MARYSVILLE, Calif. – Yuba Water Agency approved more than $6.2 million in grants for major levee improvements along the Feather River north of Marysville, water supply reliability throughout the county and wildfire resilience in Dobbins and Oregon House.
Levee improvements north of Marysville
A $5.25 million grant awarded to Reclamation District 10 will help the district improve an 8,500-foot stretch of levee on the east bank of the Feather River along the Highway 70 corridor north of Marysville. The funds will be used to plan, design and permit a project that will reduce seepage and improve the levee’s resilience when flows increase along the Feather.
District 10 includes approximately 12,000 acres of land and 23 miles of levees that protect a highly productive agricultural area, Highway 70, two Union Pacific Railroad tracks, homes and businesses.
Yuba Water previously provided funding to study the condition of levees in the district along with potential improvements.
“Over the last 20 years or so, we’ve invested heavily in improving the levees around Yuba County’s more populated, urban areas like Marysville, Linda, Olivehurst and Plumas Lake,” said Sami Nall, Yuba Water’s flood risk reduction manager. “Now, we’re expanding our focus to make sure our rural levees are also updated and reducing flood risk for our agricultural communities and businesses.”
Water supply infrastructure upgrades throughout Yuba County
Yuba Water also awarded four grants totaling $976,135 to improve water supply reliability for local water suppliers. Three of the grants are cost-share grants, which means the recipient is matching Yuba Water’s funds to complete the work.
- Lake Francis Mutual Water Company: A $451,000 grant awarded to Lake Francis Mutual Water Company will help support engineering, design and environmental review of a new water storage tank, piping, a fire hydrant and an improved access road at Lake Francis Estates. The project will improve the quality of water delivered to the community by providing interior tank access for inspection and maintenance. The new tank will also meet current seismic and other requirements.
- Linda County Water District: A $372,672 cost-share grant to the Linda County Water District will help relocate several fire hydrants, water mains and other critical water and sewage infrastructure to coincide with Yuba County’s North Beale Road Complete Streets Safety Project, which includes road and drainage improvements along North Beale Road in Linda.
- Plumas Mutual Water Company: A $135,000 cost-share grant to Plumas Mutual Water Company will help install modern equipment to remotely monitor, control and measure surface water flows in the district to maximize efficiency and minimize water loss in their irrigation water distribution system in South Yuba County.
- Ramirez Water District: A $17,463 cost-share grant will help the Ramirez Water District replace a failing road-crossing pipe that serves as their main water supply diversion for irrigation north of the Yuba River. The 40-foot pipe crosses under Ramirez Road and delivers all of the district’s surface water from the Yuba.
Yuba Resource Conservation District capacity building
Lastly, the board approved a $12,000 grant to the Yuba County Resource Conservation District for grant writing support. The district will use the funds to apply for additional state grant funding to support specific treatment projects aimed at reducing wildfire risk for the communities of Dobbins and Oregon House in the Yuba County foothills.
Learn more about Yuba Water’s investments at yubawater.org.