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GM Newsletter - February 2024

A person with a chainsaw cutting a fallen tree over a creek.
Winter storms mean NID crews are on patrol to keep canals clear and flowing.

Message from the General Manager

Welcome to the February edition of the General Manager’s Newsletter. Read on to learn about what is happening at the District this month.  

In this edition:

  • Unimpaired flows to the Bay-Delta threaten our water supply
  • Under the 55% unimpaired flow approach, Scotts Flat would be effectively at “dead pool”
  • NID Directors approve the naming of “Hoot Owl Lake
  • “Surplus water supply” declared; confirmation of an ample water supply for 2024
  • Storm damage cleanup in photos
  • Infrastructure: new short videos released:
    • Anatomy of a Powerhouse. This is something you have never seen before. Come along for a tour inside the NID hydroelectric powerhouse at Dutch Flat.
    • Surveying Dams for Safety - “We used to just measure by stringline in the old days”
  • Plan for Water update: Strategic alternatives discussed in Nevada County Board of Supervisors presentation
  • Reservoir Levels 105% of average
  • NID snow survey for February: 55% of average water content (before the storms)

 

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FEBRUARY 2024 GM NEWSLETTER

 

PAST GM NEWSLETTERS:

January 2024: Planting the seeds of recovery from the River Fire, book your summer campsites now, Long Ravine campsites cleaned before winter storms, low-income water bill assistance program extended, reservoir Levels 105% of average, NID Infrastructure Library: An A-Z listing of District dams, reservoirs, canals, and more

 

2023

December 2023: Board of Directors select new President, Vice  President;  hazard trees removed along D-S Canal in the Brunswick Basin; annual hydrant flushing is ongoing in neighborhoods; Jackson Lake Dam slope stabilized ahead of snows; reservoir Levels 112% of average 

November 2023: NID acquires the Deer Creek hydro development from PG&E; Rollins Powerhouse - new electrical protection installed; Dam Safety: surveyors assess Lower Scotts Flat; New parking site built near Scotts Flat Reservoir

September 2023: NID Infrastructure Library is now available; update – English Meadow Enhancement and Restoration Project; reservoir storage is 119% of average

August 2023:  Congressman Kevin Kiley tours Scotts Fat Dam spillway; Public Safety: pack it in; pack it out; project updates for 2023 

July 2023: NID restricts fires in campgrounds to reduce wildfire risk; black and green: committing resources to forest health; mountain recreation now accessible

June 2023: Scotts Flat day-use popularity - arrive early; $1.27 million grant to reduce fire fuel around Jackson Meadows

May 2023: Water Quality Report released, New NID Business Center hours: M-F 9-4, Mulch Magic Giveaway was a success

April 2023: Strategic Plan adopted, No Motor Day at Scotts Flat, Mulch Magic Giveaway  

March 2023: Public safety alert - avoid canals, snow survey 173% of average, storm cleanup, leaks can run, but they can't hide

February 2023: U.S. Supreme Court petition; NID declares water surplus; reservoir levels 113% above average

January 2023: January storm news; book your summer campsite now; reservoir levels 120% above average

 

2022

December 2022: President, Vice President selected, Directors sworn in; Annual flushing begins; Reservoir levels above average

November 2022: First flows: Hemphill Fish Passage, Hydro powerhouse outage a success, reservoir levels above average

October 2022: Irrigation season ends, Osprey nest platform near the Bear River, Plan for Water update – strategic planning, Wildfire Task Force regional meeting and tour, Fire fuel treatment around Scotts Flat, Fire Department training partnership  

September 2022: NID Community Survey – a snapshot of water views, forest health, and watershed management, fire fuel treatment around Scotts Flat, grant for Scotts Flat parking, reservoir levels above average

July 2022: Forest management (teaming up with state agencies), Fall Creek Flume renovated, Goats graze to reduce vegetation

June 2022: Conservation needed,  campfires banned, grant awarded for Bear River Wildfire Recovery Project, annual Water Quality Report released

May 2022: Snow survey, top crops list, take the UC Cooperative Extension Agricultural Survey, Dam Safety Activities Report

April 2022: Snow survey, Tree Canopy Study, Irrigation Season Starts - Top Crops List

March 2022: Hemphill Fish Passage, water conservation slips, English Meadow Restoration Project

February 2022: Snow Survey -- plus check out a new survey video, Seasonal recreation jobs - recruitment begins

January 2022: Storm wrap-up - crews respond to keep canals flowing

 

2021

December 2021: Chris Bierwagen to continue as Board of Directors president, Plan for Water update, 2022 meeting calendar is released

November 2021: students tour Elizabeth George Water Treatment Plant, campground reservations begin on January 4, 2022, Plan for Water

October 2021: kickoff to Plan for Water is Nov. 9, free digital NID history book, NID water quality exceeds standards

September 2021: Cleaning the Bear River, River Fire Response & Recovery Efforts; $1.2 million to Restore English Meadow

August 2021: Plan for Water Update; River Fire Aftermath; Treated Water Conservation Comparison

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