The fight to save Lake Pillsbury took center stage at the February 25, 2026, Lake County Board of Supervisors meeting, as officials urged PG&E and state and federal agencies to reconsider the planned decommissioning of Scott Dam. Frustrated by years of exclusion from key water policy discussions, Supervisors Eddie Crandall and Bruno Sabatier warned that losing the reservoir could have dire consequences—threatening water security for 600,000 people, crippling local agriculture, and increasing wildfire risks. With PG&E’s final surrender application pending, Lake County leaders are demanding answers, accountability, and a seat at the table before it’s too late.
The Lake County Board of Supervisors discussed PG&E’s plan to abandon the Potter Valley Project, and how that would affect Lake County and Lake Pillsbury. Supervisor Eddie Crandall said “There’s never been any proper discussion about what would happen if we didn’t decommission Scott Dam.”
Referring to the MOU approved February 11th by the Eel Russian Project Authority JPA that’s been working with PG&E to be part of the FERC process, Supervisor Bruno Sabatier said “I believe there are some big misconceptions about what’s happening in Lake County. . . .We’ve been denied multiple times to be part of the conversation. . . .” going back to 2021.
With the original Two Basin Solution and the Russian River Water Forum, Lake County Supervisors say they were denied every time they asked to make a presentation. They were finally given an opportunity to present a video presentation at the October 5, 2023 meeting. The video presentation was summarized in MendoFever’s coverage of that meeting:
Lake County Supervisors Eddie EJ Crandall and Bruno Sabatier showed a video and spoke on the regional benefits of Lake Pillsbury, which they say stores water to support agriculture worth $743 million per year, and supplies drinking water from the Potter Valley Project to 600,000 people downstream in inland Mendocino, Sonoma, and Marin Counties. They estimate it could cost as much as $1 billion to remodel the Potter Valley project and restore habitat of the upper Eel River.
Sabatier said “The fire season is longer by 75 days. . . .It’s very real what we’re experiencing, let’s not fight about what we’re experiencing.” Speaking of water storage, “Right now we have a known quantity. We’re choosing to throw that away and move forward as if it’s a foregone conclusion rather than continuing to have the conversation.”
In the video, Lake County’s Tax Collector, Patrick Sullivan, said “We need a solution that demonstrates concern for Lake County. There is a potential loss of over $40 million in property values, with resulting property taxes, sales tax, occupancy tax, and other entities paying taxes. . . . PG&E should be responsible for the costs, but there is already effort to evade responsibility.” Comprehensive restoration costs could exceed costs of dam removal. Adding fish passage might have been more cost effective. Lake County will face a loss of revenue, an increased burden on a rural county already strained.
Crandall is seriously concerned about fire danger after talking to fire-fighting hotshots who said they need Lake Pillsbury as a water source during fires. The fire retardant that’s dropped from planes has been the subject of lawsuits, and if CalFire is prohibited from using the fire retardant, then the lake water becomes critical.
Crandall wants to know if PG&E is going to restore the habitat. The state has billions to build new water storage. Why remove existing water storage?
Sabatier said “Lake County is here to plead” for more studies before moving forward. Lake Pillsbury is in Lake County, yet the RRWF is issuing press releases, and making plans without consulting Lake County.
Sabatier said “We all know the power of PG&E. . . . Currently PG&E is requesting a rate increase while they plan to do the least possible.” Lake County forgave PG&E $20 million in fines after the fires. The utility uses lawyers to its advantage, for example the transfer assets to a new entity called Pacific Generation. Sabatier added, “This is something we have to keep an eye on so they can’t sneak away without liability.”
Crandall, replied that as a member of the Robinson Rancheria Tribe, he can empathize with Eel River interests’ need to be made whole, but “We would think the headwaters would be as important as the rest of the Eel River.” He thanked the group for listening to each other with respect and concluded, “PG&E just basically threw the piece of meat on the ground and are expecting everyone to fight over it.”
Sabatier said that water availability and fish passage to their spawning grounds does not have to be a binary choice. During the Two Basin Solution talks several years ago, the cost of building a fish passage at Scott Dam was estimated to be $80 million. The current cost estimate to decommission Scott Dam is $500 million, and that does not account for restoration of the land behind the dam. Sabatier called the restoration plans “nebulous” saying “It doesn’t exist on paper, yet we are told these things will come. We are very cautious about how to move forward.”
