Jackson Meadows Dam (National ID # CA00254) is a dam in Nevada County, California .
46-758: The earthen dam was constructed in 1965 for flood control and irrigation water storage, with a height of 195 feet and a length of 1530 feet at its crest. It impounds the Middle Fork of the Yuba River as one of the ten facilities of the Nevada Irrigation District . The dam is part of the Yuba-Bear Hydroelectric Project . The reservoir it creates, Jackson Meadows Reservoir , has a surface area of 1.5 square miles and normal capacity of 52,500 acre-feet . The site
92-483: A few years, these diseases wiped out most of the native population. The Yuba River and its forks were one of the richest parts of the Mother Lode , and miners poured to the region in great numbers. Although gold was first extracted by simple methods such as panning and sluicing, large-scale industrial hydraulic mining left a much greater impact. About 25 million cubic yards (19,400,000 m ) of hydraulic mining debris
138-471: A hand-crafted stone retaining wall 75-foot tall (a.k.a. Chinese or China Wall in recognition of the Chinese builders) necessary to breach Donner Summit constituted the most difficult engineering and construction challenge of the original Sacramento – Ogden CPRR route. Principally designed and built under the personal, often on-site direction of CPRR's Chief Assistant Engineer, Lewis M. Clement (1837–1914),
184-462: A large number of avalanche fatalities, including that of professional snowboarder Jamil Khan. The 1994 western-comedy film Wagons East features John Candy as James Harlow, the disgraced former wagon master for the Donner Party. Albert Bierstadt 's painting View of Donner Lake (1871–72) shows the view of the titular lake from the vicinity of the pass. Jack Torrance tells his family
230-651: A lower tributary of the Yuba. The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment has issued a safe eating advisory for any fish caught in Yuba River, North Yuba River, and Middle Yuba River due to elevated levels of mercury. The Spring and Shady tributaries of the South Yuba contain dozens of historic mine locations, the largest of which is the San Juan Ridge Mine. Mining operations in
276-543: A mile north of Donner Pass , about three miles east of the town of Soda Springs . After passing through Lake Van Norden with Upper Castle Creek (longer than the Lake Angela stem) entering from the right, it gathers numerous snow-fed tributaries running west through a marshy, lake-filled valley, crossing Interstate 80 several times. The river briefly enters Placer County before flowing back north into Nevada County, then flows into Lake Spaulding , where much of its water
322-487: A relatively large area. The contamination was still detectable in 2013 and will be so for an estimated time of more than 10,000 years. In 1877, the world's first long-distance telephone line was strung along the South Yuba River from French Corral to French Lake (now called Bowman Lake ), a distance of 58 miles (93 km). Like the majority of California rivers, the Yuba was dammed at many points during
368-603: A single track. (To eliminate bottleneck delays the now single track 7.1-mile (11.4 km) section between Switch 9 (MP 171.9) at Emigrant Gap and Shed 10 (MP 179.0) west of Cisco would likely also have to be restored to double track.) Improvements were completed on the Sierra grade in November 2009, including increasing 18,000 feet (5.5 km) of tunnel clearances in 15 restricted tunnels between Rocklin and Truckee and upgrading 30 miles (48 km) of signals to CTC, although
414-720: Is a 7,056-foot-high (2,151 m) mountain pass in the northern Sierra Nevada , above Donner Lake and Donner Memorial State Park about 9 miles (14 km) west of Truckee, California . Like the Sierra Nevada themselves, the pass has a steep approach from the east and a gradual approach from the west. The pass has been used by the California Trail , First transcontinental railroad , Overland Route , Lincoln Highway and Victory Highway (both later U.S. Route 40 and still later Donner Pass Road), as well as indirectly by Interstate 80 . The pass gets its name from
460-462: Is diverted south to the Bear River drainage. The remainder of the river turns northward into a gorge near Emigrant Gap before continuing west. It receives Canyon Creek from the right, then receives Poorman Creek also from the right near Washington . The river continues west into the foothills and into South Yuba River State Park where it is bridged by State Route 49. It joins the Yuba River at
506-608: Is formed at the North Yuba and Middle Yuba rivers' confluence, with the South Yuba joining a short distance downstream. Measured to the head of the North Yuba River, the Yuba River is just over 100 miles (160 km) long. The river drains 1,345 square miles (3,480 km ), mostly in the western slope and foothills of the Sierra Nevada. The average runoff of the Yuba River basin is approximately 2,303,000 acre-feet (2.841 km ) per year, providing about one-third of
