Flooding Forces Evacuation at Yuba County Hydropower Facility
Dobbins, CA – afternoon, employees at the New Colgate Powerhouse in Yuba County were evacuated after a large water pipe burst, causing significant flooding within the facility. The incident triggered a multi-agency emergency response, but thankfully, no injuries were reported.
The Yuba County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene at approximately 3:13 p.m. At 12700 Lake Francis Road, according to a statement released by the department. Deputies and multiple other agencies assisted in the evacuation of an unspecified number of employees.
The Yuba Water Agency, which operates the hydroelectric facility, confirmed it is actively managing the situation and has crews responding. “Yuba Water Agency is responding to an incident at our New Colgate Powerhouse facility. Please avoid the area as our team investigates,” the agency stated.
LiveCopter 3 footage showed water spilling from a large, broken pipe and causing a mudslide down a hillside. The mudslide reportedly damaged powerlines in the area, leading to widespread outages. As of 4:40 p.m. , Pacific Gas and Electric Co. Reported over 11,000 customers were without power in Dobbins and surrounding areas due to an “unplanned outage.”
The New Colgate Powerhouse is a vital component of the region’s water and power infrastructure, located along the Yuba River. According to the Yuba Water Agency, water from the powerhouse returns directly to the Yuba River below the New Bullards Bar Dam, supporting downstream fisheries and eventually joining the Feather River.
The facility utilizes a complex system to generate electricity. Water is carried nearly five miles from New Bullards Bar Reservoir through a 26-foot-diameter tunnel, then descends through a 15-foot-diameter penstock to power two of the largest single-cast Pelton Wheel turbines ever built. These turbines have the capacity to produce up to 350 megawatts, enough electricity to power approximately 350,000 homes.
This incident comes less than a year after a contractor died in a fall at a construction site at the facility . The Yuba Water Agency reported at the time that the contractor fell down an embankment while operating construction equipment near the powerhouse.
Authorities have not yet commented on how the flooding might impact power generation or local water delivery. The situation remains under investigation and updates will be provided as they become available.
The Yuba County Water Agency was created through an act of the state legislature in 1959, and New Bullards Bar Dam was constructed by the agency.