Crandall said in the Two Basin and RRFW discussions going back years, Lake County representatives were able attend, but were outnumbered by Eel River and Russian River Groups “20 or 30 to 1.”
Now there are plans to build a new dam for Potter Valley as the only option to store water in the summer or during a drought. Many in Lake County feel that it is counterproductive and expensive to tear down a dam just to build a new one. Sabatier’s two biggest concerns are the fact that Lake Pillsbury has been used for fire mitigation, and water availability during droughts. During a severe drought, such as experienced from 2018 to 2021, there may not be enough water flowing in the Eel River to be able to divert.
Lake County Supervisors have drafted letters to Governor Newsom, and to Federal government cabinet members newly appointed by President Trump, asking for a place at the table, and pointing out that decommissioning a dam will violate both Newsom and Trump administrations’ executive orders on water storage.
PG&E submitted its final draft Surrender Application on January 31. March 3 is the last day for public comment. The Lake County BOS have also drafted a response to PG&E. They also plan to comment to FERC when PG&E files its final Surrender Application. The letters are available at this link.
Lake County hired consultants SLR to study the matter. Deputy County Administration Officer Matthew Rothstein reported that SLR conducted a review of PG&E’s draft surrender application. SLR recommends that PG&E incorporate Lake County tax data into their analysis. PG&E’s application states that the community way of life at Lake Pillsbury is going to be adversely affected when the dams are removed. PG&E should compensate those affected, also taking into account the loss of tax revenue to the county.
County Treasurer-Tax Collector Patrick Sullivan said PG&E’s final draft application does not include a plan to restore Lake County, yet it includes plans for riparian restoration for Humboldt County.
SLR analyzed the number of times PG&E referred to “unavoidable consequences” in its plan to decommission Scott Dam. It is estimated that there are more than 20 mentions of unavoidable impacts. Crandall called this a red flag, and said “We want those addressed before this moves forward.”
Supervisor Helen Owen expressed concerned about the sludge and the possible death of fish due to the pollution that will be stirred up when the dam is decommissioned.
Jason Taormino, PG&E’s Local Government Affairs Representative, gave a very brief, generic public statement, saying, “We’ve had lots of meetings, and I will continue to advocate.”
Nikcole Whipple, a member of the Round Valley Indian Tribes, and strong supporter for removing the dams, said tribal rights take precedence to the Eel River water, and questioned the BOS advocacy on behalf of Lake Pillsbury. Speaking as a Lake County resident, Whipple said “You can’t even take care of this lake [Clear Lake]. I can’t even drink my water from the tap. It’s a bacteria infested cesspool.”
Amanda Martin, Executive Director Lake County Chamber of Commerce, said, “This process will shape our economy for years to come. It’s unfair and short sighted to exclude Lake County.”
The Lake Pillsbury Alliance has been vocal in supporting Lake County’s interests. Carol Cinquini said, “PG&E is not under any obligation to forward our comments to FERC,” and we must keep on top of this.
Crandall said, “In no way do I have ill will towards the other side. They are doing what they need to do.” PG&E is not covered by the Brown Act that says government meetings must be open to the public, making it difficult to get information.
Lake County needs to allocate time and resources to prepare for the significant changes ahead. Siskiyou County’s experience on Klamath River Dam removal effort demonstrates that the failure to proactively plan for residents, recreational users, and local wildlife can lead to a loss of benefits. Resources would be better spent planning future restoration efforts in the upper basin and developing new recreational opportunities. Putting pressure on PG&E to pay for mitigations should be a priority. Convincing the Mendocino Land Trust that holds the conservation easement on the property to make changes that would allow for appropriate restoration is also essential.
The fire fighting capabilities in the Lake Pillsbury area certainly must be addressed and mitigated for, ideally by PG&E. However, the greater regional firefighting efforts are minimally reliant on Lake Pillsbury. CalFire Chief and Director, Joe Tyler, has stated to Congressman Mike Thompson that removing Scott Dam will not negatively impact Cal Fire’s ability to fight fires in the region.