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#1732801724244552-558: Is one of the snowiest places in the contiguous United States. Four times since 1880 total snowfall at Donner Summit has exceeded 775 inches (19.69 m) and topped 800 inches (20.32 m) in both 1938 and 1952. To take advantage of the heavy snows, the Boreal Ski Resort was built to the north. Ski resorts in the Lake Tahoe area report an average of 300 to 500 inches (7.62 to 12.70 m) of snowfall per season. Winds in
598-667: Is surrounded by Tahoe National Forest . This article about a dam or floodgate in the United States is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Yuba River The Yuba River is a tributary of the Feather River in the Sierra Nevada and eastern Sacramento Valley , in the U.S. state of California . The main stem of the river is about 40 miles (64 km) long, and its headwaters are split into three major forks. The Yuba River proper
644-719: Is then interrupted by the Our House Diversion Dam, which diverts water from the Middle Fork to the North Fork at New Bullards Bar Reservoir. Below the dam, it continues flowing west, receives Oregon Creek from the north and intersects California State Route 49 about 2 miles (3.2 km) northwest of North San Juan . About 7 miles (11 km) downstream it joins with the North Yuba River. The 65.3-mile-long (105.1 km) South Yuba River originates at Lake Angela in Nevada County about three quarters of
690-572: Is then joined by Deer Creek (which flows out of Lake Wildwood) on the left. The Yuba River bed widens considerably as it flows out into the Sacramento Valley near the Yuba Goldfields , a section of the Yuba River valley consisting of dredged sediments washed down by hydraulic mining in the 19th century. The river then turns southwest, flowing through irrigated farmland. It then skirts the south side of Marysville and empties into
736-467: The Downie River from the north) and Goodyears Bar. Its main tributaries, Canyon Creek and Slate Creek, join from the north shortly downstream of there. The river turns south near Clipper Mills and flows into the 4,800-acre (1,900 ha) New Bullards Bar Reservoir , impounded by 645-foot (197 m)-high New Bullards Bar Dam . About 5 miles (8.0 km) below New Bullards Bar Dam, it joins with
782-629: The Sierra Nevada mountain range. In 1844 the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party followed the Truckee River into the mountains. At the head of what is now called Donner Lake , they found a low notch in the mountains and became the first overland settlers to use the pass. The pass was named after a later group of California-bound settlers. In early November 1846 the Donner Party found the route blocked by snow and
828-462: The 20th century, and large amounts of water are withdrawn for irrigation and municipal water supply. Daguerre Point Dam was built in 1906 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in order to trap hydraulic mining debris. After concerns about its impact on fish populations, the dam was fitted with fish ladders in 1937. In 1922-24 PG&E built the original Bullards Bar Dam to produce hydroelectricity and trap debris. The concrete arch Englebright Dam
874-440: The 645 ft (197 m) high concrete arch dam is one of the tallest dams in the United States, replacing and submerging the old Bullards Bar Dam. It stores almost 1 million acre feet (1.2 km ) to provide flood control, irrigation and hydroelectricity. The Yuba River Development Project includes New Bullards Bar Dam and a number of supporting facilities, including a diversion dam (Our House Dam) and tunnel which divert
920-514: The Donner Pass Road. The grade is 3–6% for 30 miles (48 km). The 1920s highway has been preserved as a scenic alternative to I-80. Winter weather at Donner Pass can be brutal. Precipitation averages 51.6 inches (1,310 mm) per year, and because California has a Mediterranean climate wherein most precipitation falls in the winter, much of it falls as snow. At an average of 411.5 inches (10.45 m) per year, Donner Pass
966-685: The Feather River between the cities of Marysville, Yuba City and Linda . The Yuba River valley was originally one of the most densely populated Native American areas in California. Historians divide indigenous peoples living in the Yuba River area into several groups – the Konkow , Maidu , Nisenan and Miwok . These groups did not function as large tribes; rather, they were divided into hundreds of small villages, with distinct governments but similar customs. Like other indigenous people of
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#17328017242441012-473: The Middle Yuba River into New Bullards Bar Reservoir, to increase hydropower generation. The 340 megawatt New Colgate Powerhouse is located about 4 miles (6.4 km) below New Bullards Bar Dam, and it generates over 1.3 billion kilowatt hours of energy per year. These diversions have resulted in the seasonal dewatering of the lower North Yuba River and Middle Yuba River and about four miles of
1058-468: The Middle Yuba River to form the Yuba River. Originating in a bowl-shaped valley in Moscove Meadow, the 55.4-mile-long (89.2 km) Middle Yuba River flows north into Jackson Meadows Reservoir , then turns west, soon entering a steep gorge. The majority of the river demarcates the boundary of Sierra County in the north and Nevada County in the south. It receives Kanaka Creek from the north and
