City asks residents to conserve water while dam undergoes maintenance

Jun. 26—Customers on Bakersfield's two water systems are being asked to reduce their use now through Wednesday, June 28, while maintenance on the Isabella Dam is being conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

"Please turn off irrigation systems and only use as much water as needed for health and safety during that time," Bakersfield City Spokesperson Joe Conroy said in a release Monday.

A similar message was sent out by California Water Service to its customers on Monday.

Conroy added that the city's Recreation & Parks Department will pause its irrigation schedules and close city spray parks for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Starting at 1 a.m. until 7 a.m. Tuesday morning, dam operators will taper water releases at Isabella Lake to full stop, followed by an inspection of the dam's conduit conducted by USACE.

Ken Wright, a spokesperson with the Corps' Sacramento District, said Monday the routine inspection will last no more than eight hours. A second inspection will be conducted by Isabella Partners, which operates the hydropower plant at the dam's base.

"Activities in or around downstream waterways are strongly discouraged because currents are expected to fluctuate significantly, increasing danger for anyone in the water or along banks," Wright said.

Afterwards, flows will gradually resume to normal levels of approximately 5,300 cubic-feet per-second.

"USACE continues to coordinate controlled water releases with local and state agencies to manage flood control space in our reservoirs and to help reduce the impacts of potential flooding," Wright said. "Our No. 1 priority continues to be the life, health, and safety of the public."

In all, Wright said the work is expected to add about 8,000 acre-feet of water to the reservoir's storage.

Mandatory restrictions for the city's water system, which provides water to about 40% of Bakersfield residents, also remain in place under Stage 2 of the city's drought mitigation plan.