Northern California dam removals stay on track as feds rule out takeover of PG&E’s Potter Valley plant
Despite pleas from leaders of regional farm bureaus, Lake County and communities including Cloverdale and Lake Pillsbury, President Donald Trump’s administration says it has no intention of assuming control of the Potter Valley hydroelectric power plant that’s slated for decommissioning by PG&E. The decommissioning, if approved, is likely at least a decade away and would involve tearing down the Cape Horn Dam in Mendocino County and Scott Dam in Lake County. This would alter the flow of the Eel River to the Russian River, with a new multimillion-dollar diversion facility routing water from both the Eel and Russian watersheds to Marin, Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties. Many North Coast elected officials and residents strongly oppose the plan, insisting it might not provide the four counties with enough water ― especially during dry, summer months punctuated by fire risk.
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