1104-603: The Norden complex (Shed 26, MP 192.1) and the covered crossovers in Shed #47 (MP 198.8), one mile east of the old flyover at Eder. All traffic has since operated over the Track #2 grade crossing the summit 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Donner Pass through the 10,322-foot (3,146 m)-long Tunnel #41 running under Mount Judah between Soda Springs and Eder. SP made this change because the railroad considered Track 2 and Tunnel 41 (which
1150-665: The Pacific, the cooperation of UP, the Port's principal rail partner, has been sought to "construct a second track and raise tunnel clearances over Donner Pass for container trains linking California with the rest of the country." This would likely require either a new parallel tunnel next to Tunnel 41 or the replacement of the summit section of Track 1 between the Norden complex and Shed 47; either would increase capacity and effectively eliminate delays currently caused by having to run all east and west bound traffic between Norden and Shed 47 over
1196-570: The Sierra Nevada foothill region, their staple food was acorns , but they also hunted and gathered for other foods including abundant salmon runs in the Yuba River. In the 1850s, the California Gold Rush brought large numbers of European-American settlers into the area, followed by many Mexican, African and Chinese immigrants. These settlers brought diseases with them, to which the Native Americans had no immunity. Within
1242-403: The United States. Major dams include Jackson Meadows Dam and Bowman Dam (part of Yuba-Bear) and Lake Spaulding Dam and Fordyce Lake Dam (part of Drum-Spaulding). These projects divert a portion of the Yuba River's flow to the Bear River , a tributary of the Feather River further south. Other dams include Scotts Flat and Wildwood on Deer Creek; and Mildred and Virginia Ranch on Dry Creek,
1288-499: The area began in 1850 and have been more or less driven by the price of gold since that time. In 1995, the San Juan Ridge Mine Corporation stopped gold mining operations following the breach of an underground aquifer that caused flooding and the overflow of containment ponds. This breach released millions of gallons of mine waste into Spring and Shady creeks, drained and contaminated 12 local wells through
1334-536: The disaster of the Donner Party . Sporting activities in the area include backpacking , alpine and cross-country skiing , rock and ice climbing . The original tunnel built by Central Pacific Railroad is home to a large amount of tagging . The region was featured during the early 1990s in snowboarding films by Fall Line Films (FLF) and Standard Films for its easy access to frontcountry and backcountry terrain. However, its fame and quick access from Old Highway 40 or nearby Sugar Bowl Ski Resort has led to
1380-604: The flow of the Feather River, and 10 percent of the flow of the Sacramento River , which the Feather ultimately drains into. Since the early 20th century, irrigation and hydropower diversion projects have gradually reduced the river's flow. The river's name comes from the local tribe, the Nisenan , word for "waterway," 'uba seo.' It is spelled in early records as "Yubu" and applied to the river by 1844. Some claim
1426-442: The ill-fated Donner Party who overwintered there in 1846. Today the area is home to a thriving recreational community with several alpine lakes and ski resorts ( Donner Ski Ranch , Boreal , and Sugar Bowl ). The permanent communities in the area include Kingvale and Soda Springs , as well as the larger community below the pass surrounding Donner Lake. To reach California from the east, pioneers had to get their wagons over
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1472-480: The main Yuba River. The Middle Yuba River and South Yuba River are linked by the Yuba-Bear and Drum-Spaulding hydroelectric projects, which are owned by the Nevada Irrigation District and PG&E, respectively. These two interconnected projects generate a combined 1.2 billion kilowatt hours per year and with over 40 dams and reservoirs and 16 powerhouses, are considered the most complex hydroelectric scheme in
1518-488: The name is a variant of Spanish uba or uva , referring to grapes found growing along the banks of the river. The North Yuba River, 61.1 miles (98.3 km) long, rises at Yuba Pass along California State Route 49 , near the eastern boundary of the Tahoe National Forest . It flows southwest then west through a 3,000-foot-deep (910 m) canyon past the communities of Downieville (where it receives
1564-687: The original (Track 1) summit grade remained in daily use from June 18, 1868, when the first CPRR passenger train ran through the Summit Tunnel, until 1993 when the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) (which operated the CPRR-built Oakland - Ogden line until its 1996 merger with the Union Pacific Railroad (UP)) abandoned the 6.7 mile (10.7 km) section of Track #1 over the summit running between
1610-440: The original Donner Pass grade (Track 1) was not restored. Since then trains of full-height or 20 feet 2 inches (6.15 m), double-stack container cars have run over Donner Pass; some tunnels on Track 2 between Bowman and Colfax were not enlarged, so stack trains in both directions must use the older, tunnel-free Track 1 between those points. The Lincoln Highway , the first road across America, crosses Donner Pass; this
