Peter Van Zant

2020 was not a good year for a lot of us, and certainly not for the unfortunate souls and families impacted by the coronavirus. However, there is some good news on the local conservation front. One is that the Bear River between Rollins Reservoir and Lake Combie is still flowing unimpeded by the proposed Centennial […]

April 5, 2018 – I first learned that NID was planning another dam and reservoir on the Bear River on August 25, 2012 after a Nevada Irrigation District (NID) Board meeting. The South Sutter Water District (SSWD) was there to report that they and their Southern California allies had abandoned their proposed Garden Bar Dam […]

NEVADA CITY, Calif. July 24, 2017 – Nevada Irrigation District (NID) still hasn’t dropped its ill-conceived plan to build Centennial Dam on the Bear River. They have yet to demonstrate the need for the project or explained how they plan to pay for the dam’s construction. And there is no assurance that the ratepayers won’t […]

NEVADA CITY, Calif. April 17, 2017 – The Bear River in southern Nevada County has drawn local attention after Nevada Irrigation District (NID) announced the Centennial Dam project between Rollins and Combie Reservoirs, inundating another six miles of this iconic Sierra river canyon. NID has given the impression that Centennial is a ‘done deal’. It […]

NEVADA CITY, Calif. March 15, 2017 – Over the past few years, NID has presented various rationales for embarking on the Centennial Dam project. However, by their own analysis, they have enough water to more than meet projected needs up to 2040 and have only incremental needs beyond that. In February, I reviewed some of […]

NEVADA CITY, Calif. January 27, 2017 – I attended the Alternatives to the Centennial Dam Workshop at the Wild and Scenic Film Festival. Centennial is the dam on the Bear River proposed by Nevada Irrigation District (NID). The speakers were Jonas Minton, Senior Water Policy Advisor at the Planning and Conservation League, Dr. Sarah Yarnell, […]