Information AboutKern River |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT KERN RIVER | |
| rivers of california | |
| bakersfield, california | |
| whitewater rivers of north america | |
| SHOPPER'S DELIGHT | |
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DESCRIPTION The main branch of the river (sometimes called the North Fork) rises from several small lakes west of Mount Whitney in the high Sierra Nevada mountains in northeastern Tulare County , in the northeast corner of Sequoia National Park . It flows south through the mountains through Inyo and Sequoia national forests, passing through the Golden Trout Wilderness . At Kernville it emerges into a widening valley and enters Lake Isabella , a reservoir formed on the river by the Isabella Dam . Downstream from the dam it flows southwest, through a spectacular rugged canyon along the south edge of the Greenhorn Mountains , emerging east of Bakersfield, the largest city on the river. In its lower course downstream from Bakersfield the river is highly diverted through a series of canals (including the California Aqueduct ) to irrigate the southern Central Valley as part of the Central Valley Project . The Kern receives the Little Kern River from the north in southern Tulare County. It receives the South Fork Kern River from the east as an arm of Lake Isabella. The Friant-Kern Canal , constructed as part of the Central Valley Project, joins the river near Bakersfield. Formerly the river flowed an additional 20 mi (32 km) south through now-dry swamps to Arvin , then west into Lake Buena Vista. In periods of high runoff, the lake overflowed into the nearby San Joaquin River . HISTORY The river was named by John C. Frémont in honor of Edward M. Kern , the Topographer of his third expedition through the American West . Gold was discovered along the upper river in 1853 . The snowmelt that fed the river resulting in periodic torrential flooding in Bakersfield until the construction of the Isabella Dam in the 1950s . The irrigated region of the Central Valley near the river supports the cultivation of Alfalfa , fruit, and Cotton , as well as cattle grazing. In 1987 the United States Congress designated 151 mi (240 km) of the North (Main) Fork and South Fork as the Kern Wild And Scenic River . In recent years the river has become controversial because of attempts by the City of Bakersfield to retain water in the river channel all year round for recreation and the recharging of the water tables from which it draws its drinking water supply. The attempts have resulted in conflicts with established agricultural interests in the Central Valley which depend heavily on the river as a supply of irrigation water. The deep canyon of the river northeast of Bakersfield is a popular location for Fly Fishing and particularly famous for whitewater rafting. It is also well known for its danger, and is sometimes known as the "Killer Kern"; a sign at the mouth of Kern Canyon warns visitors, "Danger. Stay Out. Stay Alive" and tallies the deaths since 1968 (well over 200.) Merle Haggard 's song "Kern River" recounts just such a tragedy. The Kern is nevertheless a popular place for camping, hiking, fishing and recreational vacation. EXTERNAL LINKS |