Lawyers fighting for more flows in the Kern River got the green light to question a noted river historian and author per a court ruling issued Friday afternoon. It may seem like a “No duh” objective to pick the brain of someone steeped in the history of the Kern River in a trial about the Kern River, but lawyers representing a local agricultural water district had concerns about the breadth and nature of questions that would be posed to Douglas R. Littlefield. … That’s because the Buena Vista Water Storage District has hired Littlefield as an “expert” witness in this and previous legal actions. So, he’s not just someone who knows basic facts. He’s also potentially privvy to Buena Vista’s legal strategies.