… For more than a century, hydroelectric dams have diverted water through the valley from the northward flowing Eel River’s watershed to the southerly Russian River’s east fork, where the two wind within a mile of each other near the Lake County border. The local ecology, economy and culture have adapted accordingly. Now that the alteration is no longer profitable, Pacific Gas & Electric is looking to undo the diversion by removing the dams, with potentially devastating ramifications for the communities that have grown to depend on the water they store and divert. … A coalition of considerable political force has aligned behind PG&E’s effort to relinquish its license for the Potter Valley Project. Environmental nonprofits, tribal representatives and elected officials, including Rep. Jared Huffman, have endorsed the removal of Scott Dam, citing seismic risk, fish habitat restoration and historical justice for the Round Valley Indian Tribes as core motivations.

Other dam removal news:

• Herald and News (Klamath Falls, Ore.): Klamath River kayakers reach Keno on First Descent​