… We are the Round Valley Indian Tribes. In the early 20th century, without our consent, the Potter Valley Project dammed our river and started diverting significant portions to generate electricity, after which the water was made available, at no cost, to users in the Russian River watershed. All the while, our community endured the loss of a critical part of our economy and culture: the decimated Eel River salmon fishery. … We also understand, however, that we are part of the larger region, and our members live, work and study in the surrounding communities, which support our tribal economy. These communities, in turn, depend on the river. Thus, while removal of the project facilities and the return of a healthy river is our goal, we must achieve this goal mindful of how this may affect others. The Round Valley Indian Tribes support the Two-Basin Solution, which shares this limited resource between both basins by pairing fishery restoration with continued diversions that do not harm the fishery.
–Written by Joe Parker, president of the Round Valley Indian Tribes.