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.
In response to a letter urging federal officials to prevent the
decommissioning of the Potter Valley Project, the acting
commissioner of the federal Bureau of Reclamation advised that
the matter is under review. … The letter, which was sent to
Aaron Sykes, a board member with the Lake Pillsbury Alliance,
ends with: “The Department of the Interior is working to
(ensure) that concerns such as yours regarding projects like
Potter Valley are part of the review process to ensure the
Administration’s goals are achieved.” In April, a letter signed
by the presidents of four local County Farm Bureaus –
Mendocino, Lake, Sonoma and Marin – was sent to federal
officials asking “the Trump Administration to intervene and
prevent (the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) from
approving (Pacific Gas and Electric’s) decommissioning plan
(for the Potter Valley Project) until a long-term solution is
secured.”
In a major environmental restoration project, two barriers were
removed from Jalama Creek, allowing Southern Steelhead to swim
up the creek. … “Southern California Steelhead are highly
endangered,” said Larra Riege, Restoration Manager at the
Dangermond Preserve. … ”Removing these barriers, these
ghost dams and the other barrier, removing old infrastructure
that’s not serving any purpose anymore, being able to take them
out and then let nature take its course is really satisfying.”
… Researchers are preparing their first survey to see if the
steelhead are discovering that the once-blocked creek is again
open for fishy business. The conservancy is looking at
additional projects to clear fish passage barriers on Jalama
Creek tributaries, to give the fish even more breeding and
living space.
A major California water lifeline serving more than 600,000
residents is on the brink of being shut down by one of
America’s largest utility companies – and now its fate may lie
in the hands of Donald Trump. Since 1922, the century-old
Potter Valley Project has diverted water from Northern
California’s Eel River into the Russian River, serving as a
critical source of water for farms and communities across
Mendocino, Sonoma, Marin and Lake counties. However,
PG&E announced plans to fully dismantle the project, citing
financial losses and aging infrastructure – a move that sparked
controversy across the region, SF Gate reported. In a rare
twist, the federal government is now stepping into the local
water battle, as the Trump administration reviews whether or
not to block the shutdown.
In a major twist, the Donald Trump administration is now
reviewing regional appeals to halt PG&E’s plans to
dismantle the Potter Valley Project. … In an April
14 letter, the Bureau of Reclamation responded to an inquiry
from Aaron Sykes, a board member of the Lake Pillsbury
Alliance, which represents the homeowners and stakeholders
fighting to keep Scott Dam, the structure that holds back Lake
Pillsbury. In the letter, which was reviewed by SFGATE, the
federal agency said funding for the project is “undergoing
reviews” to ensure it aligns with an executive order President
Donald Trump signed on his first day in office that directs the
government to explore any “undue burden” on the “use of
domestic energy resources” including, oil, coal and hydropower.
A new partnership between three organizations will explore
options for raising the dam at Lake Mendocino to boost the
water supply supporting agriculture and recreation. State and
local politicians, tribal officials and representatives from
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers met this past Friday at Lake
Mendocino to formalize a cost-sharing agreement for the Coyote
Valley Dam General Investigation Study. According to the
Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission, Lake
Mendocino provides drinking water for over 650,000 people in
Mendocino, Sonoma and Marin counties and plays a role in flood
control. The study, led by a partnership between the
commission, the Lytton Rancheria and the Corps of Engineers
will assess the prospects of greater water supply and potential
federal interest in reducing flood risks.
Four Northern California farm bureaus are making a plea to the
Donald Trump administration, urging it to halt PG&E’s plan
to dismantle a key piece of water infrastructure. The counties
say they need time to craft a strategy to protect public
health, the local economy and their communities.
… Environmentalists and Eel River advocates say it’s
time to rip out the century-old Potter Valley Project and let
the Eel River run wild again. For decades, dams like Scott
and Cape Horn have choked the river, blocking salmon from ideal
spawning grounds and turning cold mountain water into warm,
fish-killing reservoirs, they argue. … Yet for residents
and farmers, the looming loss of reliable summer water has
sparked alarm. Without Scott Dam and Lake Pillsbury to store
water year-round, the region would be left at the mercy of
rainfall. “Summertime access to water, which is eminent today,
will not be an option,” the farm bureaus warned.
A new partnership between three organizations will explore
options for raising the dam at Lake Mendocino to boost the
water supply supporting agriculture and recreation. State
and local politicians, tribal officials and representatives
from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers met Friday at Lake
Mendocino to formalize a cost-sharing agreement for the Coyote
Valley Dam General Investigation Study. According to the
Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission, Lake
Mendocino provides drinking water for over 650,000 people in
Mendocino, Sonoma and Marin counties and plays a role in flood
control. The study, led by a partnership between the
commission, the Lytton Rancheria and the Corps of Engineers
will assess the prospects of greater water supply and potential
federal interest in reducing flood risks.
What’s described as a major restoration project in Humboldt
County’s Eel River delta area will restore tidal marshes and
create a new public trail. Restoration of a 795-acre area of
the Eel River estuary gained permitting from the Humboldt
County Planning Commission at its April 3 meeting. Under a
partnership including the CalTrout non-profit conservation
group and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the
complex project encompasses and surrounds the estuary’s
Cannibal Island area. It includes deepening 5,000 linear feet
of existing dikes, replacing failed culverts that separate
tidal habitat areas and re-connecting 500 acres of former marsh
habitat to tidal action. Also included are construction of
“inter-tidal lagoons” and a 6,000 linear-foot earthen levee
with two gated culverts to shield agricultural lands from tidal
intrusion.
