 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2010) |
| Lake Isabella | |
|---|---|
 Satellite image of Lake Isabella | |
  Lake Isabella  Lake Isabella | |
| Location | Kern County, California, United States |
| Coordinates | 35°40′17.69″N 118°25′38.05″W / 35.6715806°N 118.4272361°W |
| Lake type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Upper Kern River, South Fork Kern River |
| Primary outflows | Lower Kern River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 11,000 acres (4,500 ha) |
| Water volume | 568,000 acre-feet (701,000 dam3) |
| Surface elevation | 2,500 ft (760 m) |
Lake Isabella also called Isabella Lake,[1][2] is a reservoir in Kern County, California, United States created by the earthen Isabella Dam. At 11,000 acres (4,500 ha), it is one of the larger reservoirs in California. Lake Isabella is located about 40 miles (64 km) northeast of Bakersfield, and is the main water supply for that city. It was formed in 1953 when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dammed the Kern River at the junction of its two forks. 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 ft (760 m) where summer temperatures reach over 100 °F (38 °C) but low enough to avoid winter snows on the surrounding ridges. The former towns of Isabella and Kernville were flooded when the reservoir was created.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Isabella Lake
- ^ Durham, David L. (2000). Durham's Place Names of Central California: Includes Madera, Fresno, Tulare, Kings & Kern Counties. Quill Driver Books. p. 132. ISBN 978-1-884995-33-0.