Beardsley Canal is an irrigation

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow un ...

Kern County Kern County is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 909,235. Its county seat is Bakersfield. Kern County comprises the Bakersfield, California, Metropolitan statistical area. The county sp ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. It originates at the

Kern River The Kern River, previously Rio de San Felipe, later La Porciuncula, is an Endangered, Wild and Scenic river in the U.S. state of California, approximately long. It drains an area of the southern Sierra Nevada mountains northeast of Bakersfiel ...

, east of

Gordon's Ferry Gordon's Ferry is both a geographical location and a historic site in Bakersfield, California. It is located where China Grade Loop crosses the Kern River and meets with Alfred Harrell Highway in Northeast Bakersfield. It is named after a ferry th ...

and just west of the First Point of Measurement. It is the first diversion from the river in the

San Joaquin Valley The San Joaquin Valley ( ; es, Valle de San Joaquín) is the area of the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California that lies south of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and is drained by the San Joaquin River. It comprises seven c ...

for agriculture irrigation ( Hart Park has two canals, but are used exclusively for aesthetics and reconnect to the river). It terminates at reservoirs located in Famoso, just east of SR 99 (Golden State Freeway).Darling, Curtis. ''Kern County Place Names''. The Kern County Historical Society. 2003. . Page: 73. From the diversion, the canal follows the course of the Kern River, until reaching the common diversion (used by the

Carrier Carrier may refer to: Entertainment * ''Carrier'' (album), a 2013 album by The Dodos * ''Carrier'' (board game), a South Pacific World War II board game * ''Carrier'' (TV series), a ten-part documentary miniseries that aired on PBS in April 20 ...

, Kern Island, and Eastside Canals). From there, it runs roughly west, through Oildale. After crossing Roberts Lane, the canal turns northwest, and crosses SR 99. It continues northwest, as it leaves urban development. It then crosses SR 99 again, now traveling on the east side of the freeway. At this point, it is running roughly parallel to the

Friant-Kern Canal The Friant-Kern Canal is a aqueduct (water supply), aqueduct managed by the United States Bureau of Reclamation in Central California to convey water to augment irrigation capacity in Fresno County, California, Fresno, Tulare County, California, ...

and the Calloway Canal, which are farther west. The canal continues northwest, until terminating at reservoirs in Famoso.

References

{{KernCountyCA-geo-stub Canals of Kern County, California