January 27, 2026
Fact: In the State of California, water is GOLD!!!
The item that follows? People fight over gold, and that includes what comes out of the Yuba River.
Additional truths? Fights over water, i.e., CALIFORNIA GOLD, ended up in court systems – county, State, and Federal. There’s a whole historical backlog of these court battles stretching back to the nineteenth century, especially between miners, ranchers, and farmers, which, in and of itself, created Federal legislation to keep those battles contained.
The battles may have been contained, but not the animosity. Hard feelings festered throughout the twentieth century concerning the Yuba River and the many ways different primary water users saw fit to partake of the watershed’s offering.
That’s where the Lower Yuba River Accord came in. It’s an agreement between many sides regarding water usage from the Yuba River. California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Department of Fish and Game, California Department of Water Resources, the Yuba County Water Agency, the PPIC’s (Public Policy Institute Center) Water Policy Center, State Water Resources Control Board, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and the Hallwood Irrigation Company just to name a few.
The 2001 accord smoothed over animosity, gathering instead water use agreements between fisheries, farms, and downstream water transfer agencies. Instead of court battles, the accord created a rigorously written agreement on putting water where needed, at the right time, the right place, and at the right temperature.
Yuba Water Agency’s General Manager, Willie Whittlesey, recently stated that the accord has “served as a model for collaboration” and proof that “really remarkable things” happen when people focus on common interests.[1] In this case, the Yuba River watershed.
Why am I bringing this to your attention? Look, friends, there are a whole lot of agencies involved that are collaborating to ensure that the Yuba River watershed remains healthy and viable for the long term future. Yuba College should be a part of that. Our talent – teachers, students, and administrators – can and should (and are right now through its Working Lands Pipeline) be an active participant in further developing ties to the Yuba River and the various agencies that help keep it vibrant.
This under-ten-minute video gives you a basic understanding of the accord. Join me in congratulating the extension of that accord for the next twenty-five years.