KMUD Environment Show: Dam Removal, Groundwater, and the Great Redwood Trail

An old railroad track stretching dangerously over open air along a hillside. The KMUD Redwood Community Radio logo is featured next to the text, "Tom Wheeler and Alicia Hamann talk dam removal, groundwater, and the Great Redwood Trail."

Tune into this recording from the KMUD Environment Show hosted by Tom Wheeler to hear our Executive Director Alicia Hamann discuss our most pressing initiatives at Friends of the Eel River: dam removal on the Eel River, protecting the public’s interest in groundwater, and planning for the Great Redwood Trail. This show aired live on … Read more

Update on Public Trust Groundwater Lawsuit

Disconnected surface flows showing brown, bare patches of land in between water.

In the fall of 2022 Friends of the Eel River filed suit against Humboldt County for failing to protect the public trust values of the Lower Eel River by managing groundwater use during critically dry years. The public trust doctrine is an ancient legal principle establishing that certain natural and cultural resources should be preserved … Read more

Save the Date: Eel River Dams Out in 2028!

We’re encouraged by the progress we are making toward Eel River dam removal. PG&E seems eager to rid themselves of this liability-ridden project. It’s our job to make sure dam removal comes in time to save the Eel’s native fish. With your support, Friends of the Eel River will keep the pressure on PG&E and … Read more

Keep Us On The Fast Track to Dam Removal

Dear Friends, For the last several years, I’ve been optimistically sharing that if everything fell perfectly into place, the Eel River Dams could be out of the river by 2030. We’ve just learned that my optimistic timeline may turn out to be realistic. People like you who keep our bills paid deserve huge credit. Please … Read more

A River of Opportunity

River of Opportunity, Eel River, Dam Removal, Potter Valley Project

The Eel is a river of opportunity. Seizing these opportunities can have impacts far beyond our watershed. When you support Friends of the Eel River, you are a part of precedent-setting litigation, helping shift the culture of unjust water management, and preserving habitat essential to protecting endangered species. Did you know that once the Potter … Read more

Friends of the Eel River Sues to Protect Public Trust Flows In The Lower Eel River

Salmon and steelhead among species affected when groundwater pumping causes drawdown of connected surface flows. Friends of the Eel River (FOER) has filed suit in Humboldt County Superior Court to secure protection for the public trust values at risk when groundwater pumping depletes surface flows in the Lower Eel River. First, FOER is asking the … Read more

Friends of the Eel River Notifies Humboldt County of Intent to Sue

Image of lower Eel River looking upstream. Blue sky contrasts the brown and green algae on the banks of the Eel River. The broad, shallow riffles on the left side of the photo as the river flows through a narrow pinchpoint (a point bar) and deepens near the center of the photo. Trees and mountains line the background.

Friends of the Eel River Notifies Humboldt County of Intent to Sue Conservation group demands Humboldt County protect fisheries and other public trust values in the lower Eel River Friends of the Eel River, a Eureka-based citizens’ group dedicated to protecting and restoring Eel River fisheries, has sent a formal letter to Humboldt County demanding … Read more

Celebrating Victories and Standing Up to Corporate Bullies

Dear Friends, Taking time to pause and celebrate victories is often challenging, but it is so good for the soul. So, I want to take a moment to shout from my metaphoric rooftop that we saved the North Coast from being poisoned by coal!! Maintain the momentum – please make a generous gift today and … Read more

FOER Comments on Humboldt County’s Draft Groundwater Sustainability Plan

Friday, December 24, 2021 Hank Seeman Humboldt County via email Re: Comments on Draft Groundwater Sustainability Plan Dear Hank and Groundwater Team: Thank you for the informative presentation on the draft GSP last Friday. The following brief notes and comments may help to improve the final plan. At this writing, several technical memos remain outstanding. … Read more

Working today for a better tomorrow

Dear Friend, Restoring fish access to the Eel River’s headwaters by removing the Potter Valley Project dams. Protecting the rare and spectacular summer steelhead. Safeguarding public trust values. Adapting to climate change and sea level rise. At Friends of the Eel River, we are working on some huge tasks these days, and are honored to … Read more