While some fish of both native and non-native species will certainly die as a result of dam removal, these impacts are significantly smaller than having abandoned dams on the landscape or worse yet, the catastrophic losses expected from a sudden dam failure caused by a large earthquake. Two modest earthquakes occurred in the Lake Pillsbury basin this week. A fish ladder would not solve the problems of dam stability.
Lake County needs to be prepared to make the most of the changes that dam removal will provide.
Deb,
You may not have been a Sierra Club member decades ago when a club newsletter had an article on the various PG&E hydroelectric projects in California. The thing that caught my eye at the time, since I had just moved from the Bay Area to live in Mendocino County on the Eel River, was this statement. “~The Potter Valley Project, of all the PG&E hydroelectric projects, is the only one that meets the needs of all the many people that use it, whether for power, water use, fish habitat, or recreation. At that time fire was not the threat it is today.
As to fire and Lake Pillsbury, the lake itself may seem like a small item to some for-fire protection, but the Eel River from Scott Dam to the Pacific Ocean is a very big deal in the late Summer, and Fall for fire protection. Cal Fire has identified on their charts all the various pools in the river helicopters can safely get water from. This water will not be available without Lake Pillsbury, as like all North Coast Rivers, it will go dry during these fire prone months.
As to your comment about “a sudden dam failure caused by a large earthquake”. If that’s the case, shouldn’t we be asking PG&E for their records on the maintenance of Scott Dam? The California Division of Safety of Dams classifies dams as: 1- Satisfactory, 2- Fair, 3- Poor, and 4- Unsatisfactory. Scott Dam is rated next to the top – Fair. Remove Scott Dam? Why? PG&E has said that the dam is not seismically safe. Where’s the evidence of that statement?
Let’s do the right thing for everyone and keep this project in safe working order, less PG&E and it’s power generation.
The evidence of seismic risk is withheld from the public because of national security concerns. I suspect that you know that and are just a fine rhetorician. The sudden bend in the dam, not originally designed for, is inherently a high potential failure point. Under stress materials fail at discontinuous points (it’s why the most likely failure point on a bolt is at the head and why you crease paper to tear a straight line).
Deb, the problem with the Cal-Fire response to Mike Thompson is that Cal-Fire failed to mention that Lake Pillsbury is not within its State Responsibility Area. While it may not affect their ability to fight fires in their area of responsibility, it sure as hell will affect response times when called upon by the Forest Service for mutual aid.
Yes, I know. That’s why it’s so important that PG&E mitigate for that as much as possible with storage tanks, wells, or whatever is needed to provide for your protection. I just don’t see this process being stopped. I know you have enjoyed generations of use of Lake Pillsbury and it is completely understandable to want to preserve that. But, change is inevitable. Seems prudent to be prepared as well as possible.
Deb,
My guess is you do not own property in or near the eel river. And that you are not very well vered in how fire suppression works. You cannot fill an airplane or helicopter with water from a storage tank! That is why the lake is so critical to fire suppression. Your comment that change is inevitable is insane. Change needs to be scrutinized and thus far no one has challenged PG&E and now people are finding out what this insane plan will do to their community and they are not happy. How would you like it if someone came in and took away your home? Your comments are totally unrealistic, uninformed and hardly worth reading in my opinion.
This is the best comment on here. Lake and Mendo county should be getting ready for the changes coming down the road. Wines sales are down in 2024 and in 2025. Perhaps these counties should try for different economics other than the AG industry which relies heavily on subsidies in one form or another. Expand the colleges and hire educated people for the services needed for this aging community. The gov’t bodies need them and so does the medical community here. Heck, you might get more businesses started here.
Ms. Sally
You’re 100% misinformed with regards to fire mitigation. Without the lake in place 2018 and 2020 fires would not have been stopped. What CalFIre is referring to is that they will make plans to continue to cover the Mendocino National Forest if the lake is removed. Ask anyone in the fire protection community if they would prefer to have a lake to stop the fire and fight the fire and you will get 100% agreement that they prefer to have the lake in place!
Both the Redwood Valley Fire and the Ranch Fire started in Potter where all that water was available to stop the fires. The Ranch Fire (2018) burned a huge swath of the Mendocino National Forest well beyond lake Pillsbury. Dirt and fire are what stop wildland fires. Water sometimes helps shape the burn.
