My Word: PG&E Should Stay the Course on Eel River Dam Removal

My Word: PG&E Should Stay the Course on Eel River Dam Removal, Times-Standard By Alicia Hamann, Executive Director of Friends of the Eel River For over 120 years, Russian River water users have enjoyed a boost to their water supplies at the expense of the Eel River. PG&E’s Potter Valley Project uses two dams and … Read more

Great Redwood Trail Community Event

Come on out for the Great Redwood Trail Community Event on Saturday, October 14th, located at the Dyerville Overlook near Founder’s Grove, exit 663 off Highway 101. Friends of the Eel River, Humboldt Trails Council, and KEET TV are asking for volunteers to help with set-up, parking, waste management, and more. We’re also seeking organizations … Read more

Grant Funding for Habitat Improvement Projects Approved by Humboldt County Supervisors

On July 11 the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors authorized $543,000 in grant funding to 12 applicants for sediment-reduction projects in key salmon habitats. The Board also decided to, at a future meeting, allocate remaining funds to public works to complete additional high priority sediment reduction projects. This allocation is the final round for the … Read more

Flow Enhancement Projects on the South Fork Eel

 How do you improve the flow of a river? Just ask our friends at Salmonid Restoration Federation. On this week’s episode of the EcoNews Report host Alicia Hamann of Friends of the Eel River is joined by Dana Stolzman and Katrina Nystrom from Salmonid Restoration Federation, and Joel Monschke from Stillwater Sciences, for a … Read more

What’s That Fence In the River?

 This week on the EcoNews Report hosts Alicia Hamann from Friends of the Eel River and Tom Wheeler from EPIC discuss an experimental installation in the South Fork of the Eel River. Guests Marisa McGrew from the Wiyot Tribe’s Natural Resources Department and Gabe Rossi and Philip Georgakakos, both research scientists with UC Berkeley, … Read more

Fishing and Conservation Groups Sue PG&E over Harms to Salmon and Steelhead on Eel River

Fishing and Conservation Groups Sue PG&E over Harms to Salmon and Steelhead on Eel River Groups take legal action to reduce lethal impacts on imperiled fish from utility’s operation of outdated hydroelectric Potter Valley Project dams San Francisco — A coalition of five commercial fishing and conservation groups have filed suit in federal court charging … Read more

Action Alert: Protect Public Access to Fisher Road

Background Fisher Road has been used by the fishing community for nearly 100 years to access the Van Duzen River, a major tributary to the Eel. Last fall the southernmost property owners on the road asked Humboldt County to “vacate” the road, aka remove public access. Luckily we were able to put the brakes on … Read more

Friends of the Eel River Celebrates Most Endangered River Listing for California’s Eel River

Eel River America's 6th Most Endangered River

We are grateful that the Eel River has been selected by American Rivers as one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers®! The list features ten rivers at a crossroads with real opportunity in the coming year to address serious threats. In the Eel River, two dams owned by Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) block access to … Read more

Comments on PG&E’s Proposed Plan and Schedule

Free The Eel, Endangered Species Act, Dam Removal

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

Take Action: Help Preserve Public Trail and River Access

Background On November 8th Public Works brought a “Resolution to Summarily Vacate a Portion of Fisher Road (4G070) South of State Highway 36 in Hydesville” before the Board of Supervisors. This 0.8-mile section of road is located on one ranch and the property owners would like this section converted to a private road that will … Read more