Lake Isabella, CA
Lake Isabella (also called Isabella Lake) is a reservoir in Kern County,
California created by the earthen Isabella Dam. It was formed in 1953 when the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dammed the Kern River at the junction of its two
forks at Whiskey Flat. At 11,000 acres (45 km²), it is one of the largest
reservoirs in California. The area is in the southern end of the Sierra Nevada
range and the lake itself is located in low mountains at an elevation of
approximately 2,500 feet (760 m) where summer temperatures reach over 100
degrees (°F) but low enough to avoid winter snows on the surrounding ridges.
Lake Isabella is located about 40 miles (65 km) northeast of Bakersfield, and is
the main water supply for that city. Lake Isabella can be reached by car from
Bakersfield via state Highway 178 and from Delano via Highway 155. The former
towns of Isabella and Kernville were flooded by the newly created reservoir.
The lake is a dividing point. Upper Kern River flows into Lake Isabella, Lower
Kern River flows out of the dam and toward Bakersfield. The nearby towns of Lake
Isabella and Kernville receive economic benefit from tourism created by the Lake
Isabella Recreation Area and the whitewater rafting attraction of the Upper and
Lower Kern River. Much of the wilderness surrounding the lake is part of the
Sequoia National Forest.
-Wikipedia
