SACRAMENTO, California – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District has released its proposal for the modification design of State Route 155 at the French Gulch Recreation Area located at Isabella Lake in Kern County.
The proposed modification outlined in a draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment is designed to improve traffic operations at the intersection of SR 155 and Daedrich Ranch Road, also known as French Gulch Road, and to accommodate a projected increase in recreational traffic at the French Gulch Boat Launch during the interim closure of Boat Launch 19 at Isabella Lake.
The draft SEA is a follow-up to the Isabella Lake Dam Safety Modification Project environmental impact statement completed in 2012, which initially addressed the project design.
The draft SEA and final EIS are available on the project web page at http://www.spk.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/IsabellaDam.aspx. Public meetings are scheduled for July 24 and 25, 2017, to allow the public to learn more about the proposed plan, ask questions of Corps staff and to submit comments. Comments can be submitted to isabella@usace.army.mil until Aug. 14, 2017.
The public meetings will be held:
July 24, 2017; 6-8 p.m.
Kern River Veterans Center
6405 Lake Isabella Blvd.
Lake Isabella, CA 93240
July 25, 2017; 6-8 p.m.
Kernville Elementary School
13350 Sierra Way
Kernville, CA 93238
Completed in 1953, Isabella Lake Dam is located approximately 40 miles northeast of Bakersfield. The reservoir is impounded by two earthen dams on the Kern River and Hot Springs Valley. Today, Isabella Lake and its dams reduce flood risk for Bakersfield and the surrounding region, and is a primary water source for water users throughout Kern County. The Isabella Lake Dam Safety Modification Project will address overtopping, seismic and seepage issues identified with Isabella Lake’s Main and Auxiliary dams to reduce the likelihood of dam failure. Construction of the dam modifications is scheduled to begin in late 2017.
Release no. 17-017