By: Scott Greacen Originally published by Econews, February 2014 See detailed timeline of correspondence and media coverage. Utility cites risk of sediment collapse; drained reservoir may run dry. A few people in the Russian River watershed still have a greater claim to the Eel’s water than do the river’s own salmon. After draining its reservoir … Read more
Friday, April 18, 2014 Katharine Carter, North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board 5550 Skylane Blvd, Suite A Santa Rosa, CA 95403 Via email to: Katharine.Carter@waterboards.ca.gov Re: Comments on the Public Review Draft 2012 Integrated Report Dear Regional Water Quality Control Board and Staff, Please accept the following comments on the Public Review Draft … Read more
By: Scott Greacen April 18, 2014 New Rules for Drying Times? Serial Variance Requests Reveal Vulnerability of Eel River Fisheries to Demands from Russian River Irrigators The Eel River’s surviving salmonids—chinook, coho, and steelhead—are struggling to come back from near-extinction. Good returns from 2010 to 13, particularly for chinook, felt like recovery might be getting … Read more
Sunday, February 2, 2014 Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 888 First Street, N.E. Washington, DC 20426 Re: Potter Valley Project (FERC No. 77) Temporary Urgent Request for Flow Variance Due to Limited Water Availability Dear Secretary Bose: Under the present extreme and extraordinary circumstances, Friends of the Eel River concurs that FERC … Read more
November 2103 Dear Friends of the Eel River, We’ve come around again to the end of the year. It’s a good time to take stock and look forward. I offer a few thoughts about what lies ahead, in faith you’ll support our work. The Eel River is poised on a tipping point. The sinuous skein … Read more
In mid-October 2013 three coffer dams were removed from the Salt River creating a new 300-acre tidal marsh area. The Salt River channel will benefit as the new tidal marsh area maintains the river’s width and depth, enhancing habitat and migratory conditions for Coho Salmon, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, and Coastal Cutthroat Trout. Humboldt … Read more
EcoNews October 2013 By Scott Greacen Under the latest so-called Cole memo, US Attorneys are directed to avoid marijuana prosecutions where there is a regulatory system in place that will keep pot away from kids, out of interstate commerce, and out of the hands of criminal organizations, among other specific measures. Of course, California does … Read more
Dan Rather interviews Friends of the Eel River Executive Director Scott Greacen in this episode of Rather Reports titled “Gone to Pot”, 10/21/2013. Download the full episode from itunes here.
July 2013 Dear Friends, We face a bunch of challenges in restoring the Eel River and her fisheries. At Friends of the Eel River, we are working hard to take on some of the toughest problems facing our beloved river. We sure could use your help. We have appealed a disastrous court ruling that could … Read more
After two good falls, a disastrous summer for fish. This year presents a deadly challenge for fish in the Eel River. A very dry winter, little relieved by sparse, late rains, yielded low flows even in spring. Flows were very low even before summer brought very high temperatures inland. These facts alone raise concerns for … Read more