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April 2023
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A message from Yuba Water General Manager Willie Whittlesey
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Greetings,
Earth Day is just around the corner, with “invest in our planet” as this year’s theme for the second year in a row. And for a good reason. Strategic investments are essential to turn plans into action.
At Yuba Water Agency, investing in the Yuba River watershed – our forests, rivers, fisheries and communities – is at the heart of so much of what we do. Equally important is building and maintaining partnerships to make the most of these investments.
The North Yuba Forest Partnership and the Hallwood Side Channel and Floodplain Restoration Project are shining examples of the power of investments and bringing the right people together to get things done. You can read more on the status of these efforts below.
Yuba Water also has a long history of sustainable water management, balancing surface and groundwater supplies to make sure there’s available water for fish, the environment and our irrigators and ranchers that grow our food. And we continue to invest in science, research and monitoring throughout our watershed to ensure our natural resource management decisions are always informed by the best available science.
As a registered professional forester who grew up in the Sierra Nevada foothills, the stewardship of the Yuba River watershed is not just my job as general manager of Yuba Water, it’s something deeply personal to me.
Happy Earth Day.
Willie Whittlesey
Yuba Water General Manager
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Tahoe National Forest commits $117 million to reduce wildfire risk in North Yuba Landscape
Big news! The Tahoe National Forest is providing $117 million in funding to implement large-scale forest management work in the North Yuba Landscape, an area that stretches from New Bullards Bar Reservoir east up to the Sierra Crest along Highway 49. The funding is a result of efforts by the North Yuba Forest Partnership, which Yuba Water is a member of, and will reduce catastrophic wildfire risk and increase forest resilience in our watershed. [Read on]
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Remembering former general manager Donn Wilson
 Current and former board members and staff of Yuba Water are saddened to learn of the passing earlier this year of the agency’s former engineer-administrator, Donn Wilson, who oversaw the agency from 1987 until his retirement in 2000. Wilson championed modest water transfers to other regions in need in California to raise funds for much-needed levee work and more. He was 89 years old. [Read on]
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Agency unveils plans and priorities for future flood risk reduction work
 Yuba Water has released an updated Flood Risk Management Plan, which outlines and prioritizes future flood risk reduction projects and efforts. The new plan is a result of a year-long study to identify actions that Yuba Water should take to further reduce the risk of catastrophic flooding for Yuba County and other downstream communities. [Read on]
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Board discusses water supply, approves funding for local hydro improvements and more
 Water supply in Yuba County is in excellent condition. That was one of the key takeaways from the April 4 Board of Directors meeting. The board also committed funds to support Browns Valley Irrigation District with upgrades to its hydropower facilities and authorized staff to file a California Environmental Quality Act notice of exemption for the planned Power Systems Headquarters Project, allowing the agency to proceed with the bid process for the building. [Read on]
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High flows delay final phase of Hallwood Side Channel and Floodplain Restoration Project
The fourth and final phase of construction on the 157-acre, multi-benefit Hallwood Side Channel and Floodplain Restoration Project in the lower Yuba River has been delayed due to high flows following an exceptionally wet and snowy winter. The project's partners are keeping a close eye on river flows and will resume construction once conditions are more favorable, likely later this year. [Read on]
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New video series highlights the critical work of local reclamation and levee districts
 In our newest video feature series, Yuba Water spotlights one of our oldest partners in reducing flood risk – the Marysville Levee Commission. The commission is responsible for the Marysville Ring Levee, which reduces flood risk for more than 12,000 people, the region’s largest and only level-3 trauma services hospital, state highways 20 and 70 and two Union Pacific Railroad mainlines. [Watch the video]
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Yuba Water certified as Yuba County's first Blue Zones Project-approved worksite
 Yuba Water has achieved designation as Yuba County’s first Blue Zones Project-approved worksite! The agency completed the approval process at its three primary worksites by formalizing several health and wellness efforts that were already underway and expanding them to align with the Blue Zones principles, which aim to build healthier communities and increase longevity. [Read on]
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Yuba Water launches "Beneath the Surface" video series highlighting its employees and their work
What does a day in the life look like at Yuba Water? In our new "Beneath the Surface" video series, we dive deeper into the people and work we do here at the agency. For our inaugural feature, join Chief Dam Safety Engineer Tim Truong on a recent safety inspection of Lake Francis Dam in Dobbins. [Watch the video]
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New, interactive groundwater story map dives deeper into this essential resource
 From recovering groundwater levels in South Yuba County back to historic levels, to having one of the first Groundwater Sustainability Plans approved by the Department of Water Resources to comply with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, we have been hard at work for decades to protect this vital resource. [Read on]
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Sediment removal and habitat restoration
Courtesy of cbec eco engineering
This timelapse shows the removal of sediment and material in the lower Yuba River during Phase 2 of the Hallwood Side Channel and Floodplain Restoration Project, a multi-benefit, multi-partner project that has been years in the making! Once complete, more than 3.2 million cubic yards of sediment will have been removed, reducing flood risk by slowing flows during high water events, and 157 acres of seasonal floodplain habitat restored benefiting salmon and steelhead. [Learn more]
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*Indicates Yuba Water booth or outreach presence
Yuba Water is hiring! Explore our current vacancies and internship opportunities.
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