Environmental activists in Bakersfield have won an initial victory in their legal fight to keep water flowing in the Kern River, which for many years was reduced to a dry, sandy riverbed. A judge has granted a preliminary injunction preventing water diversions that would dry up the river, requiring sufficient water to provide for fish and keep the Kern flowing in the city. … The order, issued Monday by Kern County Superior Court Judge Greg Pulskamp, will remain in effect pending a trial and decision in the case. Six environmental groups sued the city last year, saying that continuing to allow so much water to be taken from the river was harming the environment and the community.