(Grass Valley, CA April 14, 2021) – The Nevada Irrigation District today announced that it has opened the public review and comment period on the Lower Scotts Flat Connector Trail Project’s environmental review. The District, as lead agency, has prepared a project Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) to assess the potential environmental impacts of the trail project (posted on the NID website) and now invites public review and comment from April 14 to May 14.

The Scotts Flat Lower Connector Trail Project (the trail) will construct a 1.4-mile trail that will provide hikers and bikers with a means to safely cross over the discharge channel below the Scotts Flat Powerhouse and Deer Creek downstream of Scotts Flat Dam Spillway. The trail will also provide a connection to the existing Scotts Flat Reservoir Trail, also known as the Snow Mountain Ditch Lake Trail, and Scotts Flat Trail, located on the north side of Scotts Flat Reservoir.  The need for a trail providing public access over Deer Creek was first realized in 2017, when NID temporarily fenced the spillway, which had previously been used by hikers and bikers to cross from one side of the lake to the other. 

In response to resulting public input, and consistent with Goal #2 of the District’s Strategic Plan, which states that stewardship of NID resources requires a collaborative and responsive relationship with the local and regional community, the District has worked with a number of community groups, including the Bear Yuba Land Trust, the Sierra Express Bike Team, and the Bicyclists of Nevada County to develop and evaluate trail alternatives.

Comments on the project document should be submitted between April 14 to May 14 at 5:00 p.m. and addressed to: Scotts Flat Lower Connector Trail Project c/o Kris Stepanian, Board Secretary, Nevada Irrigation District at 1036 West Main Street Grass Valley, CA 95945. E-mail comments may be addressed to: stepaniank@nidwater.com.  Input may also be provided at a public meeting to be held on May 6, 2021 starting at 6:00 pm via Zoom. The Zoom meeting can be accessed from a computer, tablet or smartphone at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83087650938.