New California dam removal could restore a river — and destroy a community
… Removing the Scott Dam, alongside the removal of the smaller Cape Horn Dam downstream, both on the picturesque Eel River, is part of PG&E’s plan to retire a century-old hydroelectric operation known as the Potter Valley Project, which the company says has gotten too expensive to run. … Downstream communities along the Eel River as well as environmental groups and tribes have cheered dam removal as a way to restore the river’s natural flows. Long-declining salmon and steelhead runs stand to benefit from the restoration. At the same time, the plan has raised concerns about power and water supplies in Northern California. … Much less talked about is the fate of Lake Pillsbury.
Other Potter Valley Project news:
- San Francisco Chronicle: Opinion: Here’s what removing Eel River dams will do for the state’s economy and environment
- MendoFever (Mendocino, Calif.): PG&E submits plan that will erase Lake Pillsbury and change the Russian River forever
- Lost Coast Outpost (Eureka, Calif.): When will the Eel River dams fall?
- Sonoma County Gazette (Santa Rosa, Calif.): A watery tale of two cities
