WILLITS, CA., 8/11/25 — The hydropower Potter Valley Project includes the Scott and Cape Horn dams, two century-old dams on the Eel River. It also has a mile-long diversion tunnel that feeds water from the Eel River into the Russian River.
Sierra Club Mendocino Group chapter director Alicia Bales and Friends of the Eel River’s executive director Alicia Hamann will answer questions Friday in Willits about the Potter Valley Project, including how the dams have affected fish in the Eel River and what relief removing the dams may bring.
On July 25, PG&E, the project owner, published its final license surrender application and plan to decommission the project and remove the dams.
“Removing the Eel River dams is the single most important restoration action we can take to support recovery of the Eel’s once-abundant native fish,” the Sierra Club and Friends of the Eel River wrote in an event announcement. “The effort to Free the Eel is broadly supported by tribes, commercial and recreational fishing folk, recreation advocates, and environmental NGOs.”
Comments written by meeting participants will be directed to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which is handling the surrender process.
“We’ll also be talking about ideas for local papers and letters to the editor,” said the Sierra Club Mendocino Group’s Robin Leler. “All with the aim of encouraging no delays in removing the dams,” Leler said.
Leler said another issue is to make sure that PG&E cleans up the footprint of Lake Pillsbury, which would drain with the removal of Scott Dam. In the fall of 2024, envisioning meetings were held over several weekends at Upper Lake’s Robinson Rancheria with Lake Pillsbury residents, tribes, environmentalists and many others.
“We had a lot of good ideas and consensus of how the land could be restored,” she said. “We discovered that most of the land that would be up for restoration is in the hands of land trusts and conservancies. And that means that the national forest and tribes can’t work under those conditions unless they own the land. It’s complicated.”
The comment-writing workshop is 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15, at the Willits Environmental Center, 630 S. Main St., Willits. For more information contact Robin Leler of the Sierra Club Mendocino Group at robin@leler.com or (707) 459-0155 or Alicia Hamann, Friends of the Eel River, at alicia@eelriver.org.
what a waste removingg a dam with all that water ? i was up at lake pillcbuury fishing one summer ! while there was a fire close by ,a logging helicopter was picking upp water from the lake all day ! when it had done all it could do for the dayy they madde one last drop up the lake and dropped the water back into the lake ! why did i write this the lake had water close by t help put out the fire ! with out this source of water we will be hurting, pluis more squaw fish will do down stream and hurt all the placces they go lake mendocino will be one ?
Well, Doug – why not learn basic English? I would think more folks would take you seriously if you did.
What a pity to lose such a large body of water and it’s not like they are rediverting the eel’s water back into the eel, it’s still going through the tunnel to the Russian River.
Without the stored water at Pillsberry there may not be any water to go through the tunnel. Without the water the penstock in the tunnel will eventually dry up and collapse. If they want the fish to come back, reopen the hatcheries. And maybe manage the squaw fish population.
This is going to create a huge cost burden for the local community.
We should get those dams, and the water diversion to the Russian River, out of the Eel River soon and forever. I am dumbfounded to read that the diversion tunnel will remain – The water that flows down the Eel River should remain in the Eel River. Many tears over the little lake and none over the town and the land that went underwater, or for the native people, or for the Salmon.
Everyone is missing one of the biggest points. Taking down Scott dam will do little to nothing for the fish population. It could be devastating if we have a multi year drought after removal. And what about the people and salmon plus steel head population in the Russian river. This is more about money and control. I wish I could make 240k a year like the head of Cal trout. Remember the other forks of the eel are undammed. So out of 3500 miles of Eel river water shed Scott dam blocks off 86 miles. This is so much bullshit. I’m hoping to pass a liability law that will encompass all of the agencies promoting the removal of the current system rather than upgrade. Scott dam has been proven to be sceismecly sound. This project will have so many cost over runs and be so devastating to all of lake Mendocino Sonoma and Marin counties. Please people do your due diligence and dig deeper. Find out who is benefitting financially from this horrendous plan.
Passing a liability law sounds hopeful. These people have a hidden agenda. 600,000 people will be seriously affected by this. It is so wrong headed!