From Sacramento News & Review – Since 1959, Yuba Water Agency has worked to sustainably manage water resources and provide the community with flood protection and a reliable water supply. With new responsibilities and power revenues, the agency looks to continue building on this history of preparation and reducing risk. During the 1850s through the 1880s, hydraulic mining in the surrounding mountains and foothills—primarily in search of gold—dramatically altered the Yuba River and watersheds of Yuba County. “The hydraulic mining caused the deposition of sediment material in the lower Yuba River,” Willie Whittlesey, Yuba Water Agency’s general manager, says. “It impacted about 10,000 acres of the Yuba River itself and raised the elevation for both the Yuba and Feather Rivers, seriously raising the flood risk for residents of Yuba County and the surrounding region.” (more)