A burst pipe led to flooding and the evacuation of the New Colgate Powerhouse on Friday, the Yuba County Sheriff’s Office said. An unspecified number of employees had to be rescued from the hydroelectric powerhouse at 12700 Lake Francis Road and thousands lost power across the region. Cal Fire said one person who was unaccounted for was rescued by helicopter and taken to the hospital. Yuba Water Agency, which manages New Colgate Powerhouse, later said all workers and contractors were accounted for. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. said the 3 p.m. incident led to power failures when the Yuba Water Agency’s steeply angled water pipe known as a penstock failed and caused flooding at PG&E’s switching station south of Dobbins. More than 15,000 PG&E customers lost power in Nevada, Yuba, Sierra and Butte counties, the utility said. Power was restored to 7,000 customers by 6:15 p.m. and PG&E said it expected that nearly all customers would have their power back by 11 p.m. LiveCopter 3 footage on Friday afternoon showed water spilling out of multiple breaks on the penstock and running down the hill. The footage also showed PG&E’s power lines damaged by the mudslide.The penstock is used to move water from New Bullards Bar dam to the powerhouse on the Yuba River. “Yuba Water Agency is responding to an incident at our New Colgate Powerhouse facility. Please avoid the area as our team investigates,” the Yuba Water Agency said in its initial post on social media.Follow-up messages said there was no threat of flooding downstream and the penstock had “been isolated.” Yuba County sheriff’s deputies and multiple other agencies assisted with the response. Cal Fire’s Nevada Yuba Placer United said it was in unified command with the Dobbins Fire Department.What is the New Colgate Powerhouse? The New Colgate Powerhouse is a hydropower facility managed by the Yuba Water Agency that is located “on the main stem of the Yuba River downstream of the convergence of the North Yuba River, Middle Yuba River and Oregon Creek.”The Yuba Water Agency’s website explains that water “is carried nearly five miles from New Bullards Bar Reservoir through a 26-foot-diameter tunnel, and then makes its way down a 15-foot-diameter penstock to drive two of the largest single-cast Pelton Wheel turbines ever built. These turbines can produce up to 350 megawatts, which is enough electricity for approximately 350,000 homes.”The agency has been making upgrades to its Colgate tunnel and the penstock since September 2025. A project timeline dated Feb. 9-13 says, “Once installation of the new protective valve on the penstock is complete, crews will begin to slowly return the flow of water back into the Colgate Tunnel and penstock pipe. Testing and rewatering will take several days.”The work was expected to be complete in March. This story is developing. Stay with KCRA 3 for updates.
DOBBINS, Calif. —
A burst pipe led to flooding and the evacuation of the New Colgate Powerhouse on Friday, the Yuba County Sheriff’s Office said.
An unspecified number of employees had to be rescued from the hydroelectric powerhouse at 12700 Lake Francis Road and thousands lost power across the region.
Cal Fire said one person who was unaccounted for was rescued by helicopter and taken to the hospital. Yuba Water Agency, which manages New Colgate Powerhouse, later said all workers and contractors were accounted for.
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. said the 3 p.m. incident led to power failures when the Yuba Water Agency’s steeply angled water pipe known as a penstock failed and caused flooding at PG&E’s switching station south of Dobbins.
More than 15,000 PG&E customers lost power in Nevada, Yuba, Sierra and Butte counties, the utility said. Power was restored to 7,000 customers by 6:15 p.m. and PG&E said it expected that nearly all customers would have their power back by 11 p.m.
LiveCopter 3 footage on Friday afternoon showed water spilling out of multiple breaks on the penstock and running down the hill. The footage also showed PG&E’s power lines damaged by the mudslide.
Hearst Owned
Pipe breach
The penstock is used to move water from New Bullards Bar dam to the powerhouse on the Yuba River.
“Yuba Water Agency is responding to an incident at our New Colgate Powerhouse facility. Please avoid the area as our team investigates,” the Yuba Water Agency said in its initial post on social media.
Follow-up messages said there was no threat of flooding downstream and the penstock had “been isolated.”
Yuba County sheriff’s deputies and multiple other agencies assisted with the response. Cal Fire’s Nevada Yuba Placer United said it was in unified command with the Dobbins Fire Department.
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What is the New Colgate Powerhouse?
The New Colgate Powerhouse is a hydropower facility managed by the Yuba Water Agency that is located “on the main stem of the Yuba River downstream of the convergence of the North Yuba River, Middle Yuba River and Oregon Creek.”
The Yuba Water Agency’s website explains that water “is carried nearly five miles from New Bullards Bar Reservoir through a 26-foot-diameter tunnel, and then makes its way down a 15-foot-diameter penstock to drive two of the largest single-cast Pelton Wheel turbines ever built. These turbines can produce up to 350 megawatts, which is enough electricity for approximately 350,000 homes.”
Yuba Water Agency/LiveCopter 3
Before and after images of New Colgate Powerhouse.
The agency has been making upgrades to its Colgate tunnel and the penstock since September 2025.
A project timeline dated Feb. 9-13 says, “Once installation of the new protective valve on the penstock is complete, crews will begin to slowly return the flow of water back into the Colgate Tunnel and penstock pipe. Testing and rewatering will take several days.”
The work was expected to be complete in March.
This story is developing. Stay with KCRA 3 for updates.