Construction
Isabella Dam actually consists of two dams, a "main dam", and an “auxiliary dam”. The main dam is of earthen build, 1,695 feet (517 m) long and 98 feet (30 m) tall, and owned and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Normal release from the main dam is 3,000 cubic feet per second (80 m³/s), maximum historical releases were 7,200 ft³/s (200 m³/s) in 1983.
The auxiliary dam is part of the Borel hydroelectric project. The canal for the Borel project diverts water from 5.5 miles (8.9 km) upstream of Isabella Dam.
The reservoir that Isabella Dam creates is called Lake Isabella. Water from Lake Isabella can be used in any of three ways. It is released into the Lower Kern River from the main dam, through the hydroelectric project in the main dam, or through the hydroelectric project in the auxiliary dam. The design capacity of the release channel (the Lower Kern River) is over 8,000 ft³/s (230 m³/s). If Lake Isabella is above 110,000 acre feet (140,000,000 m3), the water can also be diverted into the Borel project at the main dam.
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