Yuba Water manages New Bullards Bar Dam, the fifth tallest dam in the United States, and several smaller diversion dams. Learn how Yuba Water ensures its dams are safe and in tip-top shape.
Since its formation in 1959, Yuba Water has led the local effort with state and federal agencies, Congress and others to increase public safety by reducing the risk of catastrophic flooding in Yuba County. Learn more about Yuba County’s flood risk and efforts to significantly reduce this risk.
Yuba County's local levee districts are responsible for reclaiming and maintaining land that is threatened by permanent or temporary flooding for agriculture, residential, residential, commercial of industrial use.
January 2022 marks 25 years since the devastating New Year's flood of 1997. Learn about the impacts of the flood and changes made since then to ensure Yuba County is among the best protected flood-prone regions in the state.
With support from water service providers statewide, a new mural in downtown Sacramento is encouraging Californians to save water as the drought continues. Called the California Water Wall, the mural is an enduring reminder that saving water is a of life. Read On...
Yuba Water recently premiered its new documentary, “The Tricky Yuba,” at the Lee Burrows Center for the Arts in Marysville. The film highlights Yuba Water’s history, the reason for its formation, its accomplishments and what’s next for the agency. Read on...
Yuba Water was honored as the Sacramento Business Journal’s 2022 Champion for Environmental Preservation and Sustainability for its measurable commitments and efforts to improve the health of the Yuba River watershed and support Yuba County communities. Read on...
The North Yuba Forest Partnership is set to receive millions in federal funding to support forest restoration treatments in the North Yuba River watershed, which will reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire and improve the health of the forest. Read on...
United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore announced the North Yuba River watershed as one of the 10 initial landscapes funded for the U.S. Forest Service’s 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy. Read on...
This week, the Yuba Water Agency Board of Directors authorized staff to complete the 100 percent design for the planned Atmospheric River Control Spillway at New Bullards Bar Dam after receiving a presentation on the recent 90 percent design milestone. Read on...
Yuba Water Agency Board Director Brent Hastey was honored today by the Association of California Water Agencies for his distinguished and dedicated service to ACWA, the country’s largest statewide coalition of public water agencies. Read on...
This week, Yuba Water Agency’s work to remove 284 dead and dying hazardous trees around Lake Francis is expected to wrap up, which will reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire and help slow the spread of a bark beetle infestation. Read on...
The Yuba Water Board of Directors approved a local cost-share grant worth up to $240,000 for the Yuba Watershed Protection and Fire Safe Council to reduce catastrophic wildfire risk and improve public safety for communities in the Yuba County foothills. Read on...
At its first meeting of the new year today, Yuba Water Agency’s board of directors elected the new chair and vice-chair to lead the seven-member board in 2022. Gary Bradford will serve as chairman and Randy Fletcher will serve as vice-chairman. Read on...
January 2 is the 25th anniversary of Yuba County’s last major flood event after a levee break on the east bank of the Feather River. Today, our community is among the best-protected urban areas at risk of flooding in the state. Read on...
Yuba Water’s board of directors voted to authorize a water transfer agreement with Contra Costa Water District and East Bay Municipal Utility District, to sell at least 10,000 acre-feet of water, and potentially more, if the conditions allow, in 2022. Read on...
The California Department of Water Resources today formally approved the groundwater sustainability plan for the North and South Yuba groundwater subbasins in Yuba County developed to meet the requirements of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Read on...
Yuba Water Agency’s Board of Directors committed more than $1.4 million in grants and loans to support flood risk reduction, water supply, watershed resilience, water education, water conservation and public safety in Yuba County. Read on...
As work to enhance the lower Yuba River ecosystem and reduce flood risk continues, initial reports show that fish are already using the habitat restored as part of the 157-acre Hallwood Side Channel and Floodplain Restoration Project. Read On...
The innovative financial mechanism builds on the initial 15,000 acre pilot project to protect an additional 48,000 acres with funding contributions from utilities, corporations, and state agencies. Read on...
The South Yuba River Citizens League recently resumed Salmon Expeditions for grade school students from Nevada and Yuba counties after a year away from the river. Read on...
