Employees at the New Colgate Powerhouse in Yuba County were forced to evacuate Friday afternoon after a large water pipe failed, sending a surge of water through the facility and sparking a multi-agency emergency response.
It happened shortly after 3 p.m. in the remote Dobbins area along the Yuba River between Collins Lake and New Bullards Bar Reservoir. The Yuba County Sheriff’s Office said it was a large water pipe that broke, causing immediate flooding within one of the site’s buildings.
Yuba County authorities initially confirmed that all employees were evacuated, noting that no injuries were reported. Cal Fire’s NEU unit also responded to the scene and confirmed to CBS News Sacramento that multiple people had to be rescued.
Cal Fire NEU later said that at least one person had been unaccounted for but was rescued by a helicopter and taken to an area hospital for treatment. It was not immediately clear whether the individual had suffered any injuries or if they were transported as a precaution.
Flooding seen from below where a pipe failed at the New Colgate Powerhouse in Yuba County.
Cal Fire NEU
The Yuba Water Agency, which operates the hydroelectric facility, confirmed that it is actively managing the situation and is working to ensure the site is safe. The agency said there was no threat of flooding downstream and the flow of water was shut off. The public is urged to avoid that area of the Yuba River.
The agency said Saturday that one person remained in the hospital.Â
Helicopters were out Saturday to survey the north and middle forks of the Yuba River between New Colgate Powerhouse and Lake Englebright to map for debris in the water. Yuba Water said it’s working closely with a company that specializes in environmental mitigation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.Â
Pacific Gas and Electric’s online outage map does show thousands of customers were without power in the Dobbins and surrounding areas due to an “unplanned outage” as of 4:40 p.m.
The New Colgate Powerhouse is a vital component of the region’s water and power infrastructure.
“Water from the New Colgate Powerhouse returns directly to the Yuba River, specifically below the New Bullards Bar Dam,” the Yuba Water Agency website states. “After passing through the turbines to generate electricity, the water flows into the river system, supporting downstream fisheries and eventually joining the Feather River.”
New Bullards Bar Dam is safe and was not impacted, the agency said.Â
Last August, a contractor died in a fall at a construction site at the facility. A Yuba Water Agency spokesperson said then that the contractor fell down an embankment while operating construction equipment near the powerhouse.
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