The wildland interface is best protected by engines with adequate water supply, defensible construction and vegetation management. 2,003 acres of surface and 86,400 acre feet of water are not needed. Lack of defensible space and structures are the responsibility of the vacation cabin owners.
Bruce,
Apparently another comment from someone that does not want to allow the facts to ruin his opinion. LPFD, CalFire, Fed Hot Shots and countless ground support firefighters fought the Ranch fire in 2018. They were supported by air support for days and days aircraft and helicopters running thousands and thousands of trips to support the massive effort with Bull Dozers and other heavy equipment cutting lines to stop the fire along many routes. Millions of gallons of water were doused on that fire alone. There was a 24/7 team of people filling water trucks to support the ground support. You must be insane if you think that “defensible space” maintenance will stop a forest fire. We personally saw first hand how homes can be destroyed in minutes despite all efforts from the professional organizations.
Also, like most of the other advocates you exaggerate the facts to make your story sound better. 86,400 acre feet has not been seen at Pillsbury in eons. Current level as of 3/23/25 was 58,104 and when I drove by the dam on friday the water was still pouring over the gates so it sure isn’t getting much higher, no where near the 86.400 you quote. The community of the Lake Pillsbury basin have used that lake to contain fires for years and removing it will result in significantly more challenging and less successful firefighting efforts in the years after if they tear down the dam, that is a FACT.
How many of those acre feet are needed for firefighting? How many acres burned in the Ranch fire beyond Lake Pillsbury? How many acres burned beyond Potter Valley with all of its water? How many residents live in the community of Lake Pillsbury (by that I mean those that have it as their primary residence– drivers license, voter registration)?
I have worked in the Fire/Industrial complex. The biggest dangers are poor forestry, excessive fire suppression and vulnerable buildings in inappropriate vegetation. There were days when some helicopter backup made a little more risk acceptable. Once, after I moved on from firefighting, I saw a town saved by airtankers that came from 40 miles away. That fire was accelerated into the town by irresponsible property owners’ poor vegetation management. Largely the air support is used to make bad risks look better, whether they are the risks taken by homeowners, greedy or incompetent foresters, or firefighters being heroic. Other than the fun of big paychecks, pats on the back, exercise and adrenaline, wildland firefighting was more destruction than ecosystem management. I’ve heard from someone close to the Ranch Fire that there were some decisions early on that led to its extensive spread. I’ve moved back into prescribed and cultural fire in the last few years even though it’s mostly volunteer work
[…] “The fight to save Lake Pillsbury took center stage at the February 25, 2026, Lake County Board of Supervisors meeting, as officials urged PG&E and state and federal agencies to reconsider the planned decommissioning of Scott Dam. Frustrated by years of exclusion from key water policy discussions, Supervisors Eddie Crandall and Bruno Sabatier warned that losing the reservoir could have dire consequences—threatening water security for 600,000 people, crippling local agriculture, and increasing wildfire risks. With PG&E’s final surrender application pending, Lake County leaders are demanding answers, accountability, and a seat at the table before it’s too late. The Lake County Board of Supervisors discussed PG&E’s plan to abandon the Potter Valley Project, and how that would affect Lake County and Lake Pillsbury. Supervisor Eddie Crandall said “There’s never been any proper discussion about what would happen if we didn’t decommission Scott Dam.” … ” Read more from MendoFever. […]
Congressman Jared Huffman has secured a $500,000 Federal Grant to facilitate the planning of building a new and higher Coyote Dam on the East Fork of the Russian River at Lake Mendocino. The new dam will allow the capture of more of the Winter Diversion of the Eel River for supplementing Russian River flows during Summer and Fall months.
Frank,
All comments about a NEW HIGHER Coyote Dam for more water in Lake Mendocino are bolstering something that will never happen. This idea is designed to help PG&E tear down the Potter Valley Project. It will not help the people in Potter Valley, or all the people living on or near the Eel River between Scott Dam and the Pacific Ocean.
There’s a simple answer to the water problem this is trying to address. Keep the Potter Valley Project as it is, but without PG&E and the power generation.
Both you and the Sonoma County Water Agency were free to buy the “Potter Valley Project” along with its liabilities. PG&E offered it for sale and no one, including you and the County of Lake, offered to buy and maintain it with their own money.
