The Lower Yuba River
Daguerre Point Dam (1900's)
Photo: Thomas Dunklin
An Altered River System
The Lower Yuba River has been subject to a history of degradation as the result of land use change, human development, mining, and the construction of flow regulation infrastructure. These actions have led to a highly altered system, which has caused declines in fish populations as well as other native flora and fauna. Hydraulic mining caused large amounts of sediment to flow downstream, resulting in flooding on the lower portions of the river. The mining process also mobilized mercury and other heavy metals, which continue to persist in river sediment today. The construction of dams and levees has disrupted the river’s natural flow regime, with significant consequences for aquatic and riparian biota.
Chinook Salmon and Steelhead on the Lower Yuba
Historically, the Yuba River watershed provided spawning and rearing habitat for several anadromous salmonids: fall, late-fall, winter, and spring run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) as well as steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Mining activities resulted in changes to sediment supply and riparian habitat critical for spawning, and the construction of Englebright Dam restricted movement to the lower reaches of the river only. Today, three federally-listed subpopulations of Chinook salmon inhabit the Lower Yuba: the fall and late-fall run Central Valley Chinook evolutionarily significant unit (ESU), the spring run Central Valley Chinook ESU, and the Central Valley Steelhead distinct population segment (DPS). Restoration efforts on the Lower Yuba focus on the recovery of these endangered subpopulations.
Ecosystem Services Provided by the River
The Lower Yuba River provides a variety of ecosystem services, or the goods and services provided by an ecosystem, to a variety of stakeholders in the area. Pre-1850s conditions on the Lower Yuba River provided ecosystem services such as a self-sustaining fishery, a wide floodplain providing flood control, groundwater recharge and areas of fertile land for agriculture. The system also provided cultural services for the Maidu and several other Native American tribes reliant on the river for aesthetic and religious purposes. In its current degraded state, the Lower Yuba River provides these ecosystem services to a lesser extent. Further restoration and better watershed management are needed in order to maximize benefits obtained from ecosystem services.
Ecosystem Services Provided by the River
Restoration Efforts
Restoration on the Lower Yuba River continues to be a joint effort between federal, state and local agencies. Federal stakeholders include the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). State-level stakeholders include the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), and the California Department of Water Resources (CDWR). Local agency stakeholders include the Yuba County Water Authority (YCWA), the Sierra Streams Institute (SSI) and SYRCL. Past and current restoration efforts on the Lower Yuba include gravel augmentation, riparian restoration and plantings, large woody debris placement, flow regime alterations, and floodplain lowering and enhancement.
