Kern River Valley Heritage Foundation

Kern River Valley Heritage Foundation (KRVHF) is an all-volunteer 501(C)(3) land trust, founded in 2000 to develop the Bob Powers Gateway Preserve (BPGP) and other Kern River Valley (KRV) projects. Its purposes are to protect, manage, administer and preserve lands and other KRV resources possessing unique natural resource, cultural or historical qualities.

Bob Powers Gateway Preserve – A 18-acre seasonal wetland providing habitat for waterfowl and the following species of concern: Tricolored Blackbirds, Kern Red-winged Blackbirds and the Alkali Mariposa Lily. 

Hot Springs Valley Wetlands Acquisition - KRVHF has long sought to protect the adjacent 189-acre Hot Springs Valley Wetlands (HSVW) property and with The Trust for Public Land, as partner and facilitator, we now have obtained a purchase contract. We have until late November 2016, to secure funds to protect this sensitive inland alkali and permanent wetland resource. 

Located in the Kern River Valley, the 189-acre HSVW property contains over 110 acres of alkali wetlands. It is the iconic open space land seen upon entering the Kern River Valley from Bakersfield. It sits between Highway 178 and Lake Isabella Boulevard in the town of Lake Isabella. The property is adjacent to the 18-acre Bob Powers Gateway Preserve (BPGP) and 15-acres owned by Bureau of Land Management, which has agreed to include these wetland properties under cooperative management agreements with the KRVHF. Together these three properties comprise a regionally important wetland complex.

The KRVHF has successfully managed the BPGP since 2001 and will manage the HSVW under the same management program with continued direction from the CDFW and USFWS. Beyond intensive management, oriented to waterfowl and associated wildlife, development of compatible public use, there may be opportunities to enhance the wetlands, such as has been done at BPGP.

Expected Benefits:

- Permanent protection through fee title acquisition of property; 

- Elimination of the potential for further development on this sensitive habitat;

- Increase in habitat connectivity with adjacent conservation lands;

- Elimination of current negative grazing practices which have diminished waterfowl use;

- Artful combination of active and passive management beneficial to waterfowl, “Kern” Redwinged Blackbird, Tricolored Blackbird, alkali mariposa lily, and associated plant and wildlife;

-Management of water which is available year round to help insure successful waterfowl nesting – 300,000 gallons average per day;

- Management of grassland at wetland edges to help insure sanctuary for nesting Mallards;

- Return and increase in numbers of nesting Gadwall, Mallard and Cinnamon Teal pairs;

-Return and increase in numbers of fall/winter/spring Northern Shoveler and Green-winged Teal;

- Opportunity for development of compatible public access;

- Opportunity for educational programming for youth and adults.