About a mile downstream from Guerneville, Sarah Dale’s Russian River dock is marooned on a silty, bone-dry riverbed. … Normally, a branch of the Russian River would be coursing past their dock in their Neeley Road hamlet and teeming with otters, herons, kayakers and swimmers. But for the past two summers, this part of the river has run dry. In August 2024, an I-beam failed on a seasonal dam downstream in a community called Vacation Beach, and repairs have lagged. … When the dam broke in August 2024, the district initially seemed on track to fix the problem, but by spring 2025 had announced that the dam would not be installed in June after the state Division of Safety of Dams barred its reinstallation without environmental reviews and other permits. 

Other dam and infrastructure news:

• Anderson Valley Advertiser (Boonville, Calif.): Latest on the Potter Valley Project
• California Trout: Blog: The Barrier is gone: Iron Canyon fish passage project complete on Ótakim Séwi (Big Chico Creek)
• California Department of Water Resources: News release: Hatchery fish ladder opening​​