Submit a comment about the future of dams on the Eel River.
The Eel River needs our help. Two dams (Cape Horn and Scott) on the upper mainstem of the river, known as the Potter Valley Project, block fish access to important high elevation habitat. Volitional passage of salmon and steelhead to prime upstream spawning and rearing habitat is a necessary step to recovery of salmonid abundance in the Eel River.
The Potter Valley Project is now up for re-licensing through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which is a great opportunity for stakeholders (that means us!) to submit comments on how we want this process to go.
Specifically, we are disappointed that FERC failed to include decommissioning in their scoping notice as an alternative for detailed study. They claimed that the Eel River dams are “a viable, safe, and clean renewable source of power and consumptive water to the region.” We do not agree. Dam decommissioning and removal needs to be an alternative fully analyzed in the FERC process. Therefore, we recommended studying options for partial or complete removal, e.g., lowering Scott Dam or replacing Cape Horn dam with a different diversion facility or seasonal dam.
Deadline: FERC requires comments be submitted by August 4th; you can do it online or through the mail (see below for address and sample). *Include docket # P-77-285 in your comment.* Please feel free to use our sample letter below, or use our language in this post to help write your comment. Reach out to us if you’d like more information.
We remain hopeful for a collaborative resolution of the proceeding given the close relationships, goodwill, and talent that can be assembled by stakeholders.
The time is now to take major steps towards rehabilitation of our inland fisheries to support our anadromous fish populations in California, which includes opening up additional fish habitat beyond existing fish barriers, i.e., dams. The Eel River represents California’s best opportunity to restore wild fish abundance, and we need your help to fulfill this vision. Make your voice heard, submit your comments today.
Submit online or mail comments to:
Kimberly Bose, Secretary
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20426
*Include docket # P-77-285 in your comment*
Sample comment:
Dear Secretary Bose,
I have several concerns about relicensing the Cape Horn and Scott Dams on the upper mainstem Eel River. FERC should reissue the Scoping Document to include decommissioning and dam removal as an alternative for detailed study in the Environmental Impact Study. This project entails significant and lasting environmental effects on the Eel River, and does not match what the Scoping Document describes as a “viable, safe, and clean renewable source of power and consumptive water to the region.” Scott Dam and Cape Horn Dam block fish access to important high elevation habitat. To recover Eel River fisheries, the best options for fish passage (including the option to remove the obstacles) need to be studied.
Sincerely,
(your name)
