The Nevada Irrigation District is proposing a new dam on the Bear River. The potential downside of such a new dam is documented on a new website Save Bear River. According to the group:

NID’s proposed Centennial Dam will:

– flood the Bear River Canyon from Meadow Vista to Hwy 174

– destroy 25 homes and over 120 private property parcels

– inundate the Bear River Campground, Dog Bar, and Taylor Crossing

– re-route Nevada County traffic through Meadow Vista

– destroy thousands of acres of prime oak woodland with fish & wildlife habitat, and current recreational use

– threaten water supply to downstream users

– burden taxpayers & ratepayers with $300 million debt damage the health of the Sacramento River Delta

The website contains a video of a public meeting presented by the Sierra College Lecture Series which hosted a talk with NID Director Nick Wilcox and Bear River advocate Otis Wollan, former Director of the Placer County Water Agency.

Some of the NID assumptions which came out at the meeting are presented below. There is good reason to question whether these assumptions are correct, especially concerning the amount of annual precipitation. Checkout the website for full details and other illustrations of the potential impact of the dam.