Yuba Water clears CM/GC route for Colgate penstock rebuild
Yuba Water Agency, California · Meeting date: November 3, 2026 · Published: November 4, 2026
The agency approved a five-year community workforce agreement and authorised construction manager/general contractor delivery for the Colgate penstock and tunnel repair project. The linked decisions are intended to support early contractor involvement and procurement of replacement penstock components following the February 2026 rupture.
Key points
- The board approved a five-year community workforce agreement covering only the Colgate penstock rebuild and tunnel repair projects.
- The agreement enables Yuba Water to use the CM/GC delivery method under California SB 598; an RFQ is expected within weeks and a preconstruction-services award will return to the board.
- Staff said the forensic report is due November 25 and will be used to confirm that the repair design addresses the rupture's root cause.
- Until the penstock is restored, releases through New Bullards Bar's low-level outlet are limited to 1,250 cfs during drier periods.
Full report
Yuba Water Agency has taken two linked procurement decisions intended to speed the rebuild of the Colgate penstock and repair of the associated tunnel after the February 13 rupture above New Colgate Powerhouse.
The board authorised the General Manager to execute a five-year community workforce agreement (CWA) with the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, the Mid-Valley Building and Construction Trades Council, and signatory craft councils and local unions. It then adopted Resolution 2026-29, authorising construction manager/general contractor (CM/GC) delivery for the penstock rebuild and tunnel repair.
The CWA is limited to the two Colgate projects. It contains no-strike, lockout and work-stoppage provisions, requires prevailing wages and state-approved joint apprenticeship programmes, and sets local-hire and veterans-participation goals. Staff stressed that qualified union and non-union contractors and subcontractors can bid provided they agree to the agreement's terms.
The agreement is also the labour mechanism allowing Yuba Water to use CM/GC under SB 598, legislation effective from January 2026. Under that model, a contractor will provide constructability, scheduling, pricing and phasing advice during design, with the potential to negotiate a guaranteed construction price later. The agency retains the option not to award the construction contract if a price cannot be agreed.
Staff said an RFQ would be issued within the next week or so, with the aim of selecting a contractor and involving it in the design process early in 2027. A preconstruction-services contract will require a further board decision. Early contractor involvement could enable procurement of long-lead penstock sections and couplings while engineering and site preparation continue.
The agency has not put a cost on either the CWA's additional labour and administrative requirements or the overall repair project. Staff said the combined CWA and CM/GC approach was expected to deliver savings through construction efficiency and earlier restoration of Colgate generation, although specific savings were not identified.
The decision drew opposition from construction-industry representatives during public comment. Representatives of Associated Builders and Contractors Northern California and the Coalition for Fair Employment in Construction argued that the CWA could raise costs and deter non-union firms and apprentices. Staff acknowledged that the agreement could add labour costs, but said the need to restore the facility quickly and access CM/GC outweighed those burdens.
The forensic report into the rupture is expected on November 25. Staff said its findings will be tested against the 50% repair design, due for review by the Board of Consultants in mid-December, before design advances. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the consultants will have to approve the final repair design.
The Colgate tunnel and penstock carry most of Yuba Water's releases for hydropower generation and downstream water uses. With the penstock out of service, the agency is releasing water through New Bullards Bar's low-level outlet, which is limited to 1,250 cfs and is also used for cold-water releases to meet instream-flow obligations.
This summary was generated by AI based on the source document and may contain errors.
Source: Board of Director's Regular Meeting 9:00 A.M., Yuba Water Agency