NID officials are hoping Nevada County’s congressman will help them get funding to replace the Scotts Flat spillway. On Monday, Kevin Kiley toured the reservoir and heard about the Nevada Irrigation District’s infrastructure needs. In January, we told you that the NID Board of Directors approved a one-point-four million-dollar contract for the design work. Assistant General Manager Greg Jones says full costs for the project in the coming years are now estimated at 20-million dollars…

click to listen to Greg Jones

Since the reservoir’s construction, 75 years ago, NID officials say the spillway has experienced repetitive cracking on the chute slabs. And then, in early 2017, there was even more severe damage from winter storms. But Jones stresses it’s under no immediate threat of failure. He says the district will try to secure funding, at least in part, from federal infrastructure grants that have been available. But they first need to complete the design and get government approval…

click to listen to Greg Jones

Jones has no precise estimate on the timeline. In the meantime, he hopes that NID at least raised Kiley’s awareness about the urgency of the project.