By: Kennedy Thomas 

Millions of dollars in funding is headed toward work going on at Isabella Lake Dam

House Majority Leader and Bakersfield Congressman Kevin McCarthy said Thursday that the Safety Modification Project at the dam will receive $258.2 million.

McCarthy started working on this project on his first day in Congress.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers broke ground on the project in April.

Congressman McCarthy said the money is another win for Kern County adding this announcement ensures crews have the necessary funding to complete the work to increase flood protection for communities, increase water storage and for other recreational benefits.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will provide $74 million to fund the enlargement of the dam at Success Lake east of Porterville, according to Rep. Kevin McCarthy. 

McCarthy announced the funding for the Success Reservoir Enlargement Project Thursday. 

“Efforts to enlarge the dam have been years in the making and after more than a decade of delays and studies, this is the start of a new era for the project – one that will finally see it to completion,” McCarthy said in a press release. “Once completed, this project will increase flood protection for communities below the reservoir, as well as provide increased water storage for our neighbors.” 

The money will go toward completing the project by raising in the dam’s spillway by 10 feet, increasing “flood protection for the City of Porterville and the downstream landowners,” Tule River Watermaster Richard L. Shafer said.