On February 28, 1940, the Governor of the State of California approved an act adding Division 9 to the Public Resources Code, whereby landowners were permitted to cooperatively organize Soil Conservation Districts to serve private and non-Federal lands.  In 1972, the State Legislature amended the act to change the names of Soil Conservation Districts to Resource Conservation Districts.

The Pond-Poso RCD was authorized by the Kern County Board of Supervisors on June 16, 1969.  The Shafter-Wasco RCD was organized by public referendum on July 12, 1960, and the Kern County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution authorizing the district on July 25, 1960.

On March 31, 1980, the Pond-Poso RCD and the Shafter-Wasco RCD consolidated as the Pond-Shafter-Wasco RCD.

The Buena Vista Resource Conservation District, was formed in June 1960 under the original name of Buena Vista Soil Conservation District, which was then changed in 1963 to the Buena Vista Soil and Water Conservation District, and finally to Buena Vista Resource Conservation District in 1972.

On September 15, 1981, the Western Kern Resource Conservation District was formed.

On September 28, 2004, the Pond-Shafter-Wasco RCD, Buena Vista RCD and the Western Kern RCD consolidated to become the North West Kern RCD.

In May of 1963, the Rosedale-Rio Bravo Resource Conservation District was formed.

On February 20, 2019, the North West Kern Resource Conservation District annexed the Rosedale-Rio Bravo Resource Conservation District, maintaining the same name, but adding land for a total of 744,800 acres.