Lake Isabella, California
Encyclopedia
Lake Isabella is a census-designated place
(CDP) in the southern Sierra Nevadas, in Kern County
, California
, United States, located near Lake Isabella
. Lake Isabella is located 35 miles (56 km) east-northeast of Bakersfield
, at an elevation of 2513 feet (766 m). The population was 3,466 at the 2010 census, up from 3,315 at the 2000 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 22.1 square miles (57.2 km²), over 98% of it land.
Lake Isabella is at the confluence of the North and South Forks of the Kern River. These rivers are 'wild', in that they are not controlled by any dam upstream. Upstream on the North Fork white water enthusiasts play in the spring and early summer. The famous Golden Trout originate in these rivers in the high country to the north.
and by a few Paiute
-Shoshone
. The Tubatulabals were a happy, friendly people. The name, "Tubatulabal" means "those who go out and gather Pinyon nuts". They were referred to by other Indians as the 'happy talkers' because their language was lilting and full of laughter. The Paiutes were from the deserts to the north east across the Sierras. The two tribes were fairly closely related by marriage ties. 'Paiute' is taken from an Indian word meaning 'fly eaters'. An important part of the Paiute diet was a flour made from dried ground up brine-fly larva. These larva swarm thickly in the salt lakes of the desert basins.
The Tubatulabals coexisted peacefully with the white settlers for the most part. In 1863 there was a massacre of the Tubatulabals and some Paiutes by the U.S. Cavalry. A casual researcher will find differing accounts of this massacre. One account is found in the Handbook of North Americans - California Volume 8, 1978. Another is in one of local historian Bob Powers earlier books on Kern Valley. The accounts differ considerably.
The area east of the lake, along the South Fork, was settled first by cattle ranchers in the early 1850s. As the ranching operations grew and prospered, they began to raise hay in the lower, temperate valley to feed the cattle in the winter. From spring till fall the cowboys would tend the cattle up in the high country of the Sierras. In this dry mountain area there are many lush jewels of mountain meadows, of heart-tugging beauty in every direction from Lake Isabella. The Kern Plateau is directly NE of Lake Isabella and varies from 7000 feet (2,133.6 m) to 10000 feet (3,048 m) elevation. It has tall timber, many streams and much vegatation useful for cattle graze. The cattlemen ran cattle in the desert areas beyond Walkers Pass also. Having grown up in the area, it was not unusual to see the school bus slow to a walk through a crowded herd of cattle being driven down the highway. A student might open the bus window and shout, "Hi Mom!" or "Hi Dad!" to the cowperson driving the cattle.
In 1857 a gold rush to the Whiskey Flat area in the early 1850s brought a flood of new faces to the lower North Fork area, and in the mountains and canyons nearby.
The town of Isabella
was founded by Steven Barton in 1893 and named in honor of Queen Isabella
of Spain while her name was current during the 1893 Columbian Exposition. Lake Isabella
was created by a dam on the Kern River in 1953 forcing the town to move about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of the original site. The Isabella post office, which had opened in 1896, operated at the new site until the name was changed to Lake Isabella in 1957.
The dam's reservoir also inundated Kernville
, a later name for Whiskey Flat. Most of Kernville was relocated to higher ground nearby.
The area is a mecca for hikers, boaters, water skiers, fishermen, birders, hunters, wind surfers, kayakers, and other outdoor recreationists. Tourist trade is a major part of the area's economy.
was 156.6 people per square mile (60.4/km²). The racial makeup of Lake Isabella was 3,069 (88.5%) White, 6 (0.2%) African American, 96 (2.8%) Native American, 18 (0.5%) Asian, 7 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 73 (2.1%) from other races
, and 197 (5.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 339 persons (9.8%).
The Census reported that 3,466 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 1,621 households, out of which 384 (23.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 566 (34.9%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 218 (13.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 104 (6.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 138 (8.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 14 (0.9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 592 households (36.5%) were made up of individuals and 299 (18.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14. There were 888 families
(54.8% of all households); the average family size was 2.76.
The population was spread out with 666 people (19.2%) under the age of 18, 299 people (8.6%) aged 18 to 24, 653 people (18.8%) aged 25 to 44, 1,106 people (31.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 742 people (21.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.2 years. For every 100 females there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.
