PG&E repairs deliver relief after months-long outage in Nevada

• Extensive repairs to water infrastructure in the Sierra Nevadas by PG&E had temporarily severed NID’s water supply in March 2024.
• PG&E completes repairs to Spaulding 1 powerhouse ahead of schedule.
• Water flow restored to Nevada Irrigation District and Placer County Water Agency.
• Repairs to South Yuba Pipe expected to be completed in mid-September.

August 5, 2024 — Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) has completed repairs to one of two water discharge liners at its Spaulding 1 powerhouse near Lake Spaulding, restoring water flow to water agencies in Nevada and Placer counties. The repairs come after a months-long outage that began in March 2024 when extensive repairs to water infrastructure in the Sierra Nevadas temporarily severed NID’s water supply. The repairs were completed ahead of the scheduled date of July 30, and the powerhouse is back in partial service, passing flow of about 450 cubic feet per second (cfs).

“PG&E worked 24/7 to make the necessary repairs so we could restore flows as quickly as possible,” said Dave Gabbard, PG&E Vice President, Power Generation. “This was a very large, complex project as we discovered more extensive damage as the project progressed. I’m proud of our team as it moved with urgency and tenacity, and most importantly completed the work safely.”

Water flows from the powerhouse into the Drum Canal, which feeds the Nevada Irrigation District’s Rollins Reservoir. Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) also draws water from Rollins Reservoir. PG&E is also diverting about 60 cfs from the Drum Canal into NID’s South Yuba Canal, which feeds into NID’s Scotts Flat Reservoir.

PG&E is awaiting the availability of a heavy-lift helicopter to install six large steel pipe segments at the South Yuba Pipe, which connects PG&E’s Spaulding 2 powerhouse to NID’s South Yuba Canal. A 240-foot segment of the pipe was damaged in a winter rockslide. Repairs to the South Yuba Pipe are expected to be completed in mid-September, providing about 80 to 100 cfs to the South Yuba Canal.

PG&E is working with water agencies to develop a schedule to repair the second water discharge liner at Spaulding 1 powerhouse.

Image:

Placer County Water Agency and Nevada Irrigation District Ditch. 2013 by Chris English.  Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Related posts:

Environmental groups sue over San Pedro River groundwater pumping Study reveals flood irrigation benefits in high-elevation valleys Historic, bipartisan settlement introduced for Navajo, Hopi water