SACRAMENTO, California – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District awarded a $7.75 million construction contract July 19 to Macro-Z Technology Company of Santa Ana for the relocation of the U.S. Forest Service Fire Station in Lake Isabella.
The contract includes relocation and construction of a two-bay garage, administrative and support space, and solar panels to produce eight kilowatts of renewable energy.
The relocation is part of the Corps’ Isabella Lake Dam Safety Modification Project, which will include a 16-foot raise to the main and auxiliary dams, stability improvements for the entire project, and a 900-foot-wide emergency spillway to be constructed where the USFS Fire Station currently stands. The station must be relocated before construction of the emergency spillway begins.
Groundbreaking for the new fire station along Lake Isabella Boulevard, east of the auxiliary dam, is expected to take place in September with construction to be completed by October 2017.
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 reduce flood risk for Bakersfield and the surrounding region, and is a primary water source for water users throughout Kern County. The Isabella Lake Dam Safety Modification Project will address overtopping, seismic and seepage issues identified with Isabella Lake’s Main and Auxiliary dams to reduce the likelihood of dam failure. Construction of the dam modifications is scheduled to begin in 2017.
Release no. 16-020