Editor’s note: The following is a letter to the editor. The opinions expressed in this letter are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect those of The Mendocino Voice. If you would like to submit a letter to the editor feel free to write to info@mendovoice.com.
Dear Editor:
I am writing to request a correction to the July 14 article regarding the Potter Valley Project. The article states:
“Mendocino County third supervisorial district candidate Buffey Wright Bourassa, who opposes removal, said she wanted alternatives ‘that keep water management decisions in local and regional hands.’”
This inaccurately represents my position. I have never stated that I oppose removal of the dams. I support dam removal because of concerns regarding the structural integrity of the dams and the safety of downstream communities.
My statement regarding keeping water management decisions in local and regional hands was in reference to my opposition to transferring control of our regional water resources to an outside entity, particularly one based in Southern California. That concern is separate from my position on dam removal.
For clarity, my position is that dam removal is necessary according to reports I’ve received to address public safety concerns, while local and regional stakeholders should remain involved in decisions regarding future water management, water security, storage, and the transition following decommissioning.
I respectfully request that the article be corrected to accurately reflect my position and remove the statement that I “oppose removal.”
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I appreciate the opportunity to clarify my position and ensure readers receive accurate information.
Editor’s note: The article has been corrected to reflect Wright Bourassa’s position on dam removal. In the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s transcript, Wright Bourassa asked that the structural and seismic studies of Scott and Cape Horn dams be made available to the public.
Wrong answer, the dams should remain until there is off-stream storage to replace them. Without water we have nothing.
Without any resevoirs, there is no water through summer. All I hear is dam removal words, but what no one is saying, is we are removing water storage and resevoirs, in two lakes & two rivers will suffer during summer. Lake Mendocino is a tourist draw & beautiful. It’s also another, water resevoir. Without Lake Pilsbury resevior, up north, no water, will flow, into Lake Mendocino or Eel River.
I wish representation, of this fact, would be present & fight for the common good, with our politicians. Water storage is crucial to life. If this was 8 to 9 years ago, at peak of horrific, drought. No politicians, would dare, take the dams and lakes away. Now we face a dry summer and they are allowing build up of water storage, as I type? Why? Because if they let it all go downstream, we would see the future of no dams. But if all that storage, where drained, there would be nothing….nothing, flowing at this time in any rivers. Think about that people. It’s not rocket science. It’s common sense. We need to store water. The Mayans did it, the Roman’s did it, all civilizations and cultures, have stored water, for the benefit of their communities.
It costs more to remove the dams, plus the environmental damage will be devastating!
The alternative is to spend less money to rehabilitate the dams, provide improved habitats/ladders for fish, and retain year round water!
I hope that Buffy will actually read all of these replies that are put up here. I don’t think she understands what the people are thinking that it will affect. Get out there beat them bushes and talk to the people. Isn’t that what we want here in Mendocino County? Be open and truthful from the very beginning with the people that you talk to and actually sit and listen to them instead of people like the supervisors of Mendocino County. I can tell you that a majority of people here in Mendocino County are sick and tired of our Board of Supervisors and the works that they’ve been doing now for a long time. We are not satisfied with them and we wished that instead of one or two seats coming open that we would be able to vote on every single seat in every single election. We are sick and tired of the old guys that have ruled the roost and sick and tired of their way of thinking because all they think about is their pocketbooks. I honestly myself do not think that tearing down the dam is the way to go because we do need the water that it holds and it has been proven time and time again during our fires and Lake County’s fires. Please thank everything through again from top to bottom and really dig deep as to what is actually happening inside these facilities and what would actually be best for all the people. Please think twice
This list of facts.
100 years.
Scott Dam, usable water storage is 65,000 to 66,876 acre-feet. Scott Dam, located on the Eel River in Northern California, was completed in 1922 to create Lake Pillsbury. Lake Mendocino, created by the Coyote Valley Dam near Ukiah, has a total reservoir storage capacity of approximately 122,000 to 122,500 acre-feet. Lake Sonoma, impounded by the Warm Springs Dam, has a total storage capacity of 381,000 acre-feet.
Using more than we need, not being sustainable nor thinking long term created what is today’s problem.
Winter storage, more efficient watering practices and management will result in a better outcome for the longterm future.