Power and the River: The Yuba-Bear Hydroelectric Project and a Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity
The Yuba River has always been central to life in our region. It’s a source of clean water, renewable energy, and recreation. It is also home to diverse wildlife that depends on its flow. Balancing these needs has never been easy, but right now, we have a rare opportunity to make lasting improvements for the river and all who depend on it.
A System That Shapes Our Rivers
The Yuba-Bear Hydroelectric Project, owned and operated by the Nevada Irrigation District (NID), spans the Middle Yuba, South Yuba, and Bear rivers. Built in the 1960s on top of Gold Rush-era infrastructure, the system includes 13 dams, 11 reservoirs, and 4 powerhouses. It supplies both water and electricity across the region, but it also diverts large amounts of water away from creeks and rivers.
This diversion can have negative environmental effects. For example, because of water diversions, for decades sections of the Middle Yuba below Jackson Meadows and Milton dams received as little as 3–5 cubic feet per second (cfs) year-round, barely a trickle. Habitat for fish and amphibians disappeared, and without fish screens at the dam intake, young trout were often pulled into the canal system and lost.
That’s why SYRCL and our partners have been deeply engaged in the relicensing of this project — a process that only happens about once every 40 to 50 years.
A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity
When a hydroelectric project’s federal license expires, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) requires the operator to apply for renewal. This process forces a critical question: How can we balance power generation and agricultural needs with the health of the environment and local communities?
The Yuba-Bear Project’s original license dates back to 1963 — before modern environmental protections like the National Environmental Policy Act (1970), Clean Water Act, or Endangered Species Act (1973) even existed. Back then, we simply didn’t understand the full ecological impact of dams. This new license is our chance to change that and bring river management into alignment with today’s science and values.
For more than a decade, SYRCL, state and federal agencies, Tribes, and local stakeholders have worked with NID to update the project’s operations. Together, we developed a set of Protection, Mitigation, and Enhancement (PM&E) measures that will restore healthier flows, improve habitat, and support recreation while maintaining reliable power and water supply.
A Healthier Future for the River
The agreed-upon improvements mark a major shift toward restoring the Yuba and Bear rivers’ natural rhythm:
More Water in the Rivers
New minimum streamflows will be established across 15 sections of the project. Some of these stretches had no required minimum flows and will see increases from just a few cubic feet per second to over 100 cfs, depending on the season and water year. These flows will improve habitat for fish and amphibians and help rivers behave more like they would naturally, with higher spring flows and gentler reductions in summer and fall.
Protecting Cold-Water Species and Native Frogs
Flows below the Milton Diversion Dam will now maintain summer temperatures below 20°C (68°F), cool enough for rainbow trout to thrive but not so cold that it harms Foothill Yellow-Legged Frog eggs and tadpoles. This delicate balance supports biodiversity across the river system.
Preventing Sudden Flow Drops
New “spill cessation” rules will require dams to lower flows gradually, rather than shutting them off suddenly. This prevents frog eggs, tadpoles, and small fish from being stranded as water recedes.
Keeping Fish Out of the Pipes
NID has agreed to install fish screens at key intakes, including the Milton-Bowman conduit. This will keep juvenile trout from being swept into canals and lost, helping native fish populations recover.
Restoring Habitat
A new Large Woody Debris Management Plan will ensure fallen trees and large branches are allowed to move downstream, rebuilding habitat complexity that fish and aquatic insects rely on for shelter and spawning.
Better Access and Recreation
The Yuba-Bear license update also enhances opportunities for recreation — a vital part of how people connect with the river.
- Whitewater Boating:
During spring, NID will release flows of about 275 cfs for at least five consecutive days on Canyon Creek, giving whitewater enthusiasts safe, predictable opportunities while maintaining ecological balance. Boaters will receive seven days’ advance notice for trip planning.
- Fishing and Camping:
Upgraded campgrounds and recreation sites, such as those around Rollins Lake and Long Ravine, will provide better access and amenities for future generations of river users.
- Real-Time Flow Information:
River flow data will be available every 15 minutes online, helping anglers and boaters plan safely.
