Fish populations in the Eel River are severely depressed. Although the Eel River once boasted some of the best salmon runs in California, the river’s salmon and steelhead populations are all listed as threatened under the Federal Endangered Species Act. Water throughout the Eel River is listed as impaired under the Clean Water Act for excessive sedimentation and high temperatures. The river’s delta and estuary are also negatively affected by agricultural practices, sediment issues, and water quality.
While the lower Cape Horn Dam has a fish ladder, the taller Scott Dam, which creates Lake Pillsbury, blocks 150 miles of potential salmon and steelhead rearing habitat. It is the largest barrier to native salmonid habitat in the Eel watershed and likely the entire north coast.
The Eel represents perhaps the greatest opportunity in California to restore a watershed to its former abundance of wild salmonids.
With the dams facing the FERC relicensing process and PG&E’s recent decision to withdraw from that process as well as from their plans to auction of the Project, a unique opportunity presents itself for conservation organizations, including CalTrout, to steer the future of the Eel River toward robust fisheries and a healthy watershed. While the recent PG&E bankruptcy proceedings have complicated the situation, conservation organizations, water users including the Potter Valley Irrigation District and Sonoma Water, tribes and other stakeholders have been working together to find a two-basin solution and take a proactive, science-driven approach to the relicensing process. This two-basin approach would provide a solution that increases the flow of water in the Eel River, opens habitat above Scott Dam, and protects the interests of farmers, ranchers, wine growers and residents who rely on Russian River water.
Much research has been done to determine the best path forward for the Potter Valley Project that meets the needs of water users, landowners, and the ecosystem. From analyzing the water supply needs to evaluating fish passage technologies to working hard to put all of the necessary pieces together for a productive settlement with all the participating parties, stakeholders are exploring all options.
While the potential to remove Scott Dam is a distinct possibility given that FERC will likely require improvements in fish passage to bring it up to 21st century standards, all of the participating parties will have to work together to find a solution that will meet the diverse interests at the table. That being said, there are a number of emerging scenarios that could provide for the removal of Scott Dam while maintaining or increasing water security for Russian River water interests.
Pacific Gas & Electric (put up for auction in August 2018)
Eel River
1921
List of StakeholdersPG&E
Sonoma Water
Round Valley Tribe
Potter Valley Irrigation District
California Trout
Friends of the Eel
Trout Unlimited
CA Hydropower Reform Coalition
Visit PotterValleyProject.org for more information. Subscribe to CalTrout’s newsletter to receive updates on the project *Potter Valley Project Update – PG&E withdraws from relicensing and auction process – read their full statement and our response
Get Involved, Take Action!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.