Kern Valley Sun

A brief ceremony to dedicate the naming of Powers Peak, for Bob Powers, a fifth generation Kern Valley resident and author, is scheduled for Nov. 8th at 1 p.m., at the Kernville Fish Hatchery. The fish hatchery is located on Sierra Way, just north of Kernville and across from Camp Erwin Owen.

Powers Peak is located immediately northeast of Kernville and is the site of the historic Harley Mine. Powers Peak has been entered into the Geographic Names Information System and can be accessed through http://geonames.usgs.gov. The mountain officially became Powers Peak on Aug. 14, 2008. The naming of Powers Peak follows several years of efforts by the Friends of Bob Powers Steering Committee, a group of local residents who obtained state and federal support to name the mountain peak after Powers, who died in 2002. Prior to his death, Powers was considered one of the leading historians of the Kern River Valley. Powers’ wrote several books about the Kern River Valley and his work has been used in classes to teach students about the area’s history. The Kern Valley Sun runs a Bob Powers column containing excerpts from his books as room is available.