Hydropower is about clean energy, reliability, jobs and a secure future for Yuba County

By Curt Aikens, Yuba Water Agency general manager

On Friday, Aug. 23, Yuba Water Agency will join hydropower facilities all around the country in recognizing National Hydropower Day. Do we get the day off work? Kids get out of school? Sorry to disappoint. ...

Current Thoughts: A compromise - good for the fish and the economy

by Brent Hastey, Yuba Water Agency board chairman

Happy New Year! There are many things to look forward to in the new year and the ever-changing landscape of water policy. Some of the biggest topics to keep an eye on are the ongoing Bay-Delta negotiations ...

Current Thoughts: 10 Successful Years

May 2018 officially marked 10 successful years of the Lower Yuba River Accord, a statewide model settlement agreement between 18 different agencies, with many different interests and needs, all working together to make the Yuba River better.

Faces of Yuba Water

Our Faces of Yuba Water series highlights Yuba Water Agency’s great employees and the work that they do to make Yuba County a better place. In this spotlight, we showcase our contracts and procurement administrator, who oversees the processes for purchasi...

Yuba Water Agency approves grant for project to provide reliable, safe drinking water

Residents in Challenge, Rackerby, Brownsville and Forbestown will have a more reliable, safe drinking water supply with the help of funding from Yuba Water Agency. 

The grant, worth up to $225,725, was approved today by the water agency and provid...

Grant helps local fire department purchase new swift-water rescue equipment

The City of Marysville Fire Department will be better equipped to respond to water-related emergencies with the help of funding from Yuba Water Agency. 

As part of the Bill Shaw Rescue Equipment and Training Grant Program, Yuba Water today approve...

Grant helps Yuba County Sheriff's Department purchase safety equipment

The Yuba County Sheriff’s Department marijuana eradication team will be better protected with the help of Yuba Water Agency’s Bill Shaw Rescue Equipment and Training Grant Program.

A $5,000 grant, approved today by Yuba Water Agency, wi...

Yuba Water Agency provides water education programming, materials for local schools

Water-related educational programming is finding its way to classrooms throughout Yuba County, as Yuba Water Agency ramps up plans to build a first-class, river-front water education center.

At today’s meeting of the agency’s board of d...

Grants help local fire districts purchase upgraded swift water rescue equipment

Two local fire districts will be better equipped to respond to water-related emergencies along the Yuba River with the help of funding from Yuba Water Agency.

As part of the Bill Shaw Rescue Equipment and Training Grant Program, Yuba Water today approved t...

Yuba Water Agency funds program to reduce fire risk, improve watershed health in foothills

In an effort to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire in the Yuba County foothills and preserve the critical water supply of the Yuba River, Yuba Water Agency today approved a $45,000 grant to launch a Firewise USA Site Activation Program.  

Th...

Yuba Water Agency general manager wins ASCE 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award

Honoring his outstanding efforts and professional achievements in civil engineering, Yuba Water Agency General Manager Curt Aikens this week received the American Society of Civil Engineers Sacramento Section 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award.  

Thi...

Agency to fund approx. $2.7 million for water supply reliability, flood risk reduction projects

Three critical projects to reduce flood risk and ensure a sustainable water supply for the people of Yuba County received much-needed financial support this week from Yuba Water Agency. 

Browns Valley Irrigation District’s Sicard Ditch P...

Yuba Water Agency funds trauma intervention training in support of local first-responder agencies

The Yuba-Sutter Trauma Intervention Program will be better able to support victims of crime and survivors of tragedy with the help of a grant from Yuba Water Agency. 

The $10,000 grant, approved today by the agency as part of the Bill Shaw Rescue ...

Yuba Water Agency provides funding for communication, rescue equipment

Three Yuba County first-responder agencies will purchase new equipment with the help of Yuba Water Agency’s Bill Shaw Rescue Equipment and Training Grant Program.

Each of these agencies provide emergency and rescue services for areas near Yuba Wa...

Major milestone reached for fish habitat improvements on the Yuba River

Yuba Water Agency is welcoming a major milestone in a planned federal restoration program on the Yuba River, which could result in a significant  federal investment to enhance fisheries habitat.   

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineer...

Yuba Water Agency, community partners spark excitement with plans for local water experience center

A state-of-the-art education facility and programming focused on the Yuba River as the foundation for the experience is closer to becoming a reality after Yuba Water Agency’s board of directors today unanimously approved moving forward with the ...

