OREGON HOUSE, Calif. (Mar. 3, 2026) – Yuba Water Agency and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response are close to completing oily debris containment and removal at Englebright Lake following the recent rupture of Yuba Water’s penstock pipe. Today, the same excavator that had been used to collect debris began pulling the primary containment booms off the water.
The Feb. 13 rupture caused significant erosion and damage to Yuba Water’s New Colgate Powerhouse and other downhill facilities, sending mud, sediment and man-made debris, including oil, into the Yuba River and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Englebright Lake. Several workers were rescued during the incident. One person was hospitalized and is now recovering at home.
“We still have a long road ahead in terms of recovery but nearing completion of oily debris cleanup on Englebright marks a major milestone in our environmental response,” said Willie Whittlesey, Yuba Water’s general manager. “We appreciate the collaboration and support from our state partners and contractors who worked alongside us to make this progress possible.”
Approximately 1,440 cubic yards of oily material successfully removed
Yuba Water first surveyed and began removing debris in the Yuba River on Feb. 14, the morning after the incident, and established unified command with CDFW’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response on Feb. 15. Crews then installed several large debris and oil booms to contain the material downstream of the powerhouse at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Englebright Lake, while large barges carrying an excavator and debris bins were placed to support the careful removal of oily debris.
“In anticipation of meeting our clean-up endpoints, we started the removal of both hard boom and debris boom on Englebright today,” said Lieutenant Ryan Hanson of CDFW’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response. “The lack of visible oil debris is an important milestone to complete our on-water response.”
In total, just over 72 large waste bins able to hold 20 cubic yards of oily debris each have been removed. With the large debris and oil booms removed, two smaller deflection booms will remain in place for a few more days.
Yuba Water and CDFW partnered with several local contractors on the effort, including Clean Harbors and Global Diving and Salvage. Pacific Gas & Electric and Nevada Irrigation District also provided large booms that were instrumental for the timely containment of the debris.
Englebright Lake is expected to reopen by mid-March once heavy equipment and debris bins are fully cleared from the area.
No detection of harmful chemicals
Independent laboratory testing of water samples collected from Englebright Lake and multiple locations along the Yuba River continue to show no detections of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), petroleum hydrocarbons or volatile organic compounds – chemicals associated with petroleum-based and industrial materials.
The results suggest that oil that spilled into the river from New Colgate Powerhouse was most likely limited to the surface of the water within the established containment area.
Progress on Lake Francis Road repairs
Yuba Water is also making significant progress repairing Lake Francis Road, which was heavily damaged by mudslides following the penstock rupture. Restoring the road is essential to reestablish safe vehicle access to the powerhouse and other nearby facilities, including a Pacific Gas & Electric switchyard.
Repairs are being completed by Yuba County-based Nordic Industries in a phased approach, focused on restoring utility vehicle access first, then four-wheel-drive truck access.
Read the latest on Yuba Water’s ongoing response to its penstock rupture at engage.yubawater.org.