Corps to hold public meetings about Isabella Dam safety fixes

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District and U.S. Forest Service Sequoia National Forest will host three public scoping meetings May 17-19 to seek input for the Isabella Lake Dam Safety Modification Study’s draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

At the meetings, the Corps will present a short-list of alternative plans to address seismic, seepage and hydrologic deficiencies at Isabella’s main and auxiliary dams. These alternatives will be evaluated further in the draft EIS. The environmental review process and ongoing associated environmental studies will also be outlined at the meetings.

Public scoping meetings are intended to provide the public and interested agencies an opportunity to formally
comment on proposed solutions affecting the Isabella Lake main dam, auxiliary dam and surrounding areas to be addressed as part of the draft EIS.

The meetings will be held May 17 at the Kernville Odd Fellows Hall in Kernville; May 18 at the Kern River Valley Senior Center in Lake Isabella; and May 19 at the Kern County Board of Supervisors Chambers in Bakersfield. Each meeting will start at 6 p.m.

The draft EIS is tentatively scheduled to be released in August 2011. Additional public meetings will be held during the 45-day comment period for the draft EIS to solicit comments on the document.

Located approximately 42 miles northeast of Bakersfield, Isabella Lake is one of the largest reservoirs in California. The lake is impounded by two earthen dams on the Kern River completed in 1953. Today, Isabella Lake Dam helps manage flood risk for the city of Bakersfield and the surrounding region, and is a primary water source for water users throughout Kern County.

Representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Forest Service will be available for media interviews immediately following each meeting.