The National Hydropower Association today announced Yuba Water Agency’s Watershed Resilience Program received the 2021 Outstanding Stewards of America’s Waters Award in the category of Recreational, Environmental & Historical Enhancement. Read on...
Yuba Water has received a distinguished contribution award from the California Association of Science Educators (CASE) for its Yuba River watershed curriculum project, which is the cornerstone of the agency’s broader watershed education program. Read on...
The U.S. Forest Service has released its Notice of Intent for the North Yuba Landscape Resiliency Project, which proposes to treat more than 275,000 acres of forest. The project was developed in collaboration with the North Yuba Forest Partnership. Read on...
The Yuba Water Agency Board of Directors today approved a $15,000 grant for the Camptonville Community Services District to help them seek additional financial and technical support to ensure the community is better able to handle drought. Read on...
When Hydro Mechanical Engineer Aaron Esselman took classes at Yuba College in 2011, he was simply filling the requirements to transfer. Ten years later, he’s back at Yuba College, working with students and staff at the college’s machine shop. Read on...
Yuba Water recently formalized a water education program. The action lays out a roadmap for how the agency will reach its education goals and implement recently-developed Yuba River watershed-focused curriculum in K-12 classrooms throughout Yuba County. Read on...
The new Cottage Creek Campground at New Bullards Bar Reservoir is now open to the public and accepting reservations on a first-come, first-served basis. Read on...
To further promote recreation and water safety, Yuba Water Agency has partnered with Yuba County to establish the Life Jacket Loaner Program. Four loaner stations have been installed at New Bullards Bar Reservoir and Lake Francis. Read on...
Yuba Water Agency’s Board of Directors today approved $6.5 million for a range of projects to improve public safety and enhance the quality of life for Yuba County residents. Read on...
Yuba Water’s board of directors approved a $2 million loan to the Three Rivers Levee Improvement Authority to complete the construction of a levee near the Yuba Goldfields that will bring a 200-year level of urban flood protection to southern Yuba County. Read on...
Last month, Yuba Water Agency employees visited Yuba County Career Preparatory Charter School’s Aquaponics Department to discuss with students potential career paths in the water industry and how those relate to their current coursework. Read on...
Yuba Water Agency Executive Advisor Mike Kline is retiring this month after 10 years with the agency and more than 40 years working in hydroelectric operations and engineering. Read on...
Browns Valley Elementary students now have the opportunity to contribute to science and weather forecasts in their watershed thanks to a new monitoring station installed at the school by Scripps Institution of Oceanography with support from Yuba Water. Read on...
Flows on the lower Yuba River from Englebright Lake to Marysville will increase significantly this week as instream flow and irrigation demands pick up. The public should use caution when recreating on the lower Yuba for their safety in the weeks ahead. Read on...
Despite a series of storms earlier this year and a snowpack visible from the valley floor, California is on track for another dry water year. That’s according to recent snow surveys by local and state agencies and various forecast models. Read on...
More than one mile of the north channel of the lower Yuba River will be closed to all watercraft starting April 1 through early December for habitat enhancement work as part of Yuba Water Agency’s Hallwood Side Channel and Floodplain Restoration Project. Read on...
Yuba Water Agency’s board of directors have approved several grants and matching loans to advance critical flood risk reduction work and water infrastructure improvements in Yuba County. Read on...
Yuba Water has approved an agreement that adds the Cordua Irrigation District to the Yuba Accord, a model water management agreement that supports endangered fish, ensures water supplies for cities and farms and reduces conflict over water use. Read on...
Yuba Water’s board has taken action to reduce catastrophic wildfire risk and advance landscape-scale forest restoration in the Yuba watershed. The board approved $6.5 million for forest restoration projects as part of the North Yuba Forest Partnership. Read on...
Celebrated each year on February 11, International Day of Women and Girls in Science was created by the United Nations to recognize the critical role women and girls play in science and technology and to promote equal access and participation in STEM. Read on...
Over the course of the past week, Scripps Institution of Oceanography field teams successfully launched a series of weather balloons throughout Northern California to monitor the season’s first series of significant atmospheric river events. Read on...
