The United States Army Corps of Engineers will undertake a study to address increased water storage in the Russian River watershed, according to the Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission.
Meanwhile, farmers in Mendocino, Lake, Sonoma, and Marin Counties have jointly appealed to President Donald Trump for urgent intervention in the planned decommissioning of the Potter Valley Project. This appeal, made on April 4th, occurred a week before the United States Army Corps of Engineers study was announced .
The farm bureaus of these four counties sent an April 4 letter to President Trump and several federal agencies, including the Departments of Energy, Interior, Agriculture, Homeland Security, and Commerce, as well as the Attorney General and Secretary of Defense. In the letter, they requested collective support and intervention in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) proceeding concerning the proposed decommissioning of Scott Dam, part of the Potter Valley Project.
The project, operated by PG&E, includes the Scott Dam, which creates Lake Pillsbury, and the downstream Cape Horn Dam, which forms the Van Arsdale Reservoir. For nearly 120 years, the project has diverted water to communities along the Russian River while generating electricity.
PG&E is required to submit its final decommissioning plans to FERC by July 29, 2025, which will include the removal of both dams and a new facility for diverting water from the Eel River to the Russian River to meet the needs of water users in Mendocino, Sonoma, and Marin Counties.
While a regional agreement has been reached to construct new infrastructure to maintain downstream water flows after decommissioning, the farm bureaus expressed significant concerns and unanswered questions regarding this plan.
Estelle Clifton, president of the Mendocino County Farm Bureau, acknowledged the sensitivities surrounding the project and expressed appreciation for the work of the Inland Water and Power Commission. She said the appeal to the U.S. president was not intended to undermine the work that has been done.
At the same time, the farm bureaus highlighted the importance of Lake Pillsbury to Lake County's infrastructure, economy, and public safety in their letter. The proposed “Two Basin Solution” that would be implemented by the decommissioning plan would cause the removal of Lake Pillsbury.
The farm bureaus also pointed out the contrast between the dam removal and President Trump’s Executive Orders emphasizing water infrastructure, energy security, and human safety. The removal of Scott Dam, they argue, threatens the region’s water accessibility, economic stability, and disaster preparedness.
The farm bureaus noted that Lake County was not included in the stakeholder meetings for the “Two Basin Solutions” or discussions for this plan, despite being directly impacted. They also raised concerns about the timing and seasonality of water availability under the new diversion plan, as well as the need for increased water storage. They emphasized that winter water availability is not useful without adequate storage and that the proposed infrastructure may take time to build after the dams are removed.
The farm bureaus are asking the Trump Administration to intervene and prevent FERC from approving PG&E’s decommissioning plan until a long-term solution is secured. They urged the Bureau of Reclamation to assume ownership and responsibility for the project, citing the agency's expertise in federal water management and dam operations. Additionally, they requested federal assistance in funding and regulatory relief for raising Coyote Dam as a crucial mitigation effort .
On April 11, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers signed an agreement with Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission and the Lytton Rancheria Tribe to evaluate various water supply storage options in the watershed including the potential to raise and modernize Coyote Valley Dam at Lake Mendocino.
You can find a copy of the letter sent by the Farm Bureaus in the new KZYX Discord Channel on Potter-Valley-Project-Decommissioning.
The channel is dedicated to a fact-based discussion about the decommissioning process and is open to the public to join.
Discord channel invite: https://discord.gg/HF58H5MN
