545:, a major tributary of the South Fork. Walker returned in 1843, leading an early party of emigrants over the Sierra by way of the pass. Gold strikes brought miners to the area in the 1850s and 1860s, and the first permanent settlements along the river were built in 1859. Conflicts ensued between the newcomers and the native inhabitants, and a U.S. Army outfit, Camp Leonard, was established on the river to provide military control over the area.
44:
29:
565:, flooding the lower parts of the North Fork Kern (the main stem above Isabella) and the South Fork Kern under Isabella Lake to provide flood control and hydroelectric power. However, problems have developed with the dam's structure, creating a high risk of failure. A collapse of the dam, which could be caused by a quake on the Kern Canyon
687:
584:, which lie on opposite sides of the Sierra, via Walker Pass. SR178 is one of the few routes that cross this section of the mountain range. The road was first built in the 1890s. It was added to the California state highway system in 1919, and was paved in 1940.
453:
country of 982 square miles (2,540 km) along the Sierra Crest. The upper South Fork flows through a series of rugged canyons, but it also drains a flat, marshy valley before joining the Kern River at
486:. The river flows south through meadows and broad valleys, drawing very close to Golden Trout Creek, a tributary of the Kern River to the west. Much of the river's course south is just to the west of
1249:
1806:
1766:
1801:
1414:
670:
Length derived from river mile markings on USGS topo maps. The uppermost labeled mile is 94, and the river extends about a mile beyond that point to the source meadow.
948:
497:
and receives Trout Creek from the right. Entering a gorge, the river courses through a 2,000-foot (610 m)-deep canyon before coming out of the mountains near
1242:
991:
1781:
1776:
1771:
537:
and his company of explorers surveyed along the river trying to find a low pass over the Sierra Nevada mountains. During their journey, they discovered
1235:
1095:
1021:
805:
650:
1796:
1791:
1407:
1026:
1006:
986:
404:
1041:
509:. As it nears Lake Isabella its fast waters slow and spread into extensive marshes. The river enters the reservoir at the end of a small
233:
941:
796:
641:
1400:
832:
870:
1538:
712:
801:
746:
646:
152:
934:
926:
1786:
613:
562:
958:
576:
In addition, the lower Kern, South Fork Kern and
Canebrake Creek valleys provide an important transportation route.
1735:
1464:
1454:
1083:
1066:
1001:
598:
577:
1606:
1528:
1459:
1151:
1088:
1078:
1051:
1046:
996:
475:
215:
138:
86:
34:
1533:
449:. It is one of the southernmost rivers on the western slope of the mountains, and drains a high, relatively dry
1740:
1508:
1503:
1431:
1206:
1191:
1056:
1036:
1639:
1699:
1596:
1591:
791:
636:
1679:
1674:
1518:
1498:
1449:
1295:
593:
570:
494:
471:
219:
90:
82:
1684:
1581:
1513:
1444:
1439:
1310:
1586:
1576:
603:
553:
Most of the river is free-flowing – with no dams and few diversions – with one exception. In 1953, the
526:
1479:
581:
467:
438:
308:
134:
1761:
1725:
1543:
558:
506:
483:
1649:
1629:
502:
104:
894:
Connelly, Russ. "Historical Tour of State Route 178 From The Kern Canyon to
Freeman Junction".
1730:
1689:
1669:
1664:
1644:
1371:
1351:
1110:
903:
828:
1624:
1168:
1136:
967:
534:
498:
100:
1634:
1523:
1346:
1131:
1119:
1016:
916:
566:
542:
382:
501:. There it receives Canebrake Creek and turns southwest. The South Fork Kern then passes
848:
770:
513:. Its original confluence with the Kern is submerged under the lake, which is formed by
1474:
1366:
1356:
1163:
1141:
1124:
1073:
821:
355:
48:
Map showing the Kern River and the South Fork Kern River (to the east of the main stem)
1755:
1659:
1469:
1376:
1361:
1300:
1031:
981:
455:
203:
62:
1654:
1553:
1548:
1490:
1328:
1196:
1173:
1158:
1146:
1011:
688:"USGS Gage #11190000 on the South Fork Kern River at Isabella (Monthly Streamflow)"
554:
533:
tribes. Humans have lived along the river for approximately 3,000 years. In 1834,
514:
487:
479:
1227:
1720:
1601:
1558:
1423:
1381:
1183:
1100:
713:"USGS Gage #11190000 on the South Fork Kern River at Isabella (Peak Streamflow)"
608:
538:
510:
198:
1694:
1616:
1568:
1272:
1216:
1211:
1201:
1061:
446:
442:
434:
361:
72:
248:
235:
167:
154:
1305:
1287:
976:
28:
1392:
43:
530:
525:
The valley of the lower South Fork Kern River was once inhabited by the
450:
569:
that lies directly under the structure, could inundate the city of
1338:
1264:
1396:
1231:
930:
1320:
740:
541:, a mile above sea level, which lies at the headwaters of
896:
Historical
Highways of Central and Southern California
490:, which lies to the east at the base of the Sierra.