Op/Ed by Curt Aikens: Helping build a brighter future for Yuba County

In the 1950s, our county leaders had the incredible vision and fortitude to conceive and construct a series of dams and hydroelectric plants for the betterment of Yuba County. This was an incredibly bold mission for such a small, poor county to take on to...

Water Agency deal means 60-plus miles of Yuba County road repairs

The Yuba Water Agency gave a final nod Monday for a $9 million loan to Yuba County that will allow what would have been multiple years’ worth of road repairs to happen within the next few months. The arrangement actually makes it possible for the county t...

Yuba Water Agency helps fund new levee to further reduce flood risk, improve habitat

A project to reduce the risk of flooding and improve habitat along the Bear River is moving forward with the help of funding from Yuba Water Agency.

The agency approved $2.1 million this week to help Reclamation District 817 design, construct and permit th...

Grant helps foothill fire district pay for additional rescue training and equipment

Foothill Fire Protection District will be better equipped to handle emergency rescue situations in the Yuba County foothills with the help of a grant from Yuba Water Agency. 

The $8,500 grant, approved today by the agency as part of the Bill Shaw ...

Yuba Water Agency, DWR launch research to enhance reservoir operations

Yuba Water Agency today launched an initiative with the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and University of California San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography to improve storm and runoff forecasting, and significantly reduce...

Yuba Water Agency’s unique sediment removal project earns reputable award

A project to maintain dam safety and increase reservoir capacity by removing and hauling away sediment from upstream of one of Yuba Water Agency’s diversion dams is the winner of the 2018 American Society of Civil Engineers, Sacramento Section O...

Yuba Water Agency funds Marysville Ring Levee design work

The next phase of construction on the Marysville Ring Levee will remain on schedule with the help of a $20,520 grant from Yuba Water Agency to the Marysville Levee Commission.

The funding will be used by the commission to hire MHM, a local engineering and ...

Yuba Water Agency provides grants, loan to local first responders for new equipment

Several Yuba County first-responder agencies will be able to purchase new emergency response equipment with the help of funding from Yuba Water Agency. 

These agencies provide emergency and rescue services for areas associated with Yuba Water Agen...

SYRCL receives funding for Forest Health Partnership in the Yuba River Watershed

On March 21, 2019, the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL), in partnership with the Tahoe National Forest (TNF), the Camptonville Community Partnership (CCP), and Yuba Water Agency received competitive funding from the California Department of Conser...

Op/Ed by Curt Aikens: Water in Yuba County - leaving no one behind

Most of us take it for granted when we turn on the tap, that our water will reliably be there, and that it will be safe to drink. Scattered throughout California, however, are small communities who can’t rely on their water systems for safe drin...

Yuba Water Agency grants continue to reduce flood risk in Marysville, Hallwood

Efforts to reduce flood risk in Yuba County got a financial boost today with the help of a pair of grants approved by Yuba Water Agency. 

Marysville Ring Levee certification grant

This grant, worth up to $200,000, provides funding for MBK Engineers...

Yuba Water Agency submits proposal to state water board

Yuba Water Agency is presenting a collaborative framework to the State Water Resources Control Board today, a detailed plan to improve fish and wildlife habitat conditions in the San Francisco/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary watershed (Bay-Delta), in...

Yuba Water Agency celebrates grants totaling $60,000 to local first responders

A dozen local first responder agencies received funding to purchase specialized equipment and training to assist with rescue and safety services with the help of Yuba Water Agency’s unique new program launched in 2018.  

The Bill Shaw Re...

Yuba Water Agency to purchase former AAA building in Marysville

Yuba Water Agency will be better able to accommodate its growing business needs with the purchase of additional office space, just blocks from the agency’s current headquarters in Marysville. 

This week, the agency approved moving forward with the...

Yuba Water Agency continues emphasis on healthy forests with $235k grant for watershed coordinator

More forest management efforts could be in the works for the Yuba River Watershed with the help of a grant approved today by Yuba Water Agency.

The $235,000 grant will provide matching funds to double the impact of a collaboration between the South Yuba Ri...

Yuba Water Agency to transfer property tax revenue to Yuba County

Yuba Water Agency today approved the transfer of its property tax revenue, which totals approximately $500,000 per year, to Yuba County, where the funds can be used in ways that can more broadly impact the lives of Yuba County’s residents who ne...

