Feds sued again for allegedly causing infection of Klamath River salmon

Two federal agencies are the target of a second lawsuit alleging they violated the Endangered Species Act by allowing up to 90 percent of juvenile Klamath River coho salmon to become infected by an intestinal parasite in 2014 and 2015. “Rather than taking action to improve river conditions to recover endangered coho salmon, NOAA Fisheries … Read more

Balancing the Russian River on the Back of the Eel River

How would you manage the Russian River for sustainable water supplies and restored fisheries with no water taken from the Eel River? By: David Keller, Bay Area Director, Friends of the Eel River. Originally published in The Eel River Reporter 2013 The people and agencies who manage the Russian River have been using water diverted … Read more

Coho vs. Pinot

In July, roughly 1,000 rural Sonoma County residents overflowed classrooms and small meeting chambers at five informational sessions convened by the State Water Resources Control Board. It would be hard to exaggerate many attendees’ outrage. At one meeting, two men got in a fistfight over whether to be “respectful” to the state and federal officials … Read more

Turning Water into Wine

The unregulated growth of California’s wine industry in the state’s coastal regions is depleting groundwater supplies and devastating rivers and fisheries. By: Will Parish Published: May 27, 2015 in the East Bay Express Read article online in East Bay Express Along the border of Sonoma and Napa counties, roughly seven miles northeast of Santa Rosa, … Read more

Coho Recovery Plan Addresses Marijuana-Related Impacts

A long-anticipated federal recovery plan for coho salmon in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon[1] was released in its final form this September. The plan says the continuing decline of the South Fork Eel River’s population of coho must be reversed, and the watershed’s runs recovered, to meet the Endangered Species Act’s  goal of protecting the … Read more

Court Ruling Restores Right to Limit Russian River Water Use

A state appeals court has restored the authority of California water regulators to direct reductions in cold-weather sprays by grape growers and other waterfront farmers along the Russian River that have led to deaths of endangered species of salmon. A Mendocino County judge previously ruled that the state Water Resources Control Board lacked authority to … Read more

Reduced Flows Approved for Eel and Russian Rivers

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, owners of the Pottery Valley Project have requested and been granted permission from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to reduce flows to the main stem Eel River at Cape Horn Dam, from Lake Pillsbury at Scott Dam, and into the East Branch of the Russian River. This is a … Read more

Promising Salmon Run Needs Sufficient Water to Thrive

For Immediate Release: December 1, 2011 Contact: Severn Williams, 510-336-9566, sev@publicgoodpr.com   Request Made to Department of Fish and Game and National Marine Fisheries Service for Higher Flows on the Eel River Promising Salmon Run Needs Sufficient Water to Thrive   North Coast, Calif.  – With all signs pointing to a promising spawning year for imperiled salmonids on the … Read more

Comments to DFW & NMFS re: Urgent Request for Release of Water to Eel River

SHUTE  MIHALY & WEINBERGER LLP 396 HAYES STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102 T: 415 55 2-7272    F: 415 55 2-5816 www.smwl aw.com AMY J. BRICKER Attorney   October 26, 2011 Via U.S. Mail and Electronic Mail Chuck Bonham, Director California Department of Fish and Game 1416 Ninth Street, 12th Floor Sacramento, CA 95814 via email … Read more