Yuba Water Agency and University of California researchers are testing new technology designed to find potential problems with Yuba County levees before they become larger issues, according to the Yuba Water Agency.
The research project uses drones and sensors to monitor levees along the Feather and Bear rivers and Dry Creek. Yuba Water Agency provided a $360,000 grant for the project in 2024.
Over the past two years, researchers collected data at 18 sites in southern Yuba County, according to the agency. The levees help protect communities including Linda, Olivehurst, Plumas Lake and Wheatland from flooding.
Researchers used drones equipped with LiDAR technology to create detailed 3D models of the levees, according to Yuba Water Agency. The technology can help identify animal burrows that could weaken levees. It can also flag areas where water may be seeping beneath a levee.
Yuba Water Agency said the goal is to give local levee managers more information to guide inspections and maintenance.
The agency does not own or maintain the county's levees but provides funding and works with the local districts responsible for them.
Yuba Water's board has asked staff to look at how the technology could be expanded to other levees in the county.
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