by Doni Hubbard
Englebright Lake is nestled in the steep Yuba River canyon of the Sierra Nevada Foothills between Grass Valley and Marysville off State Route 20. This location offers a unique boat-in camping experience, several species of sport fish, abundant wildlife, and year round water-based recreational activities for enthusiasts and families alike. Englebright Lake is rich in history. Authorized by Congress for the storage of hydraulic gold mining debris, Englebright Dam was completed in 1941 by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The dam is a concrete arch structure 260 ft high and 1,142 ft long. It was constructed in the steep Yuba River gorge known as the Narrows. In later years, two power plants were added below the dam for the generation of hydroelectric power. Today Englebright Lake is used primarily for recreation and hydropower. Its 45,000 acre feet of stored water-right capacity allows cold water releases each year to benefit fish downstream. Water is also diverted for regional domestic and agricultural uses. Hydroelectric generation from water stored behind Englebright provides the annual energy needs for 50,000 homes. (Sources: Wikipedia, Army Corps of Engineers).
A recreational bonanza for the park visitor, the 815 acre lake with its nine mile length and 24 miles of shoreline is popular for a variety of boating activities. The steep and rocky shoreline dotted with sandy beaches and coves of oak and pine is a boat camper’s dream location. Water skiers enjoy the placid waters of the lower half of the lake while fishermen are successful in the narrow coves of the upper half of the lake which is closed to skiers. Houseboat adventures and boat rentals are provided at the nearby Skipper’s Cove Marina. Barbecues and picnicking are popular in the large day use area located next to the dam. Beautiful views, barbecue grills, tables and benches make this a favorite family spot. For information on boat-in campsites view the Englebright Lake website, write to US Army Corps of Engineers, P O Box 6, Smartville, CA 95977 or phone the park office at 530-432-6427. (Sources: Army Corps of Engineers, aboutnevadacounty.com, Nevada County Commerce).
“I don’t think words can do justice to what Englebright means to me…it is something so beautiful that it stops you in your tracks and helps put life’s most important things in perspective. It recharges your soul. It is so much more than just a debris dam.” Sue Borden, Englebright Meadows property owner.
“Englebright Dam is an important piece of the success story {fishery success on the lower Yuba River}. It provides the ability to regulate the lower Yuba River flows. This includes large storm flow surges which could harm fish spawning and rearing grounds. As a debris barrier Englebright stores enormous volumes of fine silt which, if released downstream, could negatively impact the successful fishery…Let’s not mess with success.” Curt Aikens, Yuba County Water Agency quoted in special edition of Territorial Dispatch, 1999.
“The Lake is a beautiful place that the whole region enjoys as a place of recreation and solitude. Bald eagles are seen here and other abundant wildlife. It is a key water source in an area where wildfires are a serious danger. The dam provides clean, renewable energy. To remove the dam would compromise the downstream levees and greatly increase the possibility of flooding in the Marysville and Yuba City areas. To even consider removing this dam is foolish and continued studies related to this are a serious waste of taxpayer dollars. “ Sid Hubbard, Lake Englebright area property owner.
“My sons and I are avid fly fishermen, only operate with a barbless hook and always release any landed fish! Yet we realize that mankind needs reservoirs. To pay for more studies to justify an argument as to why Englebright Dam should be destroyed is sheer madness. Need I list some of the benefits of Englebright?...fire protection, greater numbers in recreational participation, hydro-electric power, flood control, steelhead fishing actually improved. Does anyone not believe that future generations will need more of the above and not less?”
“Stakeholders need consideration", Union editorial, Jan. 21, 1999. “ Public officials who ignore the emotional ramifications of the discussion almost certainly will fail… {There are} real people with real interests in Englebright. Too often it seems that the desire to create a salmon and steelhead fishery for the Yuba has focused attention on the people elsewhere in California who would benefit while forgetting entirely the people who have the most to lose if significant changes take place at Englebright.”
Those wise editorial words written in 1999 after the initial showdowns between local residents (pro-dam) and government agencies (pro-dam removal) still ring true. Please stay tuned to this issue and give yourself the pleasant assignment of a picnic or boat trip on Englebright Lake. You’ll be glad you did.
Submitted by Doni Hubbard
