In 1966, a $65 million project changed everything again.

⚡ Yuba-Bear Project

Power. Water. A region transformed.

On May 5, 1966, headlines in the Grass Valley Union declared it: NID’s $65 million hydroelectric and irrigation project rivaled the Gold Rush in regional impact.

They weren’t exaggerating.

With the completion of the Yuba-Bear Hydroelectric Project, NID reached a defining milestone—delivering large-scale water storage and hydropower through a system built on vision, engineering, and determination.

💡 The Vision

When General Manager Edwin Koster arrived in 1957, he saw what others had missed: the Sierra’s falling water wasn’t just a resource—it was power.

Working with PG&E and leading engineers, Koster helped shape a bold plan: capture high-elevation water, generate electricity as it dropped thousands of feet, and fund a stronger, more reliable water system for the region.

It wasn’t a small upgrade. It was a total reimagining of how water and power could work together.

🏗️ The Build

By the early 1960s, the vision became reality.

Over six years of construction, crews built:

• 8 reservoirs
• 12 dams and diversions
• 4 hydroelectric power plants
• Miles of tunnels, canals, flumes, and transmission lines

All across a rugged 400-square-mile stretch of the Sierra Nevada.

At its peak, the project employed hundreds of workers moving across remote mountain terrain, building one of the most complex water systems in California.

⚡ Rollins: a keystone

At the heart of the system was Rollins Dam, rising 260 feet above the Bear River.

It wasn’t just a dam—it was a turning point.
It stored, regulated, and released water that had already generated electricity upstream, completing the cycle of water and power.

Nearby, construction challenges even included a stubborn 810-foot railroad trestle that refused to fall on the first try—an early symbol of just how ambitious the project was.

🌊 A system like no other

The Yuba-Bear system moved water across rivers, basins, and elevations through a tightly connected network of reservoirs and powerhouses.

Engineers later described it as one of the most physically and operationally complex hydroelectric systems in the United States.

But complexity wasn’t the goal. Reliability was.

📈 The Impact

By 1966, the results were clear:

• 162,000 acre-feet of additional water storage
• Doubled storage capacity for NID customers
• New hydropower revenue supporting long-term water reliability
• Water reaching farms and communities without additional cost to users

For the first time, the Sierra’s water wasn’t just stored—it was actively working for the region.

🌄 A Legacy that still powers the region

The Yuba-Bear Project didn’t just expand infrastructure—it reshaped what was possible.

It strengthened water reliability, launched NID as a regional hydroelectric producer, and set the foundation for decades of service that followed.

Even today, its system continues to move water, generate energy, and support communities across Nevada and Placer counties.

⚡ Built in the Sierra. Built to last.

From mountain rivers to powerhouses deep in the canyon, the Yuba-Bear Project stands as one of NID’s most ambitious achievements—where water, engineering, and vision came together to power a region.

 

 

NID Manager Edwin Koster inspects the work on Scotts Flat Dam on Oct. 15, 1963.