There were 2,164 housing units at an average density of 97.8 per square mile (37.7/km²), of which 1,019 (62.9%) were owner-occupied, and 602 (37.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 5.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 8.5%. 2,088 people (60.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,378 people (39.8%) lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, there were 3,315 people, 1,526 households, and 877 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 150.0 people per square mile (57.9/km²). There were 2,168 housing units at an average density of 98.1 per square mile (37.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 90.44% White
, 0.06% Black
or African American
, 1.90% Native American
, 0.81% Asian
, 0.06% Pacific Islander
, 2.50% from other races
, and 4.22% from two or more races. 6.76% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 1,526 households out of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.9% were married couples
living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.5% were non-families. 37.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 22.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.83.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 19.7% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 27.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $19,813, and the median income for a family was $24,800. Males had a median income of $24,896 versus $18,523 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $11,452. About 18.2% of families and 20.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.2% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.
s. The flooding was primarily caused by the Piute Fire on June 28, 2008. On the second day of flooding, an 8 feet (2.4 m) tall wall of water flowed through town. Then, on the third day of flooding, Kern County officials issued an evacuation notice for the low lying areas on either side of Erskine Creek Canyon to the Kern River.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in the southern Sierra Nevadas, in Kern County
Kern County, California
Spreading across the southern end of the California Central Valley, Kern County is the fifth-largest county by population in California. Its economy is heavily linked to agriculture and to petroleum extraction, and there is a strong aviation and space presence. Politically, it has generally...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States, located near Lake Isabella
Lake Isabella
Lake Isabella is a reservoir in Kern County, California created by the earthen Isabella Dam. It was formed in 1953 when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dammed the Kern River at the junction of its two forks at Whiskey Flat. At 11,000 acres , it is one of the larger reservoirs in California...
. Lake Isabella is located 35 miles (56 km) east-northeast of Bakersfield
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
, at an elevation of 2513 feet (766 m). The population was 3,466 at the 2010 census, up from 3,315 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Lake Isabella is located at 35°37′05"N 118°28′23"W.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 22.1 square miles (57.2 km²), over 98% of it land.
History
When the Europeans first explored this area they found it populated mostly by a couple of Indian tribes, the TubatulabalsTübatulabal people
The Tübatulabal are Native Americans whose ancestral home was in the Kern River basin, in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains of California.Their traditional culture was similar to that of the Yokuts, who occupied most the of the southern half of the California's Central Valley. Acorns, piñon...
and by a few Paiute
Paiute
Paiute refers to three closely related groups of Native Americans — the Northern Paiute of California, Idaho, Nevada and Oregon; the Owens Valley Paiute of California and Nevada; and the Southern Paiute of Arizona, southeastern California and Nevada, and Utah.-Origin of name:The origin of...
-Shoshone
Shoshone
The Shoshone or Shoshoni are a Native American tribe in the United States with three large divisions: the Northern, the Western and the Eastern....
. The Tubatulabals were a happy, friendly people. The name, "Tubatulabal" means "those who go out and gather Pinyon nuts". They were referred to by other Indians as the 'happy talkers' because their language was lilting and full of laughter. The Paiutes were from the deserts to the north east across the Sierras. The two tribes were fairly closely related by marriage ties. 'Paiute' is taken from an Indian word meaning 'fly eaters'. An important part of the Paiute diet was a flour made from dried ground up brine-fly larva. These larva swarm thickly in the salt lakes of the desert basins.
The Tubatulabals coexisted peacefully with the white settlers for the most part. In 1863 there was a massacre of the Tubatulabals and some Paiutes by the U.S. Cavalry. A casual researcher will find differing accounts of this massacre. One account is found in the Handbook of North Americans - California Volume 8, 1978. Another is in one of local historian Bob Powers earlier books on Kern Valley. The accounts differ considerably.
The area east of the lake, along the South Fork, was settled first by cattle ranchers in the early 1850s. As the ranching operations grew and prospered, they began to raise hay in the lower, temperate valley to feed the cattle in the winter. From spring till fall the cowboys would tend the cattle up in the high country of the Sierras. In this dry mountain area there are many lush jewels of mountain meadows, of heart-tugging beauty in every direction from Lake Isabella. The Kern Plateau is directly NE of Lake Isabella and varies from 7000 feet (2,133.6 m) to 10000 feet (3,048 m) elevation. It has tall timber, many streams and much vegatation useful for cattle graze. The cattlemen ran cattle in the desert areas beyond Walkers Pass also. Having grown up in the area, it was not unusual to see the school bus slow to a walk through a crowded herd of cattle being driven down the highway. A student might open the bus window and shout, "Hi Mom!" or "Hi Dad!" to the cowperson driving the cattle.