1656-705: The oxidation of naturally occurring heavy metals- including a well that supplied drinking water to a local K-8 school. The mining company proposed to re-open their mine for gold extraction in 2012, which would require pumping up to 3.5 million gallons of groundwater to operate each day. Pumping groundwater at this scale would likely deplete the underground aquifer that provides water to hundreds of community members. This could potentially cause serious impacts to surface water quality in Spring and Shady creeks due to increased surface flows from mining practices. In hierarchical order, going upstream: Donner Pass Donner Pass
1702-484: The pass can also become extreme and wind gusts in excess of 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) are common during winter storms . Winter temperatures in the area drop below 0 °F or −17.8 °C several times each year; the all-time record low for California of −45 °F (−42.8 °C) was recorded at Boca (east of Truckee) in January 1937. The winter of 1846–47 was especially severe, contributing immensely to
1748-418: The state of California. At 7,240 feet (2,210 m) ( 39°20′24″N 120°20′38″W / 39.339872°N 120.343958°W / 39.339872; -120.343958 ( Donner Summit ) ) Donner Summit is about 150 feet (46 m) higher than Donner Pass, but is wider and has a gentler approach that aided construction to Interstate Highway standards , which do not allow the sharp curves used by
1794-508: The successful completion at Donner Pass of its 1,659-foot (506 m) Tunnel #6 (a.k.a. the Summit Tunnel) and associated grade, thus permitting the establishment of commercial transportation en masse of passengers and freight over the Sierra for the first time. Following a route first surveyed and proposed by CPRR's original Chief Engineer, Theodore D. Judah (1826–1863), the construction of the four tunnels, several miles of snowsheds, and
1840-551: The upper end of Englebright Lake . From the joining of the North Yuba River and Middle Yuba River, the Yuba River mainstem flows southwards, then southwest, through the Sierra Nevada foothills, forming the Yuba-Nevada County border. The river widens into upper Englebright Lake near French Bar, and is joined by the South Yuba within the reservoir. It passes through the Englebright Dam near Lake Wildwood and
1886-523: Was also a part of the Victory Highway . Interstate 80 was built through this area in the early 1960s. I-80 generally parallels the route of US 40 through the Sierra Nevada , but it crosses the Sierra crest at the Euer Saddle , about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Donner Pass. Euer Saddle, along with a nearby park on the south side of the freeway, are commonly called "Donner Summit" by
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1932-415: Was built in 1941 to trap mining debris following the re-legalization of hydraulic mining during the 1930s. However, mining never resumed on a Gold Rush scale in the Yuba River watershed. Today, Englebright serves mainly to produce hydroelectricity . New Bullards Bar Dam was built on the North Yuba River in response to the huge flood of December 1955, which destroyed much of Yuba City. Completed in 1969,
1978-472: Was carried down the Yuba River. This raised stream beds up to 50 ft (15 m) in places, buried riverside land under sediment, and increased the risk of flooding. The practice was banned in 1884 following lawsuits from farmers who had been affected by the debris flows. Much of the debris left by the destruction of hydraulic mining remains today as the Yuba Goldfields . In addition, the extensive use of mercury in processing gold led to contamination of
2024-571: Was en route westbound through the gap when a blizzard dumped so much snow the train was unable to move forward or reverse. The passengers and crew were stranded for three days until the nearby highway could be plowed sufficiently for a caravan of automobiles to carry them the few miles to Nyack Lodge. In the spring of 1868, the Sierra Nevada were finally overcome by the Central Pacific Railroad (CPRR), after almost three years of sustained drilling and blasting through granite, with
2070-507: Was forced to spend the winter on the east side of the mountains. Of the 81 settlers, only 45 survived to reach California; some of them resorting to cannibalism to survive. On January 13, 1952, 222 passengers and crew aboard a train became stranded about 17 miles (27 km) west of Donner Pass at Yuba Pass , on Track #1 adjacent to Tunnel 35 (on Track #2), at about MP 176.5. Southern Pacific Railroad 's passenger train City of San Francisco
2116-451: Was opened in 1925 when the summit section of the grade was finally double tracked) to be easier and less expensive to maintain during the harsh Sierra winters than the Track 1 tunnels and snow sheds over the summit. In conjunction with major ongoing upgrades and expansions being made to the Port of Oakland in order to better accommodate the rapidly growing North American trade with Asia and
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