Description: Almost a million acre feet of water from the North and Middle Yuba River and Oregon Creek are stored behind the 645-foot high, 2,400-foot-long New Bullards Bar Dam, which is located at the south end of 16-mile long New Bullards Bar Reservoir. In addition to providing flood control, the reservoir is a popular recreation area and stores water for crop irrigation and energy generation. Much of the water released from the dam travels down a 4.7-mile-long tunnel that carries it to the mammoth turbines that generate electricity at the New Colgate Powerhouse. The Colgate turbines are the largest of their kind ever built and can generate over 300 megawatts of power, more than any other hydroelectric facility supplying power directly to PG&E. The Yuba County Water Agency (YCWA) will be our host for this special tour of the New Bullards Bar Dam and Colgate Powerhouse. We’ll learn about the origins of hydroelectric generation in California and its role in the expansion of the state’s early economy. The YCWA will provide a shuttle bus to take us from the main festival venue to the dam and back. They will also treat us to a wonderful lunch onsite at the dam! Yum!
Leader: John Nicoletti
Details
Thank you from the entire Swan Festival team and our supporters for your participation in this wonderful event!
All field trips start at our Swan Central Festival Venue location at 720 Yuba St. Marysville, CA where you will find dozens of exhibitors, exhibitions and two full days of FREE workshops for the whole family!
For more information on our Swan Central Festival Program, please visit the website and view the festival program.
Happy Birding!