Presentation: Dr. Aaron Zettler-Mann on the New Colgate Powerhouse Failure and the Yuba River

On February 13, 2026, a catastrophic failure occurred at the New Colgate Powerhouse when a section of the facility’s penstock ruptured during routine testing, releasing roughly 400 acre-feet of water in a sudden surge. The flood damaged the powerhouse and sent large volumes of sediment and debris into the Yuba River upstream of Englebright Reservoir. While the immediate emergency has passed, the event raised urgent questions about water quality, fish habitat, and the long-term implications for the Yuba watershed and the infrastructure that manages its flows.

In the days that followed, the South Yuba River Citizens League mobilized its science and restoration teams to monitor conditions on the river and document impacts, including water quality changes and effects on salmon habitat. In the presentation below, SYRCL’s Executive Director, Dr. Aaron Zettler-Mann, walks through what happened, how SYRCL responded in the field, and what the organization believes this incident reveals about the future of watershed stewardship and water infrastructure on the Yuba River.