Santa Rosa looks to shore up strategy to keep Eel River water available for use
PG&E has begun relinquishing its control of the Potter Valley Project. Concerned that this will reduce water supplies, Santa Rosa is exploring options. Mendocino County’s century old Potter Valley Project consists of two Eel River dams, a tunnel diverting some of the Eel into the East Fork of the Russian River, and an inoperable powerhouse in need of expensive repairs. … PG&E, which operates the project, abruptly withdrew its re-licensing application three years ago. It’s looking to surrender it in 2025. In response to the 2019 notice, Representative Jared Huffman formed an ad-hoc group that spawned the “two basin partnership” – a collection of fisheries advocates, local governments, and tribal authorities seeking to wrestle control of the Potter Valley Project.