(Grass Valley, CA – Dec. 15, 2025) The Nevada Irrigation District (NID, District) has been awarded $615,000 from CAL FIRE to implement the South Yuba Canal Wildfire Defense Project, a critical initiative aimed at protecting the District’s primary water conveyance system from wildfire risks.

This NID wildfire defense project will cover 58 acres along the South Yuba Canal, approximately 18 miles east of Nevada City near Highway 20 in the Bear Valley. Work will focus on reducing wildfire hazards by creating a shaded fuel break and removing hazard trees within 100 feet on both sides of the canal. These efforts will protect 2.5 miles of elevated wooden flume, a vital component of NID’s water delivery system.

“This grant from CAL FIRE will help safeguard critical infrastructure and the communities that rely on it,” said Greg Jones, NID Assistant General Manager. “The project targets a location that is both highly vulnerable to wildfire and essential for delivering water to residents across Nevada County. Protecting the canal from wildfire is essential.”

The South Yuba Canal serves as the sole conveyance for water that supports Nevada City, Grass Valley, Penn Valley, Lake Wildwood, Chicago Park, Alta Sierra, and surrounding western Nevada County communities. Water from the canal passes through NID’s Deer Creek system, which generates hydroelectric power, flows to four water treatment plants, and provides service to 3,315 irrigation customers and 18,260 treated-water customers.

“The South Yuba Canal is the backbone of the Deer Creek system,” Jones said. “It supports hydroelectric generation, water treatment, and community services, including the Grass Valley Airport and Air Attack Base. If this 2.5-mile section were lost to wildfire, replacement costs would be staggering, with severe consequences for water delivery, electricity, and the surrounding communities.”

The South Yuba Canal Wildfire Defense Project will target ladder fuels, specifically small diameter trees that are 0-14 inches in diameter. This project will also remove hazard trees tall enough to strike the canal, and establish a shaded fuel break. Merchantable timber will be sold where accessible, non-merchantable wood may be used for biomass, and pile burning may be employed if other disposal options are unavailable. Treatment will include a combination of mechanical removal methods, including hand crews, felling, and mastication.

The CAL FIRE grant is supported by California Climate Investments (CCI), which funds statewide initiatives that enhance public safety in fire-threatened communities while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. CAL FIRE will provide $615,000 toward the project. NID will provide $232,000 in matching funds and staff time to cover costs associated with contracted fire fuels treatment, timber processing, biomass handling, and secondary disposal, ensuring that fire fuels are properly removed and project objectives are achieved.

“This project not only funds the work to protect critical and aging infrastructure, but also it helps raise public awareness and reduce the risk of human-caused wildfires,” Jones added.

Phase 1 of the South Yuba Canal Defense Project is part of NID’s ongoing effort to protect critical water infrastructure across the Deer Creek and Bear River sub-watersheds. These proactive measures safeguard water storage, conveyance, and treatment systems, ensuring NID can continue providing reliable water service to customers while supporting wildfire response efforts throughout Grass Valley and the surrounding region.

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This is part of the California Climate Investments and Proposition 4, Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALFIRE) Wildfire Prevention Program, FY2025-2026.

From the grant guidelines: In November of 2024, California voters approved Proposition 4, a law proposed by Senate Bill 867, to fund water, climate, wildfire, and natural resource projects across the state of California. Proposition 4, among other things, will allocate $1.5 billion for wildfire prevention, including reducing community wildfire risk and restoring the health and resilience of forests and landscapes. (Pub. Resources Code, section 91500, et seq.) Of this amount, $185 million was made available to CAL FIRE Wildfire Prevention Grants as follows: “for projects that prevent wildfires, increase resilience, maintain existing wildfire risk reduction projects, reduce the risk of wildfires to communities, or increase home or community hardening.” (Pub. Resources Code, section 91520, subd. (h).) Projects shall benefit disadvantaged communities, severely disadvantaged communities, or vulnerable populations.