Grant helps Yuba County Sheriff's Department purchase drone for safety, investigations

The Yuba County Sheriff’s Department hopes to more efficiently identify criminal activity along local waterways with the help of a grant from Yuba Water Agency. 

The $5,000 grant, approved today by the agency as a part of the Bill Shaw R...

Yuba Water Agency reelects Brent Hastey as chairman, Randy Fletcher as vice-chairman

Directors Brent Hastey and Randy Fletcher will again serve as Yuba Water Agency’s chairman and vice-chairman for the next year.

The board of directors today unanimously approved their reappointment for 2019.

“It is an incredible honor to...

Yuba Water Agency reaches significant milestone in relicensing its facilities

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission this week issued the Final Environmental Impact Statement for relicensing the Yuba River Development Project, which is owned and operated by Yuba Water Agency. FERC has regulatory authority over most hydroelectric ...

Camptonville biomass project gaining steam with help from water agency grant

A new biomass facility near Camptonville is one step closer to becoming a driving force in ensuring a healthy forest with the help of a $186,500 grant from Yuba Water Agency. 

This funding will help the Camptonville Community Partnership wrap up t...

Grant helps Marysville Police Department purchase drones to aid in rescue operations

The Marysville Police Department will be able to more efficiently organize and monitor emergency and rescue operations with the help of a grant from Yuba Water Agency. 

The $5,000 grant, approved today by the agency as a part of the Bill Shaw Resc...

Yuba Water Agency to pay half of county supervisors' salaries, freeing up county general fund

Yuba Water Agency today voted to begin covering 50 percent of the Yuba County Board of Supervisors’ annual salaries, freeing up the county’s general fund for other priorities. This is not increasing the salaries in any way, just reallocating where the fun...

Yuba Water Agency, Brown administration strike deal to benefit fish, farmers and Bay-Delta

Yuba Water Agency announced its support for the Brown administration’s comprehensive restoration strategy to improve fish and wildlife habitat conditions in the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary watershed. The administration...

Yuba Water Agency discussing transfer of property tax revenue to Yuba County

Yuba Water Agency will move forward with plans to further consider a transfer of property tax revenue to Yuba County, which is approximately $500,000 per year.

For decades, Yuba Water Agency has received a small portion of the county’s property t...

Grant helps local police department purchase new safety equipment for officers

Wheatland police officers will be better protected while on duty with the help of a grant from Yuba Water Agency. 

The $5,000 grant, approved today by the water agency as a part of the Bill Shaw Rescue Equipment and Training Grant Program, will he...

More than $700,000 in safety upgrades to New Bullards Bar Dam complete

Yuba Water Agency has completed a $701,440 project to overhaul and upgrade the spillway gate drive mechanisms at New Bullards Bar Dam, ensuring reliable operation well into the future. 

All three of the spillway gates operate within specification ...

Yuba Water Agency conservation program saving water and money for Yuba residents

Yuba Water Agency today announced the first results of its pilot project to help Yuba County residents conserve water and save money.

The agency partnered with PG&E and Richard Heath and Associates to bring water conservation measures to homes already ...

Forest Resilience Bond to help fund $4.6 million project to reduce wildfire risk, improve watershed

This summer, California experienced its largest fire in state history—the latest disaster in a growing trend towards hotter, larger, and more destructive fires. Without urgent action, wildfires will be even deadlier and costlier in years to come...

Yuba Water Agency supports program to educate youth about fish, the watershed

For nearly 25 years, Greg and Kathleen Payne have been teaching Yuba County elementary school students about the life cycle of fish and the importance of a healthy watershed. That program received a boost today, with a grant from Yuba Water Agency to fund...

Yuba Water Agency updates strategic plan, vision to emphasize quality of life improvements

Focused on ensuring that its projects, programs and community investments have a direct impact on improving the quality of life for Yuba County residents, Yuba Water Agency today updated its strategic plan.

Yuba Water Agency was created in 1959 to reduce t...

Yuba Water Agency dams deemed safe in recent state assessment

Yuba Water Agency’s New Bullards Bar Dam, constructed in 1970, recently received the highest safety rating possible by California’s Department of Water Resources Division of Safety of Dams.

A comprehensive listing of California’s major dams issued this mon...

Yuba Water Agency to purchase 20-acre property in Dobbins

Yuba Water Agency today approved the purchase of a property in Dobbins for approximately $220,000 to further support agency operations.

The 20-acre parcel is located between Lake Francis and New Colgate Powerhouse, and will be used to construct a new wareh...