Lake Isabella Dam Emergency Evacuation Plan
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is evaluating issues of concern regarding the Auxiliary dam and is expected to develop remediation recommendations in the near future. Until that time, the Corps has determined that the Isabella dams meet safety guidelines if the reservoir level is restricted to no more than 60% of full capacity. The reservoir is currently estimated at 19% of capacity.
The Corps is developing new inundation maps based on current engineering and hydrological analysis. Those maps are scheduled to be delivered to the County of Kern in Spring of 2008. The County will make this information available as soon as possible.
Using the new inundation maps, the County and the City of Bakersfield will develop a more detailed evacuation plan for the projected inundation area. The County of Kern has secured grant funding for this project and will retain a consultant in early 2008 to begin developing the plan. The Evacuation Plan will be made available to the public upon completion.
Attached is an overview of the 1970’s era Inundation Map for the Bakersfield area generated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Colored bands represent time estimates for the flow of water to reach certain areas from a catastrophic and simultaneous failure of both the Main and Auxiliary Isabella dams, assuming a full reservoir. (The Lake Isabella reservoir has reached capacity only a few times in the last several decades.) Yellow evacuation routes are marked with directional arrows. In the interim, this map is intended to provide a general, common-sense approach to evacuating the projected inundation area in the unlikely event of a dam failure.
PDF’s
Lake Isabella Dam Emergency Evacuation Map
5.71mb
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Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan
The Kern County Office of Emergency Services is pleased to announce that the multi-jurisdictional Kern County Hazard Mitigation Plan has been approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA’s approval of the plan culminates a three-year development process in which 66 local government entities participated. The 66 jurisdictions are located throughout Kern County and include the County of Kern, every incorporated city, one healthcare organization, several school districts, and many other special districts dedicated to community service, recreation and park, airport, mosquito abatement, sanitation, and water functions. Each jurisdiction adopted the plan by Resolution. The purpose of the plan is to assess risks posed by hazards and identify ways to reduce those risks. In addition, the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA-2000) requires local governments to have a plan to remain eligible for certain grant programs through FEMA.
The plan was developed through a collaborative effort among the participating jurisdictions. The effort was spearheaded by the Kern County Office of Emergency Services and facilitated by Robert Olson Associates and AMEC Earth & Environmental. During the development process, public input on the plan was actively solicited through a variety of avenues, including invitations to over 200 outside stakeholder agencies to review and comment on the plan, a series of formal public meetings throughout Kern County, and outreach via print and broadcast media and the Internet.
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Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan
9.39mb
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Terrorism Response And Recovery Contigency Plan
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