For more than 100 years, Scott Dam and Cape Horn Dam have cut off the upper Eel River from the salmon and steelhead that once returned there by the hundreds of thousands. Scott Dam, 130 feet tall with no fish passage at all, backs up the river into Lake Pillsbury, while the shorter Cape Horn Dam downstream has only a poorly functioning fish ladder. Together they block access to the Eel's cold, high-elevation headwaters, exactly the kind of climate-resilient habitat salmon and steelhead need most as the region warms. The facility owner, PG&E, is seeking to remove the aging dams because they are not economically viable and no longer generate electricity.

In February 2025, CalTrout joined the Round Valley Indian Tribes, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Humboldt County, the Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission, Sonoma Water, and Trout Unlimited in signing a historic memorandum of understanding that lays out a path forward: support PG&E's removal of Scott and Cape Horn dams paired with a new, dam-free diversion facility that keeps water flowing to Russian River communities without a dam blocking the Eel. The agreement also transfers senior water rights to the Round Valley Indian Tribes and establishes a dedicated Eel River Restoration Fund.

Removing these dams would reopen nearly 300 miles of pristine habitat, make the Eel California's longest free-flowing river, and give salmon and steelhead a real shot at rebuilding populations that once numbered up to a million fish a year. The benefits reach people too: a 2023 economic study projects the project could generate more than 1,000 local jobs and up to $278 million in regional economic activity. With removal targeted to begin as early as 2028, this stands as one of the largest dam removal efforts in the country.