Matt shows off a fish he caught at New Bullards Bar Reservoir.
Yuba Water Agency's plant mechanic, Matt Damico, is responsible for fabricating, maintaining and repairing equipment and components associated with the agency's hydroelectric power generation and flood risk reduction facilities. Scroll to learn more about Matt, his position and what he enjoys in his free time.
What does your average day look like? Or what are some of your essential duties?
I often start the day off making some breakfast for the crews as we discuss the various projects that we are working on. This helps us develop and share ideas for efficient, quality solutions. Then, many times, if I’m not fabricating something in the shop, I get in my truck and make the half hour to hour drive to wherever work is needed. This could be hydro plant checks, gauging station modifications, gate repairs, project planning....you never know what it’s going to be. Yuba Water's project has many facilities, components and engineers, so there is always something to fabricate or fix.
Do your duties differ throughout the year? And if so, how?
During the fall, we are busy with scheduled, annual maintenance outages at our facilities. The rest of the year I’m kept busy by making sure these plants continue to make electricity while we do the work that is necessary to stay compliant with all of the environmental, safety, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements.
Photo: Matt poses for a photo in front of the generator coolers at Yuba Water's Narrows II Powerhouse below Englebright Dam.
What is your background/formal education that led to where you are in your career today?
Before joining Yuba Water, I worked as a union millwright in Livermore. This gave me experience in many different industrial settings, performing overhauls in steel mills, refineries, wind turbines and power plants. Most of my millwright career was spent working for Siemens, overhauling power plants of all types, from small 50-megawatt aero derivative combustion turbines to massive 1,000 megawatt nuclear generators.
What do you enjoy most about working for Yuba Water?
What I enjoy most is knowing that I am going to get to work and be around people whose company I enjoy, which also makes getting up at 4 a.m. a bit easier. It also helps that the array of skills that I will use on any given day is varied and surprising. I keep a truck full of everything because I never know what I will be facing.
Before working here, what was the most interesting job you had?
I was a formally trained and educated chef. I was the executive pastry chef at Nemacolin Woodland Resort in Pennsylvania, as well as a chef at many fine French/Italian restaurants. Cooking is an obsession I continue to be gleefully afflicted with.
Tell us something about yourself that most of us don't know.
I have been to every state in the lower 48!
What do you like to do in your free time?
I enjoy cooking, fly fishing, golfing, gardening, traveling and backpacking.
What are three words you would use to describe Yuba Water?
Capable of greatness!