Citizens Push for South Yuba Protection
Break out the tubas for the Yuba. In May, a bill to permanently protect 39 miles of California's Class II-V South Yuba River by adding it to the state's Wild and Scenic Rivers System was passed by the California State Senate. If the State Assembly also approves the protection, the South Yuba would be the first addition to state's Wild and Scenic River System in more than a decade. The designation would prohibit the construction of state-funded dams, reservoirs, or diversions on the protected segment. "It's a major piece of work we're doing this year," says Steve Evans, spokesperson for Sacramento's Friends of the River, a national river conservation organization. "The South Yuba is a very popular whitewater river as well as a family recreation river. It's been the target of dam proposals for years." The non-profit South Yuba River Citizen's League is leading the push for protecting the South Yuba between Spaulding Dam and Engelbright Reservoir. The league's Board of Supervisors in Nevada County, where nearly all the South Yuba is located, recently proclaimed its support for Wild and Scenic status. Legislative refusal to designate the South Yuba would leave the river open to further water development projects—an option the Nevada Irrigation District and Yuba County Water Agency would like. Several water development projects have been proposed, including a dam and tunnel that would divert the river into a reservoir on the North Yuba, where the water would be accessible to the Yuba County Water Agency. Another proposed dam would inundate 10 miles of whitewater between Washington and Edward's Crossing, the most popular run on the river. Four-dozen historical sites, a state park, and the nation's longest wheelchair accessible trail are also threatened by new dams. The South Yuba drains the Sierra Nevadas just north of Lake Tahoe and is unique for its scenery, recreation, geology, wildlife, flora and historical values. The river canyon is virtually free of development, with rare pockets of old growth forest still found along certain sections. Few rivers in the Sierras remain undammed for such a long distance. A 1996 federal study found the South Yuba suitable for inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic River System, and the Forest Service recently made a recommendation to add the South Yuba to the national system. State-protected rivers can be added to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System upon the governor's request. Only 2 percent of the nation's 3.6 million miles of river qualify for inclusion. To learn about how you can help secure permanent protection for this threatened river, write the South Yuba River Citizen's League at P.O. Box 841, Nevada City, CA 95959. Call them at (530) 265-5961 or visit www.syrcl.org.
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