Community leaders and government partners gathered Tuesday to break ground on the new Kern River Ranger Station.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District awarded $8.58 million to Macro-Z Technology in July for the construction of the 5,500-square-foot administrative building and 2,700-square-foot warehouse space to be located at the Kernville Work Center.

The U.S. Forest Service facilities sit on the footprint of the 300-foot-wide emergency spillway to be built as part of the Isabella Lake Dam Safety Modification Project.

Dam modifications are scheduled to begin in 2017.