March 13, 2023

Kernville, California

The “Pineapple Express” storms that brought warm temperatures and rain to the Sierra Nevada mountain range have caused widespread flooding in addition to filling California’s reservoirs. The drought is over.

The Kern River reached a flow rate of 47,000 cubic feet per second late Friday and early Saturday morning. That’s over 1 acre foot per second, 60 acre feet per minute and 360 acre feet per hour. In 20 hours, approximately 72,000 acre feet of water flowed into Lake Isabella, which is currently only 15 feet below it’s high water mark. It’s only a matter of time before Lake Isabella will be at 100% capacity for the first time in over 15 years.

The waterline nearly reached the top level of the parking area of riverside park in Kernville and the erosion can be seen reaching the road leading into Kernville. The damage to the park and campgrounds along the river will take months to repair but the Kayakers were quick to seize the moment and will be having a great time throughout the spring and summer.

NOTE: The last picture is the LA Aqueduct’s Freeman Gulch release valve and spillway which feeds the El Paso part of the Indian Wells Valley’s groundwater basin. It’s located just southwest of the State Route 178 interchange with State Route 14.