After more than ten years of meticulous planning and
collaboration among local landowners, government officials,
tribes and environmental scientists, the Redwood Creek Esturary
Restoration Project is finally gaining momentum. The U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers and Humboldt County officials will host a
public meeting at the Orick Community Hall at 4 p.m. on
Wednesday to discuss next steps for the estuary restoration
project, which aims to revitalize critical habitat for
threatened and endangered salmonid species in Redwood Creek.
… The restoration project would undo decades of
ecological degradation caused by the earthen levee system that
runs through the heart of Orick. Originally designed to control
flooding along the lower 3.4 miles of Redwood Creek, the levees
have “reduced the size, complexity, and ecological function of
the estuary,” according to the project’s description.
… leadership of the Hoopa Valley and Yurok tribes signed an
agreement to share 50,000 acre feet of water from the Trinity
Reservoir. It’s the latest push for water rights specified in
1950’s-era federal policy but have yet to materialize on the
ground, despite a supportive 2014 U.S. Department of the
Interior legal opinion. “This agreement is a victory, but there
is much more work to be done. We will continue to advocate for
the protection and restoration of our natural resources,
ensuring future generations of our people have what they need
to prosper,” said Joe James, chairman of the Yurok Tribe in a
statement in the release.
(Yesterday,) leaders of the Hoopa Valley and Yurok Tribes
signed an agreement to share 50,000 Acre-Feet (AF) of federal
water from the Bureau of Reclamation’s Trinity Reservoir near
Lewiston, CA. The Tribes’ rights to that water come from a 1955
federal law under which Reclamation dammed the Trinity River
and diverted most of the water it stored to the Central Valley,
and a 1959 contract between the Bureau of Reclamation and
Humboldt County for a portion of the reservoir supply. Congress
awarded the water to Humboldt County and the Tribes to ensure
their opportunity for economic development with Reclamation’s
water supply and to mitigate Trinity Dam’s impact on the
downstream communities. The ceremony took place at the
confluence of the Klamath and Trinity Rivers on the border of
Yurok and Hoopa Valley tribal homelands.
A packed veterans hall in the northern Sonoma County city of
Cloverdale became the latest battleground in Northern
California’s escalating water war. On March 20, Cloverdale
Mayor Todd Lands hosted a town hall that brought together
community members from across the region to discuss the future
of the Potter Valley Project. … Although PG&E
announced its plan to give up control of the diversion system a
decade ago, the March 20 gathering was the first town
hall-style public meeting that invited Russian River officials
and residents to question the plan’s impact, voice concerns and
demand answers about the path forward. The meeting, which
SFGATE attended, drew a strong turnout from Russian River
residents critical of the decommissioning plans, reflecting
deep community frustration about how PG&E’s plans could
fundamentally change water availability throughout the
region.
At the March 6, 2025, Ukiah Valley Water Authority (UVWA)
meeting, the Board welcomed its newest member, the Calpella
County Water District, and swore in two new representatives.
The discussion quickly turned to potential expansion, as
several small mutual water companies expressed interest in
joining. The Board also voted to approve a $147,750
comprehensive rate study that could pave the way for regional
water consolidation, while tackling future challenges like
PG&E’s plan to abandon the Potter Valley Project. As the
Board works to secure water for the future, the weight of
rising costs and strained resources looms large.
At Tuesday morning’s Mendocino County Board of Supervisors
meeting, the supervisors spent 27 minutes taking public comment
and discussing a request from 5th District Supervisor Ted
Williams to provide a letter of support for state
Assemblymember Chris Rogers’ Assembly Bill 263. AB 263,
sponsored by the Karuk Tribe and supported by California
Coastkeeper Alliance, would extend emergency water flow
regulations to the Scott and Shasta river watersheds. Both
rivers are tributaries of the Klamath River and flow through
Siskiyou County. … (Board Chair John Haschak)
suggested the Board monitor the bill’s progress and potentially
revisit the issue in the future. AB 263 will be heard at
the California State Assembly on April 8 by the Committee on
Water, Parks and Wildlife.
At its February 13, 2025, meeting, the Mendocino County Inland
Water & Power Commission (IWPC) discussed a landmark Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU) that sets the stage for a New
Eel-Russian Diversion Facility (NERF). … IWPC also
discussed efforts to restart the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE)
Feasibility Study on raising Coyote Dam, a long-debated project
aimed at increasing water storage capacity in the Upper Russian
River Watershed. Coyote Dam was originally designed to be
36 feet taller, but funding shortfalls prevented the full
construction. Increasing the dam height would allow more water
to be stored for dry-season use, especially as flows from the
Potter Valley Project decrease.
More than 200 people from Humboldt to Marin counties packed the
Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Hall Thursday night for a town
hall meeting about how PG&E’s planned shutdown of its
Potter Valley hydropower plant would impact the region’s water
supply. The controversial project involves the removal of the
Scott and Cape Horn dams and PG&E’s nearby hydroelectric
facility in Lake County, with PG&E saying it won’t shut
down the plant and begin dam removal until 2028 at the
earliest. Residents and some elected officials are
concerned the project will spark the potential loss of water
from the Eel River to the Russian River that individuals from
Mendocino, Sonoma and Marin counties have relied on for more
than 100 years.
