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Buying a Home in Yuba County, CA: Levee History, Plumas Lake CFDs & Wildfire

Two real, fatal levee failures make flood history a specific due-diligence item for the Linda/Olivehurst/Arboga area, and Plumas Lake carries real, named Mello-Roos special taxes.

Yuba County, anchored by Marysville and the Linda/Olivehurst area, sits at the confluence of the Feather and Yuba Rivers and was the site of two real, fatal levee failures — the 1986 breach that flooded the Linda/Olivehurst area, and the 1997 Arboga levee failure that killed three people. That history also produced real, named Mello-Roos Community Facilities Districts in the county's newer Plumas Lake development, funding both infrastructure and the levee work itself.

What’s the transfer tax in Yuba County?

Yuba County's documentary transfer tax is the standard statewide rate of $1.10 per $1,000 of consideration. Both incorporated cities — Marysville and Wheatland — charge the standard city-share rate rather than a local add-on.

So total transfer tax anywhere in the county is the standard $1.10/$1,000 — confirmed via the December 2025 statewide rate table, which lists no surcharge for either Yuba County city.

How serious is the levee-failure history in Yuba County?

Real and fatal — Yuba County was the site of both major regional flood disasters: the 1986 levee breach flooded roughly 10 square miles in and around Linda and Olivehurst, and the 1997 Arboga levee failure on the Feather River's east bank killed three people and destroyed about 1,000 homes, among the most destructive levee failures in modern California history.

The Yuba Water Agency has since documented this history directly, including a produced mini-documentary, "The Day the Levee Failed," and has been a lead partner in roughly $1 billion of subsequent levee-improvement investment across Yuba and Sutter counties. This is real, well-documented, fatal flood history specific to the Linda/Olivehurst/Arboga area — not a generic flood-zone disclosure. Check current FEMA flood zone status for any property in these areas, since levee recertification work has changed mapped status for some parcels over time, and ask specifically about any flood-control special assessments on the property tax bill.

Are there Mello-Roos special taxes in Yuba County?

Yes, real and named ones — the Three Rivers Levee Improvement Authority (TRLIA), formed in May 2004 by the County of Yuba and Reclamation District 784, established CFD No. 2004-1, CFD No. 2006-1, and CFD No. 2006-2 specifically to finance over 46 miles of levee improvements protecting south Yuba County around the Plumas Lake master-planned community. The Olivehurst Public Utility District separately administers its own CFDs (including CFD 2002-1 and CFD 2005-2) in the same area for water/sewer and park infrastructure.

A property in Plumas Lake or other newer south Yuba County development is meaningfully likely to carry one or more of these special-tax assessments as a separate annual line item on top of standard property tax. Confirm which CFD(s), if any, apply to a specific parcel and get the current annual special-tax amount before closing — don't assume it's included in a listed property's advertised tax estimate.

What is different about eastern Yuba County versus Marysville and Linda/Olivehurst?

Outside the Linda/Olivehurst/Marysville flood-plain area, eastern Yuba County transitions into Sierra foothill terrain with real wildfire exposure. In September 2020, the North Complex Fire prompted evacuation warnings for the Oregon House/Dobbins area, and the separate Willow Fire forced mandatory evacuations for roughly 3,000 people around Loma Rica the same month.

The North Complex Fire ultimately killed 16 people and destroyed over 2,400 structures across Butte, Plumas, and Yuba counties. Check CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zone status for foothill-area properties before assuming the flood-plain risk profile of western Yuba County applies — the two halves of the county carry very different hazard exposures.

Disclosure landscape

Frequently asked

Is Linda/Olivehurst still at flood risk today?

Levee-improvement investment (roughly $1 billion led by the Yuba Water Agency) has followed the 1986 and 1997 failures, but you should still check current FEMA flood zone status for the specific parcel, since levee recertification has changed mapped status for some parcels over time.

Will I owe a special tax if I buy in Plumas Lake?

Possibly — Plumas Lake sits within one or more real, named Mello-Roos CFDs formed by the Three Rivers Levee Improvement Authority and the Olivehurst Public Utility District to fund levee work and infrastructure. Confirm the specific CFD(s) and current annual special-tax amount for the parcel before closing.

Does all of Yuba County carry flood risk?

No — the documented levee-failure history is specific to the Linda/Olivehurst/Arboga flood-plain area. Eastern Yuba County transitions into Sierra foothill terrain with its own wildfire risk instead, including 2020 North Complex and Willow Fire evacuations near Oregon House and Loma Rica.

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This is educational guidance, not legal advice. Consult a California real estate attorney for legal questions specific to your transaction.