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An agreement between a water agency in Yuba County and a conservation group in Nevada County could settle years of pending litigation and bring more water to fish and farmers.
California's State Water Resources Control Board will decide whether to adopt the plan after two days of hearings in December.
The Yuba County Water Agency approved the Lower Yuba River Accord, which would help to protect and improve 24 miles of chinook salmon and steelhead habitat in the lower Yuba River from Englebright Reservoir to the river's confluence with the Feather River near Marysville.
"Implementation of the final agreement does mark an important milestone in the protection of the Yuba River salmon," said Jason Rainey, head of the South Yuba River Citizens League, one of the parties to the lawsuit and its eventual settlement.
When SYRCL and other groups announced the preliminary agreement two years ago that led to the accord, group leaders then said the "proposed approach is innovative."
The plan includes a fisheries agreement requiring the water agency to maintain instream flows for fish habitat in the Lower Yuba.
In addition, the plan would protect surface and ground water in Yuba County. Water transferred to a water account for the delta, the Central Valley and state water projects will provide revenue to the Yuba County Water Agency for flood control projects.
The plan took SYRCL and 16 other groups five years to hammer out, according to a statement from the Yuba County Water Agency. Year-long pilot projects in 2005 and 2006 implemented the plan on a trial basis before it was approved last week.
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To contact Staff Writer Laura Brown, e-mail lbrown@the union.com or call 477-4230.
California's State Water Resources Control Board will decide whether to adopt the plan after two days of hearings in December.
The Yuba County Water Agency approved the Lower Yuba River Accord, which would help to protect and improve 24 miles of chinook salmon and steelhead habitat in the lower Yuba River from Englebright Reservoir to the river's confluence with the Feather River near Marysville.
"Implementation of the final agreement does mark an important milestone in the protection of the Yuba River salmon," said Jason Rainey, head of the South Yuba River Citizens League, one of the parties to the lawsuit and its eventual settlement.
When SYRCL and other groups announced the preliminary agreement two years ago that led to the accord, group leaders then said the "proposed approach is innovative."
The plan includes a fisheries agreement requiring the water agency to maintain instream flows for fish habitat in the Lower Yuba.
In addition, the plan would protect surface and ground water in Yuba County. Water transferred to a water account for the delta, the Central Valley and state water projects will provide revenue to the Yuba County Water Agency for flood control projects.
The plan took SYRCL and 16 other groups five years to hammer out, according to a statement from the Yuba County Water Agency. Year-long pilot projects in 2005 and 2006 implemented the plan on a trial basis before it was approved last week.
ooo
To contact Staff Writer Laura Brown, e-mail lbrown@the union.com or call 477-4230.
