In late July, PG&E officially submitted its plans to tear down the Potter Valley Project, a century-old piece of water infrastructure built to siphon flows from the Eel River into the Russian River. The utility’s pending abandonment of the project has led to fierce debates over agriculture, tourism and healthy river ecosystems. … Yet as California enters the height of its now never-ending fire season, one more consequence of letting the Eel River run free looms: the seasonal drying of the Russian River and the dissolution of Lake Pillsbury, two water sources that fire chiefs in the region have argued are crucial for wildfire-fighting efforts.

Other dam news:

• East County Magazine (La Mesa, Calif.): Proposed lakeside sand mine owner sues city of San Diego for damages from water release at El Capitan Dam