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December 1955 flood when high water from the Yuba and Feather rivers

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2021 8:12 pm
by WB Staff
December 1955 flood when high water from the Yuba and Feather rivers.jpg
Throwback Thursday to the December 1955 flood when high water from the Yuba and Feather rivers completely surrounded the City of Marysville, California and flooded Yuba City in neighboring Sutter County. Images like these are a strong reminder of why we continue to invest in Yuba County levee improvements to make sure our entire system is ready to handle the next big storm. Learn more about our history: https://www.yubawater.org/340/History

Yuba Water Agency was established in 1959 to reduce flood risk and provide a sustainable water supply for the people of Yuba County. Yuba County has historically endured devastating floods, due in part to Gold Rush-era hydraulic mining practices that washed millions of cubic yards of debris into the Yuba River, raising the riverbed and increasing the flood risk.

As gold mining gave way to farming and ranching, water users south of the Yuba River overdrafted the aquifer, causing dramatic declines in groundwater levels. To resolve these problems, Yuba Water Agency proposed the Yuba River Development Project, a multipurpose flood control, water and power project that was approved in 1961. In 1966, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a license for the project, and Yuba Water Agency completed construction in 1970.

Read it all https://www.yubawater.org/340/History

Re: December 1955 flood when high water from the Yuba and Feather rivers

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2021 9:41 pm
by JakeV77
How times have changed. A throwback to a flooded community, at the time was devastating. To a drought stricken community and region as a whole. Can’t say which is worse.

Re: December 1955 flood when high water from the Yuba and Feather rivers

Posted: Sat Sep 25, 2021 9:23 am
by Burke
My late father-in-law, Andrew Fernandez, was a hero during the 1955 floods. He worked for the federal government and knew about a migrant workers camp that was in danger of being flooded. Flooding was so imminent that no one wanted to go and rescue them.

So, he jumped into a bus and drove into the migrant camp. He didn't stop the bus and drove slowly through the camp. He yelled for the workers to jump on the bus and rescued about 20 workers. On his way out of the camp, he saw a police/sheriff's vehicle driving toward the camp. Unfortunately, after the water receded, they found the vehicle buried in the muck and the body of the officer.