Earlier this month PG&E announced they are putting their Potter Valley Project out to open bid this fall. This project consists of two dams– Van Arsdale Dam that diverts water to the Russian River for hydropower and other uses, and Scott Dam, the only fish passage barrier on the mainstem Eel blocking over 150 miles of salmon and steelhead spawning and rearing habitat.
CalTrout, Friends of the Eel River, Trout Unlimited, and other conservation and commercial fishery interests have a goal to remove Scott Dam and return fish to the upper Eel watershed. Returning salmon and steelhead to their historic home in the headwaters of the Eel is a critical part of our efforts to restore fish abundance back to the Eel River.
What does PG&E’s decision to put the Potter Valley Project up to bid mean? It means that any entity could bid to buy the project and operate the facility for hydropower or just for the benefits of diverting water to the Russian River, or both as is currently the case. This is not our preferred alternative.
In an effort to push stakeholders towards dam removal, CalTrout has helped facilitate a series of ad hoc meetings convened by Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA), which includes our conservation partners, PG&E, and Sonoma County Water Agency. Our hope is that through these conversations, the group of diverse interests can come to an agreement that includes the removal of Scott Dam.
Currently, CalTrout and partners are working to build the record of information to make the case for dam removal. To date we have established that there is at least 150 miles of spawning habitat above Scott Dam, we are working with a consultant to assess the feasibility and cost of removing Scott Dam, and we are in the process of assessing water rights.
Opportunities to remove big dams in California are few. Scott Dam on the Eel River represents one of the best opportunities in the state and PG&E’s announcement has helped move things along, hopefully in a positive direction for California’s salmon and steelhead.
To learn more about the Eel River and the opportunity for salmon and steelhead abundance once again, watch this film.
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Peter Moyle is the Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology and Associate Director of the Center for Watershed Sciences, at UC Davis. He is author or co-author of more than 240 publications, including the definitive Inland Fishes of California (2002). He is co-author of the 2017 book, Floodplains: Processes and Management for Ecosystem Services. His research interests include conservation of aquatic species, habitats, and ecosystems, including salmon; ecology of fishes of the San Francisco Estuary; ecology of California stream fishes; impact of introduced aquatic organisms; and use of floodplains by fish.
Robert Lusardi is the California Trout/UC Davis Wild and Coldwater Fish Researcher focused on establishing the basis for long-term science specific to California Trout’s wild and coldwater fish initiatives. His work bridges the widening gap between academic science and applied conservation policy, ensuring that rapidly developing science informs conservation projects throughout California. Dr. Lusardi resides at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and works closely with Dr. Peter Moyle on numerous projects to help inform California Trout conservation policy. His recent research interests include Coho salmon on the Shasta River, the ecology of volcanic spring-fed rivers, inland trout conservation and management, and policy implications of trap and haul programs for anadromous fishes in California.
Patrick Samuel is the Conservation Program Coordinator for California Trout, a position he has held for almost two years, where he coordinates special research projects for California Trout, including the State of the Salmonids report. Prior to joining CalTrout, he worked with the Fisheries Leadership & Sustainability Forum, a non-profit that supports the eight federal regional fishery management councils around the country. Patrick got his start in fisheries as an undergraduate intern with NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources Division in Sacramento, and in his first field job as a crew member of the California Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Wild and Heritage Trout Program.