During its first meeting of the year, Yuba Water Agency’s board of directors elected the chairman and vice-chairman for calendar year 2021 and welcomed two new directors to its seven-member board. Read on...
Yuba Water Agency has passed a resolution to receive a grant worth more than $2.8 million from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for habitat restoration and flood risk reduction work on the lower Yuba River. Read on...
The North Yuba Forest Partnership has received $1.13 million to plan future forest health and wildfire resilience treatments within the North Yuba River watershed. This funding originated from the US Forest Service’s Fireshed Program. Read on...
Yuba Water Agency’s board of directors approved approximately $1 million in grants for flood risk reduction, water quality improvements and emergency response equipment. Read on...
Yuba Water Agency has filed lawsuits in both federal and state court to challenge the water quality certification that California’s State Water Resources Control Board issued in July for Yuba Water’s new license for the Yuba River Development Project. Read on...
Yuba Water Agency is an incredible asset to Yuba County and our region. The vision laid out more than 60 year ago by the founders of Yuba Water was intended to position Yuba County to be a thriving and prosperous community. Read on...
A $56,000 grant provides necessary funding for the Camptonville Community Services District to perform repairs to its Campbell Gulch diversion structure, which captures and diverts water for the entire community of Camptonville. Read on...
Yuba Water Agency is working to reduce the risk of flooding from atmospheric rivers – powerful storms responsible for more than 90 percent of floods in the region – through bold investments and innovative partnerships. Read on...
While summer has come to an end, work to further enhance outdoor recreation opportunities in the Yuba County foothills has quickly ramped up. Ten brand new campsites are nearing completion at Yuba Water Agency’s New Bullards Bar Dam and Reservoir. Read on...
A recent $4.5 million grant from Cal Fire further benefits Yuba Water’s ongoing efforts to support healthier, more resilient forests in an area that has experienced numerous wildfires over the course of the past 22 years. Read on...
Yuba Water Agency’s board of directors has approved more than $1.25 million in grants and a low-interest loan for flood risk reduction, water infrastructure, water quality improvements, fish habitat and emergency water rescue equipment. Read on...
Yuba Water is one step closer to ramping up operations of its Narrows 1 hydropower facility after the agency’s crews replaced a leaky stand pipe, which is a crucial part of the system that moves water from Englebright Reservoir to the facility. Read on...
Yuba Water Agency’s Board of Directors committed more than $2.2 million in grants for Yuba River-focused water education, water supply improvements, flood risk reduction and swift water rescue equipment. Read on...
Between the heat and rolling blackouts, I’m sure you’ve figured out that we're seeing record breaking demand on California’s electrical system. At Yuba Water, we are stepping up power generation efforts to support the state through this energy crisis. Read on...
On August 14, 2020, Yuba Water Agency submitted a petition for reconsideration with the State Water Resources Control Board asking the board to vacate the certification it issued on July 17 related to the relicensing of the Yuba River Development Project. Read on...
Yuba Water's Board of Directors authorized staff to proceed with a new design of a secondary spillway at New Bullards Bar Dam, marking an important step forward for the agency’s largest project to reduce flood risk since the dam was built. Read on...
Yuba Water Agency’s Board of Directors have committed approximately $14 million in grants and loans for water infrastructure upgrades, levee maintenance and Yuba County’s annual California Public Employees’ Retirement System payment. Read on...
Today marks Willie Whittlesey’s first day as Yuba Water Agency’s new general manager. Whittlesey takes the reins from Curt Aikens, who will retire early next year. Read on...
Yuba Water Agency’s Board of Directors today committed $785,000 for levee improvements, water conservation and other Yuba County water projects in support of its core mission areas of flood risk reduction and sustainable water supply management. Read on...
For decades, we’ve talked about the need for implementing modern infrastructure to the Highway 65 corridor in order to make new development there possible, writes Mary Jane Griego in a guest column for the Appeal-Democrat. Read on...
Donating blood, offering monetary donations, organizing food drives and coordinating behind the scenes – these are just a few of the ways Yuba Water Agency employees have given back to their communities during the coronavirus crisis. Read on...