1713:
1615:
1567:
1489:
1430:
1337:
1319:
1286:
1263:
1182:
1109:
966:
411:
402:
388:
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353:
348:
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302:
294:
282:
274:
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225:
209:
197:
183:
144:
127:
119:
110:
96:
78:
68:
58:
53:
21:
820:
819:Hoover, Mildred Brooke; Kyle, Douglas E. (2002).
871:"Scientists dig for answers under Isabella Dam"
1408:
1243:
942:
8:
1807:Wild and Scenic Rivers of the United States
1767:Rivers of the Sierra Nevada (United States)
580:runs through them, linking Bakersfield and
33:Headwaters of the South Fork Kern River in
1415:
1401:
1393:
1250:
1236:
1228:
949:
935:
927:
765:
763:
42:
1802:Rivers of the Sierra Nevada in California
806:United States Department of the Interior
651:United States Department of the Interior
625:
912:
901:
773:. Kern River Valley Historical Society
735:
733:
682:
680:
678:
676:
631:
629:
340:4,100 cu ft/s (120 m/s)
18:
410:
401:
278:95 mi (153 km), North-south
7:
320:105 cu ft/s (3.0 m/s)
1782:Rivers of Tulare County, California
797:Geographic Names Information System
719:. U.S. Geological Survey. 1929–1952
694:. U.S. Geological Survey. 1929–1952
642:Geographic Names Information System
330:4 cu ft/s (0.11 m/s)
286:982 sq mi (2,540 km)
16:River in California, United States
14:
1777:Rivers of Kern County, California
1772:Rivers of Inyo County, California
717:National Water Information System
692:National Water Information System
557:was built on the Kern River near
742:USGS Topo Maps for United States
27:
1258:Kern River Water Infrastructure
802:United States Geological Survey
747:United States Geological Survey
647:United States Geological Survey
478:line, in a small meadow on the
405:National Wild and Scenic River
227: • coordinates
146: • coordinates
123:Southwest side of unnamed peak
1:
1797:Rivers of Northern California
1792:Rivers of Southern California
898:. Los Angeles Rocks N' Roads.
827:. Stanford University Press.
189:10,850 ft (3,310 m)
111:Physical characteristics
869:Mayer, Steven (2009-10-24).
823:Historic spots in California
614:List of rivers of California
563:U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
266: • elevation
185: • elevation
959:California's Central Valley
304: • location
211: • location
129: • location
1823:
961:watershed (north-to-south)
599:Kings Canyon National Park
578:California State Route 178
493:The river then enters the
470:on the Tulare side of the
336: • maximum
326: • minimum
316: • average
270:2,490 ft (760 m)
423:
419:
398:
344:
290:
193:
115:
41:
26:
1509:Marble Fork Kaweah River
1504:Middle Fork Kaweah River
1424:Tulare Basin hydrography
394:Trout Creek (Kern River)
390: • right
1597:South Branch Tule River
1592:North Branch Tule River
1519:South Fork Kaweah River
1499:North Fork Kaweah River
1450:Middle Fork Kings River
637:"South Fork Kern River"
594:Golden Trout Wilderness
495:Sequoia National Forest
378: • left
133:near Horseshoe Meadow,
1582:Middle Fork Tule River
1514:East Fork Kaweah River
1445:South Fork Kings River
1440:North Fork Kings River
745:(Map). Cartography by
433:is a tributary of the
249:35.65944°N 118.46417°W
168:36.43194°N 118.21333°W
1705:South Fork Kern River
1587:South Fork Tule River
1577:North Fork Tule River
604:Sequoia National Park
431:South Fork Kern River
22:South Fork Kern River
1787:Inyo National Forest
1480:Rodgers Crossing Dam
771:"Chronological Data"
468:Inyo National Forest
309:Isabella, California
254:35.65944; -118.46417
173:36.43194; -118.21333
135:Inyo National Forest
1726:California Aqueduct
549:River modifications
507:Kern River Preserve
484:Pacific Crest Trail
349:Basin features
245: /
164: /
1650:Golden Trout Creek
1630:Buena Vista Slough
1749:
1748:
1731:Friant-Kern Canal
1690:Little Kern River
1670:Kern River Slough
1665:Kern River Canyon
1645:Connecting Slough
1390:
1389:
1372:Kern Island Canal
1352:Buena Vista Canal
1225:
1224:
1111:San Joaquin River
911:Missing or empty
792:"Canebrake Creek"
427:
426:
415:November 24, 1987
1814:
1625:Buena Vista Lake
1539:St. John's River
1417:
1410:
1403:
1394:
1252:
1245:
1238:
1229:
1169:Chowchilla River
1137:Stanislaus River
992:Cottonwood Creek
968:Sacramento River
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535:Joseph R. Walker
466:It rises in the
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1635:Canebrake Creek
1611:
1563:
1524:Lime Kiln Creek
1485:
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1391:
1386:
1347:Beardsley Canal
1333:
1315:
1282:
1259:
1256:
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1132:Calaveras River
1120:Mokelumne River
1105:
1017:Big Chico Creek
962:
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893:
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875:Bakersfield.com
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849:"Lake Isabella"
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1475:Pine Flat Lake
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1164:Mariposa Creek
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1142:Tuolumne River
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1125:Cosumnes River
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1074:American River
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851:. Lakes Online
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573:within hours.
