Aging Eel River dams headed for license surrender and decommissioning Today, PG&E’s license to operate the Potter Valley Project (PVP) expires. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) – the agency tasked with regulating hydropower projects – will now ask PG&E to surrender their license to operate the project and propose a plan to decommission it. … 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 Scott Dam is not only old, outdated, … Read more
September 9, 2021 Contact: Alicia Hamann, alicia(at)eelriver.org Scott Greacen, scott(at)eelriver.org Potter Valley Project Surrender and Decommissioning the Best Path for Eel River Fisheries The Two Basin Partnership should withdraw their Notice of Intent to relicense and support the quickest and surest path to dam removal on the Eel River. Friends of the Eel … Read more
A Much Bigger Problem – More ways poor design impacts dam safety at Scott Dam Decreased water storage, high temperatures, and evapotranspiration cause the sediment that has piled up in steep banks behind Scott Dam to dry out and slough off, threatening to irreparably clog the ‘needle valve’ which is the only way to release … Read more
For the seventh time over the past nine years, PG&E is requesting yet another flow variance at the Potter Valley Project due to limited water availability. As the utility explained to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), PG&E is cutting diversions to Potter Valley and the East Branch Russian River to roughly half those normally … Read more
On Feb 26, 2021 Friends of the Eel River filed documents with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) challenging a Commission order of Jan 28, 2021 for violations of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) at Cape Horn Dam, a component of PG&E’s Potter Valley Project. FERC’s order approved a Winter Operations Plan for a newly installed … Read more
Today’s filing proposes to remove Scott Dam, which would allow Eel River fish passage to their headwaters habitat for the first time in a century. That’s a start. But too many questions remain unresolved.
Friends of the Eel River has been evaluating the safety and reliability of Scott Dam for several years now. We continue to have serious concerns about structural integrity and seismic stability, as well as PG&E’s failure to evaluate and disclose such liabilities. Please read our letter below to key elected officials, an attempt to draw … Read more
In response to preventable disasters like the 2010 San Bruno pipeline explosion, Pacific Gas and Electric has insisted that they are committed to high safety standards. It’s now a decade, and several other disasters, later and the company has yet to prove that they are following through on their promise to “…remain forever committed to … Read more