Browns Valley Irrigation District on the Land Conservation Assistance Network

Browns Valley Irrigation District
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last updated: May 2022

The Browns Valley Irrigation District (BVID) is one of the oldest continually operating irrigation district in the state of California. It was established on September 19, 1888
under the "Wright Irrigation Act." The first order of business on September 26, 1888 was to set a date for a $110,000 bond election. The reason for the bond sale was to raise funds to construct a diversion dam and ditch to divert water from the North Yuba River into the Browns Valley area. On March 21, 1890 a notice of Approbation of 47.2 CFS (2,500 miners inches) water from the North Yuba was recorded in Yuba County Records.

The District’s water project started in August of 1890 and was completed in the spring of 1892 after considerable difficulties. The water for the ditch was diverted from the North Yuba River, a little over a mile below Bullards Bar. A 30 foot high wood crib diversion dam was built and a wooden flume was constructed along the canyon wall a distance of over seven and one half miles. The upper five miles of flume were 5 feet wide by 3 feet high. It was at this point that the contractor went out of business. The district stepped in and finished the work with day labor. They decided to reduce the flume width to 4 feet from that point on, since lumber had become in short supply.

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Browns Valley Irrigation District is not employed by or affiliated with the Land Conservation Assistance Network, and the Network does not certify or guarantee their services. The reader must perform their own due diligence and use their own judgment in the selection of any professional.