Yuba Water Agency Completes In-Water Sediment Removal Below New Colgate Powerhouse by Yuba Water Agency Sep 8, 2026 Member Submitted News Yuba Water Agency has completed in-water sediment removal below its New Colgate Powerhouse along the North Yuba River in Yuba County, marking a major milestone in the agency’s recovery efforts following the Feb. 13 rupture of its penstock pipe. “I can’t emphasize enough what an outstanding job the team did on this emergency sediment removal,” said Yuba Water Director of Power Systems Keane Sommers. “So much of our recovery has been uncharted territory, particularly the in-water work. We had to be really intentional. The team adaptively managed the project throughout, worked with our contractor to make adjustments when needed and went above and beyond to restore the original grade of the river with minimal impacts to water quality.” The work focused on removing sediment and debris that washed into the river channel following the penstock rupture and restoring the riverbank to its pre-incident grade. Working with contractor Nordic Industries, Inc., crews removed an estimated 45,000 cubic yards of material from around the powerhouse and river and relocated it to several disposal sites nearby. That’s enough material to fill more than 5,000 dump trucks. A final survey later this month will provide a more precise estimate of the total volume removed. Yuba Water’s environmental team played an important role throughout the sediment removal, closely monitoring water quality during in-water work. Despite early concerns that the project could result in increased turbidity (cloudiness) in the Yuba River, turbidity remained low throughout the sediment removal efforts. The favorable water quality results were welcome news for Yuba River recreators and the agency’s regulatory partners. While the majority of in-water work is complete, crews are continuing to stabilize the riverbank below Colgate, along with other recovery efforts. Yuba Water is covering the ongoing cost of repairs through its financial reserves while its powerhouse remains offline. The agency does not receive local tax revenue and does not have residential ratepayers. Visit engage.yubawater.org to learn more about Yuba Water’s Colgate Powerhouse and Infrastructure Restoration Project.
