 37,615 acres.  While a combination of row crops and permanent crops have historically been grown in the Dudley Ridge Water District, permanent crops are exclusively grown within the boundary today – primarily pistachios, almonds, pomegranates and grapes.


The district’s primary water source is imported surface water supplies from the State Water Project (“SWP”). Water is delivered to landowners from the California Aqueduct through five delivery structures (“turnouts”), and from each turnout water is moved through 12 miles of district-owned concrete-lined canals and 10 miles of underground pipelines to metered farm turnouts. Dudley Ridge Water District also owns a terminal reservoir to capture operational spills, where final field deliveries can be made directly from the reservoir. While this reservoir was historically utilized, privately owned storage reservoirs have since been constructed to supplant its operation.

District News

Board Meetings & Agendas

The Dudley Ridge Water District’s Board of Directors meet on the second Wednesday of every month at 1 p.m.. For more information, visit the Board of Directors page.


Joint Westside Water Authority Board Meetings:

A Regular Board Meeting of Westside Water Authority and its member districts will be held on February 21, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. Instructions on how to attend the meeting are included in the agenda.

SGMA in Dudley Ridge Water District

Compliance with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and protecting the groundwater interests of landowners is a priority within the Tulare Lake Subbasin and throughout the state of California.  Dudley Ridge Water District is a member agency of the Southwest Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency.

State Water Project Q&A

A Q&A for the State Water Project (SWP) provides an overview of frequently asked questions, and gives general information on the SWP, how it benefits California, and more. Download the SWP Q&A.

Dudley Ridge Water District Board Meetings:

The Dudley Ridge Water District Special Board Meeting on March 22, 2024 at 4:30 p.m. will be held in person at the Dudley Ridge Water District office located at 5555 California Ave., Suite 209, Bakersfield, CA 93309. Additional Board meeting information is included in the agenda.

State Water Contractors' Video on Longfin Smelt Research

The State Water Contractors (SWC) recently partnered with the American Fisheries Society (AFS) to produce a video which explores the importance of the science, practices and policies strengthening America’s fisheries.  The video demonstrates how science and collaboration can be used to improve policy decision-making at the state level and highlights the SWC’s work with state agencies, academic institutions and water scientists to determine the factors affecting the abundance of threatened Longfin smelt in the Sacramento Bay-Delta.  View the video.

New Economic Report Seeks to Highlight Significant Water Challenges for California Communities

A new report by University of California, Berkeley, economists Dr. David Sunding and Dr. David Roland-Holst shows that the California economy will suffer unless responsible, balanced water reforms are enacted in the effort to achieve groundwater sustainability goals in the San Joaquin Valley.  Read the full press release.

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