Brittany Lallo
Special to the Sun

We have all watched with Anticipation as the reminders of the flash flood slowly fade away. The streets get cleaner, the creek bed gets clearer and we begin to forget the fearful excitement of the disaster.

Many have noticed that the lake water has dropped remarkably. This was purposely done with quick thinking in an attempt to minimize the damage done to the lower kern area by the ash thickened waters. Using the extra water pressure the dingy mud was expediently flushed away. Already you can see the water is clearing. Still visible are the grey stains left behind by the torrential mud flow, but they are fading. However, there is evidence that the flood did more permanent damage than merely temporarily darkening the lower Kern River. The charcoaled contents of the mudslide act as a poison depriving the river of oxygen and thus polluting the once healthy water. Most of the lower kern fishery and its’ next generation will hopefully survive this brief but dangerous change in their ecosystem because the contaminated water was so quickly rinsed away. Yet, perhaps it was not fast enough to save all. Dead fish have already been seen floating down the river or in their final resting place on the sand of the river bank. It is unclear whether they merely died of trauma or if the water supply had been poisoned. It is an unsettling thought that reminds us of how delicate our ecosystem is. I’m sure that all fishermen eagerly await the lower Kern River’s recovery so they can return to angling the currents.

Thankfully, fishing in the other lake Isabella area fisheries have remained unaffected. In fact many bass fisherman look at the lake’s reduced water level as an opportunity to find the “big ones” that normally hide easily in the deep water. So, I guess one fisherman’s loss is another ones’ gain.