LAKE ISABELLA, Calif. -- For the past two months, Republican Assembly member Jean Fuller has been traveling all over Kern County speaking with residents about local issues, as well as educating them about California’s water crisis.

The meeting Friday was twofold.

First, Fuller spoke with residents about the current lawsuit against the California Department of Fish and Game that’s keeping them from stocking the lower Kern River.

More than 70 residents showed up to voice their concerns about how it will affect their city and businesses.

Fuller said, “There’s definitely the tough economy, and everyone is having a hard time. They are losing business to other places like Bishop that is still being stocked. There are families who have came up here for fishing for years and years, and now they have concerns that their family will no longer have this recreation as a family.”

The California Department of Fish and Game is conducting an environmental impact report in an effort to prove that the hatchery fish do not threaten the native species.

As of right now, the lower Kern River will not be stocked until 2010.

At the meeting, Fuller also discussed what she calls California’s two-part drought.

“The man-made drought is because they stopped the pumps because of fish in the delta, concerns of fish in the delta. And the regular drought is because of low rainfall. And the two together have been very harmful to Kern County’s economy,” said Fuller.

California’s water situation is so bad Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency.

Fuller took Friday’s meeting as an opportunity to inform residents of the crisis and also brainstorm solutions.

“Without this kind of customization where you’re talking to people, you don’t have as chance to make as good of a plan. The second is, for the people to understand what we are trying to do, so that they can help. It’s often so complex and moves so fast that they feel left out of the solution. And at the end of the day for a water solution such as this, we are basically going to need to people to vote for a bond or not vote for a bond. So, they are going to be the final determiners,” said Fuller.

Fuller said it is her hope to have a water bond passed by the end of the year.

Currently there are five bills pertaining to fixing the water crisis.

If you would like to review the different bills or find out what you can do about the fish stocking issue in the lower Kern River, you can call Fuller’s office at 661-395-2995.