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1660:Lake Isabella
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1544:Kaweah Canyon
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1470:Pine Flat Dam
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1455:Roaring River
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1377:Pioneer Canal
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1362:Carrier Canal
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1301:Lake Isabella
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982:McCloud River
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834:0-8047-4482-3
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63:United States
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1704:
1655:Isabella Dam
1607:Lake Success
1554:Terminus Dam
1549:Mineral King
1491:Kaweah River
1465:Kings Canyon
1460:Dinkey Creek
1329:Isabella Dam
1277:
1197:Kaweah River
1184:Tulare Basin
1174:Fresno River
1159:Merced River
1152:Cherry Creek
1147:Clavey River
1012:Thomes Creek
997:Battle Creek
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878:. Retrieved
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653:. 1981-01-19
640:
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555:Isabella Dam
552:
524:
515:Isabella Dam
492:
488:Owens Valley
480:Sierra Crest
465:
430:
428:
356:River system
1741:White River
1721:Tulare Lake
1640:Clear Creek
1602:Success Dam
1559:Lake Kaweah
1534:Horse Creek
1432:Kings River
1382:Stine Canal
1207:White River
1192:Kings River
1101:Putah Creek
1096:Cache Creek
1084:Middle Fork
1052:Middle Fork
1047:West Branch
1042:East Branch
1027:Butte Creek
1022:Stony Creek
609:Tulare Lake
571:Bakersfield
539:Walker Pass
527:Tübatulabal
472:Inyo County
369:Tributaries
252: /
240:118°27′51″W
220:Kern County
171: /
159:118°12′48″W
91:Kern County
83:Inyo County
1762:Kern River
1756:Categories
1736:Mill Creek
1700:Rock Creek
1695:Poso Creek
1680:Lake Evans
1617:Kern River
1569:Tule River
1482:(proposed)
1296:Lake Evans
1288:Reservoirs
1278:South Fork
1273:Kern River
1217:Kern River
1212:Poso Creek
1202:Tule River
1089:South Fork
1079:North Fork
1067:Bear River
1062:Yuba River
1057:South Fork
1037:North Fork
1007:Deer Creek
1002:Mill Creek
957:Rivers of
913:|url=
880:2010-10-16
855:2010-10-16
777:2010-10-16
753:2010-10-16
723:2010-10-16
698:2010-10-16
657:2010-10-16
620:References
447:California
443:U.S. state
435:Kern River
412:Designated
362:Kern River
283:Basin size
237:35°39′34″N
156:36°25′55″N
73:California
1685:Lake Webb
1675:Kern Lake
1311:Lake Webb
1306:Lake Ming
1113:watershed
987:Cow Creek
977:Pit River
970:watershed
482:near the
364:watershed
295:Discharge
904:cite web
588:See also
582:Inyokern
531:Kawaiisu
505:and the
54:Location
561:by the
559:Bodfish
521:History
451:plateau
441:of the
437:in the
59:Country
1339:Canals
1265:Rivers
831:
503:Weldon
462:Course
372:
298:
275:Length
120:Source
105:Weldon
97:Cities
79:Region
1714:Other
567:fault
511:delta
199:Mouth
69:State
1321:Dams
917:help
829:ISBN
529:and
499:Onyx
429:The
101:Onyx
445:of
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
