The Klamath, Trinity, Eel, Russian
and Smith rivers are the major northern streams that drain this
sparsely populated, forested coastal area that stretches from San
Francisco to the Oregon border. These rivers and their
tributaries flow west to the Pacific Ocean and account for about
40 percent of the state’s total runoff.
The impacts to Lake County’s water supply were debated at the
Board of Supervisors meeting February 27 with discussion
centered over the substantial effects on the county’s future
water supply if PG&E’s proposed plans are carried out in
full. Consideration was made of: A. requesting a letter of
support from the State Department of Water Resources, and B,
approval of resolution authorizing the grant application,
acceptance and execution of the Potter Valley Project
de-commissioning. Such action means probable removal of Scott
Dam and maybe elimination of Lake Pillsbury. Asking the Board
chair to sign the letter was Matthew Rothstein, Chief Deputy
County Administrative Officer along with Patrick Sullivan,
treasure/ tax collector.
CalTrout, McKinleyville Community Services District, the Wiyot
Tribe, Redwood Community Action Agency, and local artists
collaborated to design and install interpretive signage at the
site of a recently completed restoration and public access
project at Baduwa’t estuary. Baduwa’t is now known as the Mad
River but is not a direct translation. The signage was
installed on Monday, February 12, 2024 at the western end of
School Road in McKinleyville. The new installation includes
three interpretive signs with artwork by Alme Allen and Jullia
Finkelstein. Over the past eight years, the sign’s narrative
was cultivated with the Wiyot Tribe, CalTrout’s project manager
Mary Burke, and Denise Newman with RCAA – whose designs
artfully thread interpretive themes together.
PG&E has decided to withdraw the proposal that was
submitted by the Inland Water and Power Commission (IWPMC),
Sonoma Water, and Round Valley Indian Tribes (RVIT) to include
the building of new infrastructure to continue some level of
water transfer from the Eel River to the Russian River after
removal of Scott and Cape Horn Dams as a part of their
decommissioning plan being submitted to the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC). What does this mean for the
communities dependent on the Russian River? … If the ability
to divert water from the Eel River to the Russian River ceases
completely, it could have severe consequences for the 650,000
people who depend on the Russian River including Marin
County. -Written by Adam Gaska.
A new state-level plan to protect salmon is underway, and it
might benefit Marin County’s fish. The “California Salmon
Strategy” was released by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Jan. 30. It
lists six priorities and 71 actions to build healthier,
stronger salmon populations throughout the state in the age of
climate change-induced drought and heat. The six goals are
removing barriers and modernizing infrastructure; restoring and
expanding habitat suited for spawning and rearing; protecting
water flows and quality at times essential to salmon;
modernizing salmon hatcheries; transforming technology and
management systems for climate adaptability; and strengthening
partnerships with local groups.
Now is the time to raise your voice to protect an iconic native
species from extinction! The evidence is undeniable: Southern
California steelhead teeter on the brink of extinction.
Southern steelhead serve as crucial indicators of watershed
health and river ecosystem integrity. These fish play a role
within the ecosystem that you, your family, neighbors, and
friends are also a part of. If one piece of the ecosystem
changes or disappears this ripples throughout the rest of the
ecosystem affecting every other species – plant, animal, and
human. Historically, Southern steelhead thrived, with
tens of thousands of them swimming through Southern California
rivers and streams. Today, it’s rare to see them in double
digits.
The Eel River is the third-largest watershed in California—and
it once hosted one of the state’s great salmon runs, with as
many as a million salmon returning annually. For a century,
however, dams have blocked fish from reaching historical
high-quality spawning grounds, and today it is estimated that
less than 5% of the historical fish population remains in the
Eel. In 2023, American Rivers named the Eel River one of the
most endangered rivers in America. Removing the Eel River dams
could restore access to more than 200 miles of habitat, but how
will these changes affect the many communities connected to the
river? Filmmaker Cameron Nielsen spoke to people on all sides
of the issue in this visually arresting short documentary.