I thought Sonoma Clean Power was a trojan horse set up to buy the power license and to continue, as PG&E has since the 60s, to continue the power production for favors from the state in other matters (including being let of the hook for fires). I’ve talked to them and they want nothing to do with the PVP. Even the PVID with all of their wealth from free water did not see fit to risk all of their assets to keep the water flowing, thought they’d get everybody else to keep paying for it.
Wow $500,000.
What a guy.
Mike Thompson is our congressman and Huffman is not. Thompson is fighting to save the Lake and Huffman wants all dams in CA removed. He’ll never get that money to the Lake County people!
According to PG&E’s own studies, Lake Mendocino will go dry 6 out of 10 years not including drought conditions. The removal of this dam will destroy your county, severely damage this region both environmentally and economically, and is irreversible. I encourage you to read the studies with your own eyes and understand what people Huffman are doing. You are advocating for your own demise.
This region was thriving before the dams. Bring em down.
This region was thriving before the dams. Bring em down.
Want to improve Lake County? Clean up all the meth heads.
The cost estimate for the fish passage in this article is grossly outdate and an underestimate. Installing an acceptable fish passage would cost at least as much as decommissioning.
Richard, Cost is a factor and one that deserves full transparency. The true cost of decommissioning the Eel River dams is likely to exceed $2 billion dollars, and here’s why:
$500M+ Removal of Scott Dam and Cape Horn Dam.
$630M potential cost of new water infrastructure in Potter Valley, including a pump-back system to pump water from Lake Mendocino back to Potter Valley. (Jacobs report estimates)
$50M to construct the New Eel Russian Facility (MOU to advance water diversion agreement)
$50M for Phase 1 Eel River Restoration (MOU to advance water diversion agreement)
$100M for Phase 2 Eel River Restoration (MOU to advance water diversion agreement)
$200M for projects to enhance water supply reliability in the Russian River basin (MOU to advance water diversion agreement)
None of the above takes into account restoration of the Lake Pillsbury basin area, mitigation, long term monitoring, nor does it appear to factor in debt service on bonds and interest, which could double the costs in some cases.
Richard – Facts are kind of important to most of us. Apparently not to you. The study done less than 5 years ago offered a solution at a cost of $60M. Decommissioning will cost more than $500M and the resulting follow up restoration and litigation etc. will be probably at least that much. Where did you get a proposal for a fish passage solution that exceeded any of these facts?
Richard, you are an adult writing for the world to see that to build a fish ladder would cost the same as removing an entire dam? Please be serious with your words.
Carol, thank you for taking this seriously.
It is bad enough that Lake County is a forgotten county. Are the objections to keeping our dams and rivers due to wanting Lake County to just disappear? You are trying to take away the way of life for residents and tourists. Politics keep your mouths and hands out of what you know nothing about.
YOUR IN CALIFORNIA.
DON’T EXPECT SANE, RATIONAL, DECISIONS.
THEY ARE NOT GOING TO REBUILD THE DAM.
SELL ALL AND ESCAPE WHILE YOU CAN STILL FIND BUYERS
Absolutely, ridiculous. They’re even thinking about removing these dams, what happens in a drought? Where are we going to have water lake? Sonoma provides water south of petaluma to marin county. these lakes provide fire protection, flood protection, water storage, drought protection, and normal flows for the russian river valley. stop the removal of these dams!
THEY ARE NOT GOING TO BUILD ANY NEW DAMS.
BEFORE SCOTT DAM COMES DOWN
I suggest a trial run to “Save The Salmon”. A test if you will, to actually gauge the survive-ability of fish in the warm tributaries above Lake Pillsbury.
If the USFWS honestly believe that fish will survive and return in the tributaries above Lake Pillsbury I suggest the following.
1. Develop a comprehensive eradication plan for the Pike Minnow, regardless the outcome. Is the current Plan being used on the South Fork working??
2 Set up a hatchery just below Scott Dam. Collect the eggs from all fish reaching that point in the river and hatch them. Plant them in all of the available streams above the dam. We have done this in the past at numerous times and places on the Eel River. There is recorded evidence that the program was extremely successful. The first was between 1897 and 1916, the Hatchery was on Price Creek a few miles upstream of Ferndale. After this, one was operated on Steelhead Creek located between Fort Seward and Alder Point and operated until 1942 and shut down because of the war. It worked then, why not now?
