SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District awarded a $111,998 contract Aug. 27 to URS-GEI Joint Venture of Oakland as part of the Isabella Lake Dam Safety Modification Project.
The contract is to provide architectural engineering design work support, which will be used for future blasting design efforts. No blasting or drilling will be conducted under this contract.
Construction of the dam modifications is scheduled to begin in 2017. Blasting will be conducted as part of the construction phase.
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 help reduce flood risk for Bakersfield and the surrounding region, and are a primary water source for water users throughout Kern County. The Isabella Lake Dam Safety Modification Project looks to address overtopping, seismic and seepage issues identified with Isabella Lake’s main and auxiliary dams to reduce the likelihood of dam failure.
In 2013, the Corps entered the pre-construction engineering and design phase of the project.
Members of the public who would like additional information on the Isabella Lake Dam Safety Modification Project are encouraged to visit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Isabella Lake website:
http://www.spk.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/IsabellaDam.aspx
Release no. 13-062