Nevada City, CA — The South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) will begin construction of the Upper Long Bar Habitat Restoration Project on Monday, June 22, 2026. The project is located on private property in Yuba County along the lower Yuba River just over 1 mile below the Highway 20 bridge on the north side of the river.
The Upper Long Bar project is designed to improve edge habitat for juvenile Chinook salmon and steelhead by adding new alcoves, instream structures, and increased roughness along the riverbank. These enhancements aim to increase the carrying capacity of the system and support diverse salmonid life history strategies. The project is funded by the Wildlife Conservation Board, the Fisheries Restoration Grant Program, and Yuba Water Agency, with project partners including Cramer Fish Sciences, Verdantas Eco Engineering, Silica Resources Inc., Yuba Water Agency, and Anderson Dragline, Inc.
Construction activities will primarily occur on the riverbank through late August. Beginning in late August or early September, equipment will operate in the river in close proximity to the bank. River users should be aware of this potential boating hazard. All construction is planned to conclude by September 15, 2026.
SYRCL advises all river recreators to avoid approaching or wading in the construction zone on the north side of the river (river right) at Upper Long Bar for the duration of the project. Signage will be posted on the bar to mark the area. During the brief in-water construction window, equipment operations may temporarily reduce water clarity in the immediate area. SYRCL will provide updated notices as in-water work dates are confirmed.
“The Upper Long Bar project continues SYRCL’s long-term commitment to restoring juvenile salmon and steelhead habitat along the lower Yuba River,” said Danielle Horvath, SYRCL’s Fisheries Restoration Program Manager. “We want river users to enjoy the Yuba safely this summer and ask for their patience and awareness as this important work gets underway. Once construction is complete, this stretch of river will look meaningfully different.”
Upper Long Bar builds on SYRCL’s prior habitat enhancement work at Lower Long Bar and Rose Bar, part of a sustained, science-based effort to improve the quantity and quality of rearing and spawning habitat available to salmonids at all life stages on the lower Yuba. The primary goal of SYRCL’s habitat enhancement along the lower Yuba River is to improve habitat productivity, complexity, and diversity to support diverse life history strategies in Central Valley spring-/fall-run Chinook salmon and California Central Valley steelhead. Anticipated outcomes include increased juvenile growth, survival, and subsequent contribution to spawning adult populations.
For more information about the Upper Long Bar Restoration Project, visit yubariver.org/projects/upper-long-bar-restoration-project or contact Danielle directly at danielle@yubariver.org.
About SYRCL: The South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL, pronounced “circle”) is the leading voice for the protection and restoration of the Yuba River watershed. Founded in 1983 through a rural, grassroots campaign to defend the South Yuba River from proposed hydropower dams, SYRCL has developed into a vibrant community organization with over 3,500 members and volunteers based in Nevada City, CA. See: www.yubariver.org