LAKE ISABELLA, California -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District officially broke ground on the new U.S. Forest Service Visitor Center near Lake Isabella on May 28.
The visitor center has been under construction since December, but the ceremony marked the beginning of a more enhanced visitor experience around Lake Isabella and Sequoia National Forest.
The former visitor center was displaced during the Isabella Dam Modification Project. The new visitor center will come equipped with a public area including restrooms and parking areas and will provide valuable education of the area’s recreational opportunities. Upon completion, operations will be turned over to the U.S. Forest Service.
South Pacific Division Commander Col. James Handura and Sacramento District Commander Col. Chad Caldwell were joined by local, state, and federal partners to break ground at the construction site.
“The center is not just the final phase of the Isabella Dam Safety Modification Project, it’s a symbol of what we can accomplish through long-term vision and collaboration,” Col. Handura said. “At the Corps of Engineers, we’re entrusted with a mission that spans far beyond concrete and steel. Our work protects lives, strengthens communities and safeguards vital and natural resources.”
The Isabella Dam Safety Modification Project improves flood risk management, irrigation, and recreational opportunities to approximately 400,000 people living and working below the dam.
The second phase of the project, completed in 2022, received the National Academy of Construction’s Recognition of Special Achievement Award. The project reduces flood risk for the southern Central Valley, including Bakersfield, due to a 16-foot raise of the main and auxiliary dams, the addition of a new emergency spillway and labyrinth weir, and improved filtering and drainage systems.
For more information on the Lake Isabella Visitor Center, visit: https://www.spk.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Isabella-Dam-Safety-Modification-Project/Visitor-Center/