SACRAMENTO, California -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District will host a virtual public meeting on Thursday, June 4, 2020, to discuss the site selection process for a permanent U.S. Forest Service visitor center in Lake Isabella.
The virtual meeting replaces in-person meetings that were originally scheduled in Lake Isabella and Kernville in March, but were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The meeting helps initiate a supplemental environmental assessment, which will investigate current conditions and determine needs for visitor use services in Lake Isabella, to include interpretation and education of the natural, cultural, and historical resources in the gateway community to the Sequoia National Monument, Sequoia National Forest, and Kern River Watershed.
Access to the virtual meeting will be available via the web and phone-in, and will allow the public an opportunity to provide feedback regarding the visitor center site selection. All information covered will also be available following the meeting on the Isabella Dam Safety Modification Project webpage.
Meeting Details:
Thursday, June 4, 2020
4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Instructions for web access and phone-in are available at
the Isabella Dam Safety Modification Project webpage at bit.ly/isabelladam
Completed in 1953, Isabella Lake Dam is located approximately 42 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 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 began in 2017 with the relocation of facilities within the project footprint, and are estimated to be complete in 2022.
For more information on the Isabella Dam Safety Modification Project, visit bit.ly/isabelladam.
Release no. 20-019