page_title: Yuba–Bear Hydroelectric Project
section_title: Bowman development
hierarchical_section_title: Yuba–Bear Hydroelectric Project / Project features / Yuba–Bear Hydroelectric Project / Bowman development
caption_attribution_description: English: Spillway at Bowman Dam.
context_page_description: The Yuba–Bear Hydroelectric Project is a complex hydroelectric scheme in the northern Sierra Nevada in California, tapping the upper Yuba River and Bear River drainage basins. The project area encompasses approximately 400 square miles in Nevada, Placer, and Sierra Counties. Owned by the Nevada Irrigation District, it consists of 16 storage dams plus numerous diversion and regulating dams, and four generating stations producing 425 million kilowatt hours of electricity each year. The Yuba–Bear Hydroelectric Project consists of the Bowman development, Dutch Flat No. 2 development, Chicago Park development, and Rollins development.
context_section_description: The first installment of the Yuba–Bear project is the Bowman development. It begins with the Jackson Meadows Dam, which is located 45.6 miles up on the Middle Yuba River from where it joins with the North Yuba River. This includes the Jackson Meadows Dam Spillway and Reservoir. The Jackson Meadows Reservoir is man-made, with a surface area of 1,054 acres, and storage capacity of 69,205 ac-ft. Jackson Meadows Reservoir Recreation Area offers a combined 282 camping sites spread out over eight different campgrounds. Downstream of Jackson Meadows, located 42.2 miles upstream of where the Middle Yuba meets the North Yuba, is the Milton Main Diversion Dam, Milton South Diversion Dam, the Milton Diversion Dam Spillway, and the Milton Diversion Impoundment. The Milton Reservoir has a surface area of 103 acres, and 295 ac-ft of storage capacity. Not to be confused with Jackson Meadows, is Jackson Dam. This is located on Jackson Creek, 2.9 miles upstream from Bowman Lake. Jackson Dam is an earth-filled dam accompanied by the Jackson Dam Spillway and Jackson Dam Lake, which has 58 acres of surface area and 1,330 ac-ft of storage capacity. Jackson Creek Campground has 13 available camping sites. 
  The remaining impoundments contributing to the Bowman Development are on Canyon Creek. The first of these is French Dam, a rockfill dam, followed by French Dam Spillway and French Lake. French Lake has 356 acres of surface area and 13,940 ac-ft storage capacity. Next is Faucherie Dam, Spillway, and Lake, with 143 acres surface area and 3,980 ac-ft storage. Faucherie Lake Recreation Area contains 25 campsites and a day-use area. Sawmill Dam is another rockfill dam, and the last impoundment of Canyon Creek before reaching Bowman Lake. Sawmill Dam Spillway and Lake allow for 3,030 ac-ft storage capacity, and create 79.4 acres of surface area.
  Bowman Lake is formed on Canyon Creek by Bowman North Dam, and Bowman South Dam and Spillway. Bowman Lake has a surface area of 820 acres, and 68,510 ac-ft of storage capacity. The Bowman Penstock, Powerhouse, Switchyard, and Transmission Line originate here, with the Transmission Line connecting the Bowman Development to the Drum-Spaulding Project run by PG&E. Bowman Campground has 10 camping sites.
caption: Bowman Dam spillway
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