Mendocino County officials said they will continue working on
options for maintaining water diversions between the Eel and
Russian rivers that were created more than 100 years ago for
the Potter Valley Project, despite the announcement by the
Pacific Gas and Electric company last week that it will no
longer include plans being formulated by a regional group for
modification of the hydroelectric plant’s infrastructure in its
proposal for decommissioning the facility. “It’s a shock, and
we’re still kind of reeling from it,” 1st District Mendocino
County Supervisor Glenn McGourty told the Board of Supervisors
during its Feb. 6 meeting, describing the announcement from the
utility company as “very much like Lucy (pulling the football
out from under) Charlie Brown every time we deal with
PG&E.” McGourty said the latest sharp turn from PG&E on
its long and winding path of decommissioning the Potter Valley
Project (which was once an essential provider of electricity to
the Ukiah Valley) came the day after the first meeting of the
recently formed Eel-Russian River Project Joint Powers
Authority …
Water is flowing unimpeded down the Klamath River to the
Pacific Ocean for the first time in more than a century — and
Rep. Doug LaMalfa is depressed. “It’s our worst defeat since
I’ve been a legislator,” he said in an interview ahead of
PacifiCorp’s emptying of three reservoirs on the Klamath River
in order to demolish the dams that stand in front of them. It’s
the largest dam removal project in the country, and it’s a
harbinger of the shifting politics around rivers in the age of
climate change. The traditional fault lines that have long
pitted anti-dam environmentalists and tribes against pro-dam
farmers and utilities, who benefit from their water and
electricity, are blurring. … LaMalfa knows times are
changing. “I feel like just one anti-aircraft gunner with
10,000 enemy fighter planes coming at you at once,” he said.
It’s not like lampreys showed up yesterday. They’ve been around
in the water of our region for something like 350 million
years. But the eel-like fish have not gotten the attention of
the more glamorous fish, like, say, chinook salmon. California
scientists recently put some work into researching lampreys,
and found two distinct species–in California–that scientists
had not previously noted. It’s important because lamprey are so
important to ecosystems, that it really helps to know what’s
out there. Grace Auringer, a PhD candidate at the University of
California-Davis led the study team. She visits to further
illuminate the findings.
California is chock full of rivers and creeks, yet the state’s network of stream gauges has significant gaps that limit real-time tracking of how much water is flowing downstream, information that is vital for flood protection, forecasting water supplies and knowing what the future might bring.
That network of stream gauges got a big boost Sept. 30 with the signing of SB 19. Authored by Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa), the law requires the state to develop a stream gauge deployment plan, focusing on reactivating existing gauges that have been offline for lack of funding and other reasons. Nearly half of California’s stream gauges are dormant.
The Eel River supports one of California’s largest wild salmon
and steelhead runs in a watershed that hosts the world’s largest
surviving stands of ancient redwoods.
The Eel flows generally northward from Northern California’s
Mendocino National Forest to the Pacific, a few miles south of
Eureka. The river and its tributaries drain
more than 3,500 square miles, the state’s
third-largest watershed.
For over a century, the Klamath River Basin along the Oregon and
California border has faced complex water management disputes. As
relayed in this 2012, 60-minute public television documentary
narrated by actress Frances Fisher, the water interests range
from the Tribes near the river, to energy producer PacifiCorp,
farmers, municipalities, commercial fishermen, environmentalists
– all bearing legitimate arguments for how to manage the water.
After years of fighting, a groundbreaking compromise may soon
settle the battles with two epic agreements that hold the promise
of peace and fish for the watershed. View an excerpt from the
documentary here.
This 25-minute documentary-style DVD, developed in partnership
with the California Department of Water Resources, provides an
excellent overview of climate change and how it is already
affecting California. The DVD also explains what scientists
anticipate in the future related to sea level rise and
precipitation/runoff changes and explores the efforts that are
underway to plan and adapt to climate.
A new look for our most popular product! And it’s the perfect
gift for the water wonk in your life.
Our 24×36 inch California Water Map is widely known for being the
definitive poster that shows the integral role water plays in the
state. On this updated version, it is easier to see California’s
natural waterways and man-made reservoirs and aqueducts
– including federally, state and locally funded
projects – the wild and scenic rivers system, and
natural lakes. The map features beautiful photos of
California’s natural environment, rivers, water projects,
wildlife, and urban and agricultural uses and the
text focuses on key issues: water supply, water use, water
projects, the Delta, wild and scenic rivers and the Colorado
River.