PG&E has released their initial draft decommissioning plan for the Potter Valley Project. The plan calls for removal of both Scott and Cape Horn Dams, and provides a few options for consideration by stakeholders. This initial draft does not include environmental review, proposed license surrender conditions, or a conceptual restoration plan; those will come with … Read more
December 29, 2022 Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 888 First Street, NE Washington, D.C. 20426 Re: Potter Valley Project (P-77) Decommissioning Plan and Schedule Dear Secretary Bose, On behalf of the undersigned organizations, this letter conveys our concerns regarding the plan and schedule to file a surrender application for the Potter Valley … Read more
Friends of the Eel River on the Ecology Hour, KZYX Host: Anna Halligan Tuesday, March 22, 2022 7:00pm to 8:00pm The Ecology Hour features in-depth interviews with experts on every facet of Mendocino County’s diverse and spectacular natural world. Rotating hosts include Environmental Educator Hannah Bird, Restoration Biologist Anna Halligan, Scientists Bob Spies & Tim … Read more
Hold PG&E At Fault Underlying issues threatening Scott Dam Scott Dam’s proximity to the Bartlett Springs Fault is a major safety concern. The Bartlett Springs fault was not identified by geologists as “a regionally significant seismic source” until the 1980s, nearly sixty years after Scott Dam was constructed. Scott Dam is not only old, outdated, … Read more
Wednesday, October 27, 2021 President Marybel Batjer California Public Utilities Commission 505 Van Ness Avenue San Francisco, CA 94102 via electronic mail as feasible RE: Potter Valley Project Equipment Failure Dear President Batjer, This letter is meant to apprise you of important developments regarding PG&E’s Potter Valley Project (Project). The Project is a hydroelectric … Read more
Dams and the Consequences of Time Dam safety concerns of Scott Dam’s aging structure This year Scott Dam turned 100 years old, and as is the case with any century-old infrastructure, there are some concerns about its safety. Cape Horn Dam, 12 miles downstream, is 114 years old. Both were designed during a time when … Read more
In a setback to the Two Basin Partnership — which sought to gain control over the two fish-blocking dams on the Eel River — FERC denied a request for a delay by the coalition, damaging their chances at gaining control (and forestalling decommissioning of the dams). Friends of the Eel River think that this is … Read more
Between a Rock and Management Priorities – Immense Pressure on Scott Dam’s Questionable Foundation Of the many safety concerns at Scott Dam, the first we featured in our blog series was the uncertain quality of the bedrock and redesigned dam as discussed in Part 1: Design – What’s Wrong With This Picture? In this post … Read more
What is wrong with this picture? Looking below the surface at Scott Dam’s design Did you know Scott Dam was originally designed to run straight across the Eel River Canyon? So why is there an angle in Scott Dam? How does this design impact dam safety? Scott Dam, as we see it today, is a … Read more
There’s a proposal to remove the fish-blocking Scott Dam on the Eel River but looming problems still remain. Cape Horn Dam, just downstream of Scott Dam, technically allows for fish passage through its fish ladder–but that’s only when the ladder is properly functioning and the trouble is that fish often can’t use the ladder because it … Read more