KRB attended the December 08, 2015 USACE meeting in Kernville regarding the Isabella Dam project.
The key issue for boaters is the Borel hydroproject. The Corps does not want to build Edison a new intake for the Borel Canal. The costs of building a new seismically sound intake are very high and Edison is not willing to bear them, averring that the Corps "owes" them a new intake with Borel preceding the existence of the reservoir. The Corps is negotiating with Edison, the Forest Service, and other relevant agencies to see whether it could pay for the decommissioning of Borel — a project that has averaged just 7.1 megawatts of production the last 30 years. KRB obviously supports the Corps' efforts: not only would removal of the Borel diversion result in more boating opportunities on the Jungle Run (aka, the BLM Run); it would also obviate the Corps' need to restrict the reservoir pool below 73,000 acre-feet in 2020-2021. KRB urges the Corps to aggressively pursue the decommissioning of Borel.
Absent that result, the Corps' project would continue to adversely and directly impact the Summer 2021 boating season on the Lower Kern. KRB has reminded the Corps about this in its recent comments, and KRB stands prepared to pursue alternative remedies should the Corps fail to voluntarily discharge its statutory obligation to mitigate the adverse effects on recreation that accompany its projects.
You can view KRB's most recent comments here.
Dave on Mantequilla Falls on the Lucas Creek section of the Lower Kern