In 1857 a gold rush to the Whiskey Flat area in the early 1850s brought a flood of new faces to the lower North Fork area, and in the mountains and canyons nearby.
The town of Isabella
Isabella, California
Isabella is a former settlement in Kern County, California. It was located north-northeast of Bodfish, at an elevation of 2516 feet . The site was inundated by Lake Isabella....
was founded by Steven Barton in 1893 and named in honor of Queen Isabella
Isabella I of Castile
Isabella I was Queen of Castile and León. She and her husband Ferdinand II of Aragon brought stability to both kingdoms that became the basis for the unification of Spain. Later the two laid the foundations for the political unification of Spain under their grandson, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor...
of Spain while her name was current during the 1893 Columbian Exposition. Lake Isabella
Lake Isabella
Lake Isabella is a reservoir in Kern County, California created by the earthen Isabella Dam. It was formed in 1953 when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dammed the Kern River at the junction of its two forks at Whiskey Flat. At 11,000 acres , it is one of the larger reservoirs in California...
was created by a dam on the Kern River in 1953 forcing the town to move about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of the original site. The Isabella post office, which had opened in 1896, operated at the new site until the name was changed to Lake Isabella in 1957.
The dam's reservoir also inundated Kernville
Kernville (former town), California
Kernville is a former settlement in Kern County, California. It lay at an elevation of 2,575 feet . Kernville was established in 1851 as a gold camp, and was inundated by Lake Isabella in 1954....
, a later name for Whiskey Flat. Most of Kernville was relocated to higher ground nearby.
The area is a mecca for hikers, boaters, water skiers, fishermen, birders, hunters, wind surfers, kayakers, and other outdoor recreationists. Tourist trade is a major part of the area's economy.
Demographics
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Lake Isabella had a population of 3,466. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 156.6 people per square mile (60.4/km²). The racial makeup of Lake Isabella was 3,069 (88.5%) White, 6 (0.2%) African American, 96 (2.8%) Native American, 18 (0.5%) Asian, 7 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 73 (2.1%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 197 (5.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 339 persons (9.8%).
The Census reported that 3,466 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 1,621 households, out of which 384 (23.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 566 (34.9%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 218 (13.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 104 (6.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 138 (8.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 14 (0.9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 592 households (36.5%) were made up of individuals and 299 (18.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14. There were 888 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(54.8% of all households); the average family size was 2.76.
The population was spread out with 666 people (19.2%) under the age of 18, 299 people (8.6%) aged 18 to 24, 653 people (18.8%) aged 25 to 44, 1,106 people (31.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 742 people (21.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.2 years. For every 100 females there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.
There were 2,164 housing units at an average density of 97.8 per square mile (37.7/km²), of which 1,019 (62.9%) were owner-occupied, and 602 (37.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 5.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 8.5%. 2,088 people (60.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,378 people (39.8%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 3,315 people, 1,526 households, and 877 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 150.0 people per square mile (57.9/km²). There were 2,168 housing units at an average density of 98.1 per square mile (37.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 90.44% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.06% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.90% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.81% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.06% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 2.50% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 4.22% from two or more races. 6.76% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 1,526 households out of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.5% were non-families. 37.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 22.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.83.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 19.7% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 27.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $19,813, and the median income for a family was $24,800. Males had a median income of $24,896 versus $18,523 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $11,452. About 18.2% of families and 20.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.2% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.
2008 Flooding
In July 2008, the town of Lake Isabella experienced a series of flash floodFlash flood
A flash flood is a rapid flooding of geomorphic low-lying areas—washes, rivers, dry lakes and basins. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a storm, hurricane, or tropical storm or meltwater from ice or snow flowing over ice sheets or snowfields...
s. The flooding was primarily caused by the Piute Fire on June 28, 2008. On the second day of flooding, an 8 feet (2.4 m) tall wall of water flowed through town. Then, on the third day of flooding, Kern County officials issued an evacuation notice for the low lying areas on either side of Erskine Creek Canyon to the Kern River.