E-Paper
California ghost town Whiskey Flat submerged again after a three-year drought
As California struggles through the climate crisis, the California ghost town that re-emerged due to a drought has submerged as the snowpack filled the lake.
After a severe drought struck California, a historic settlement resurfaced as Lake Isabella, in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains, dried up. The ghost town of Whiskey Flat began as a gold mining town in the 1800s. The town was once home to the Big Blue Gold Mine, which operated near the Kern River.
Although alcohol was prohibited in this town, one man was able to smuggle drink to the miners. Hence, the town earned the name ‘Whiskey Flat’. In 1864, the town was renamed to ‘Old Kernville’ to avoid further association with "demon rum," according to Sierra Nevada Geotourism. According to SFGate, Old Kernville was later used to film Wild West movies between the 1930s and early 1950s.
In September 2022, Whiskey Flat re-emerged amid the three-year drought. At the time, Lake Isabella was at 8% capacity, according to SFGate.
Whiskey Flat has now disappeared once again as Lake Isabella filled up with melted snow.
California’s snowpack has also resulted in disastrous flooding. In an April Press release, Karla Nemeth, director of the Department of water resources, said that the torrent of water from the mountains into the flatlands of the state was “the latest example that California’s climate is becoming more extreme”
Experts have described the alternating extremes in the state as “weather whiplash”.
