History
The vision for the Centennial Reservoir Project traces back to 1926, when NID founders created a comprehensive plan for the region’s water supply system. NID’s chief engineer, Fred H. Tibbetts, documented the positive qualities of the site that will now host the Project, previously referred to as the Parker Ranch site. Download the historical report here.
NID holds senior pre-1914 and other water rights and several thousand acres of land along the Bear River, acquired in anticipation of the Centennial Reservoir Project over the last 94 years. The project will extend upriver from just above the existing Combie Reservoir for six miles to a point west of Colfax, approximately 2 miles downstream of the existing Rollins Dam, spanning Placer and Nevada County lines.
The project is set to begin construction by 2021, coinciding with the 100-year anniversary of NID.