Working Together for the River
The relicensing process has been a long, collaborative journey. Since 2011, NID has worked with agencies like the U.S. Forest Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and organizations like SYRCL to study habitats, model flows, and design improvements. These partnerships reflect a shared goal: ensuring that our rivers remain sources of clean water, energy, recreation, and biodiversity for generations to come.
What’s Next
While NID’s previous license expired in April of 2013, the project continues to operate under an automatically-renewed annual license until the new one is approved. The next key step will come in the fall of 2025, when NID anticipates releasing a Notice of Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The EIR is an important tool that helps the public and decision-makers understand how the project could impact the environment. NID will also apply for a Water Quality Certification in December 2025 from the State Water Resources Control Board. This certification is essential to ensuring that the new flow protections and habitat measures are legally enforceable and beneficial to the watershed for decades.
Why This Matters
The Yuba and Bear rivers have shaped the history of this region, beginning with the Indigenous communities who relied on these rivers and see them as living beings with a personality that has wants, wishes, and needs, through the Gold Rush, to hydropower development, to modern-day restoration efforts. This new chapter in the Yuba-Bear Project’s story represents progress: a step toward healthier ecosystems, stronger community partnerships, and a future where the economic demands and the ecological needs of the river can coexist more sustainably.
At SYRCL, we’ll continue advocating for solutions that restore balance for the rivers, the fish, and the people who call this watershed home.
Improvements to the Hydroelectric Projects on the Yuba and Bear Rivers
| What’s Changing | Why it Matters | |
| Environmental | ||
| More water in the rivers | Instead of being diverted or stored in a reservoir, higher minimum streamflows will be released higher and vary by season and type of water year. Example: Middle Yuba below Jackson Meadows goes from 5 cfs to 11–120 cfs. | Creates healthier habitat and more natural flow patterns for fish and frogs. |
| Slowing Down Water Drops | New “spill cessation” rules mean water flows taper off gradually instead of being shutting off suddenly. | Protects young frogs and fish from being stranded in isolated pools when water levels drop. |
| Keeping Rivers Cool (but not too cold) | Summer water temps will be kept below 68°F while avoiding harmful lows. | Cool enough for trout to thrive, but warm enough for frog eggs and tadpoles to survive. |
| Bring Back Habitat the River | NID agreed to prepare and implement a Large Woody Debris (LWD) Management Plan to ensure large pieces of wood are transferred past project dams and diversions (e.g., Middle Yuba River below Jackson Meadows Dam). | Facilitating wood movement downstream creates crucial complex aquatic habitat structures, providing pools and cover necessary for aquatic life. |
| Fish Screens | NID submitted a Fish Entrainment Protection Plan that includes the construction and operation of fish screens at the intake of the Milton-Bowman Conduit. | This addresses a historical operational problem by preventing the permanent loss of juvenile resident trout into the system. This measure safeguards and enhances the overall resident trout fishery population in the Middle Yuba River. |
| Monitor changes and effectiveness | Ongoing monitoring of fish, frogs, water temperature, and habitat, plus annual public consultations. | Ensures that new conditions and changes are working and allows adaptive management. |
| Recreation | ||
| Whitewater Recreation | A new condition enhances whitewater opportunities on Canyon Creek by providing targeted flows of 275 cfs (cubic feet per second). These recreational flow events must provide a continuous mean daily target streamflow of 275 cfs for at least 5 continuous days. The flow event is triggered after April 1 in any year where the existing flow (measured at USGS gage 11416500) is 275 cfs or greater. | This new condition offers recreationists predictability of flows so that they can plan ahead. The recreation flow also balances ecological impacts by ensuring temperatures and flows are in a correct range for aquatic life. |
| Real-Time River Flow Info | NID will provide online flow updates every 15 minutes plus 7-day advance notice of boating releases. | Anglers and boaters can plan outings and stay safe. |
| Modernize and Upgrade Campgrounds and Access | NID filed an Alternative Recreation Plan to provide upgrades and modifications at existing recreation facilities (e.g., Rollins Peninsula, Long Ravine complexes) and measures to construct new facilities. | This ensures NID provides safe and adequate public access, accommodates projected future recreational use, and addresses specific facility needs over the term of the license. |
This post originally appeared on SYRCL.
