Yuba Water to sell 10,000 acre-feet to Bay area agencies

A Northern California water agency is one step closer to helping it’s Southern neighbors in Marin County.

Yuba Water Agency’s board of directors voted earlier this week to authorize a water transfer agreement with Contra Costa Water District and East Bay Municipal Utility District, to sell at least 10,000 acre-feet of water, and potentially more, if conditions allow.

“This is a great opportunity for us to provide water to other communities in need during the drought, and bring in additional revenue for Yuba County water projects,” said Yuba Water Agency General Manager Willie Whittlesey.

One of the potential recipients of the transfer, Marin Municipal Water District projected earlier this year that its reservoirs could be depleted by 2022.  This caused the agency to begin planning an 8-mile, $100 million water pipeline across the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge to transfer water from up north. Marin would receive water from Contra Costa Water District, who would essentially act as a middleman, purchasing the water on behalf of the Marin and East Bay districts, storing water in its reservoirs and then distributing the water through its network.

For Yuba, water transfers are a key element of the 2008 Yuba River Accord. The agreement not only benefits lower Yuba River fisheries and ensures water supply reliability for Yuba County’s agricultural community and others who purchase water from Yuba Water Agency, but it also provides revenue to fund local flood risk reduction and water supply projects.

“This is a big deal for us,” said Yuba Water Agency Director Brent Hastey. “One of our goals has always been to expand our options regarding who we sell water to, so that we have more flexibility and can consistently bring home the benefits of water we are releasing to help Yuba River fisheries.”

While the agreement is encouraging, there are still many things that need to happen before the water can start flowing south, such as approval from the State Water Resources Control Board to transfer water through Contra Costa’s distribution system.