3. When appropriate, collect them and return them below the dam.
AND OR
4. Rear the eggs and when appropriate release them back into the river to return to the ocean as normal. Monitoring of progress required.
5. I have reviewed a copy of the 2024 Eel River Watershed Restoration and Conservation Program. The leaders are California Trout, Stillwater Sciences and Applied River Sciences. The technical advisory committee: NOAA, NMFS, USFS, BLM, UC Berkeley, CDFW, Wiyot Tribe and the Eel River Forum participants. This comprehensive plan does not have to wait for the removal of Scott Dam. Thousands of miles of prime habitat need your help now! Check it out. http://www.caltrout.org
By; Steven Elliott and Roy Branscomb
PO Box 218
Potter Valley, CA 95469
I checked out your website for the 2024 Eel River Watershed Restoration and Conservation Program. It’s not there. Could you send me a link to it?
In your post you recognize many important things you “could have done” over the past – why haven’t you done any of them?
Just to refresh your memory. The Lake Pillsbury fork of the Eel River only represents 20% of the entire flow of the Eel River at the Pacific Ocean. Why haven’t you come up with some numbers on the other forks of the Eel Rive? I”m sure it would open your eyes to the fact that this fork is just like the rest, subject to climate change and things outside of the river system.
“. . . warm tributaries above lake Pillsbury.” Would you be referring to “Cold Creek” or one of the others bearing rainbow trout? Several of these have been found to contain rainbow trout that are descendant of Summer Steelhead from before the dams, fish that require extensive cold summer pools with consistent flow. I’ve walked Corbin, Anderson, Rattlesnake, headwaters of the Eel and Hull Creek. I’ve had summer temperature gauges on four of them; all of them are cold. Cold Creek, on the other hand, is d__n cold.
I worked professionally on the North Coast fisheries and forestry issues for over a decade before retiring from CDFG (now CDFW). The reason PG&E lost money on the Potter Valley project was the listing of salmonids in the Endangered Species Act. Instead of deflecting water toward their generators, PG&E had to use dam water to flush young of the year fish downstream past predators as ordered by the USFWS. The reason the downstream fisheries are in trouble is because of timber harvest sediment dislodged by storms choked spawning gravels. Without a Scott Dam headwaters lake available to facilitate fish passage downstream until the channel is restored, removing the dam is counter productive. Lets rethink this situation.
Lake County is in what state? News coverage is a joke now days. Bunch of idiots?
We can’t win
We should face the hard truth
This is California, nice place but the politics suck
We will win of we can work together.Come join us at the Regional Town Hall to discuss the path forward Thursday March 20th 6pm Cloverdale Veterans Hall.
It seems to me that in this era of wildfirestorms that can and do occur all year long that eliminating Lake Pillsbury would be very unwise. PG&E must be held accountable! A lawsuit by all potentially affected counties should be filed asap.
Am I living in another universe, or do fish pay taxes. People need to come first. How wonderful if would be to reset the land of California back before 1849?
What’s next? Bring back the grizzly bears? The people of California, shouldn’t suffer needlessly to restore ancient habitat. This land doesn’t belong to Native Americans anymore, but the United States of America. And, truthfully with their lack of concern for the impact on the removal of these dams, towards their fellow Californians, they should feel ashamed.
Just a relevant note; I am an enrolled member of an Alaskan Native tribe. So as the world has moved on from the 19th century, so does the Native Americans willing to destroy modern civilization. Our tribe doesn’t consist of a few hundred, but to millions.
Take note of the Klamath River dams take-down disaster.
Tribal interests for sure, but they can’t take precedence in a parochial way over those of Lake County and society and the public as a whole, something Supervisor Crandell, as a tribal leader himself, realizes. Moreover, water quality issues with Clearlake are all the more reason to not eliminate Lake Pillsbury as an additionsl water source. Lake County should consider initiating legal action to block this misguided project that will have negative impacts for all of us, tribal and non-tribal, alike.
Before any decisions are made concerning the removal of Scott Dam, the environmental and financial implications of the dam removals on the whole Klamath watershed should be reviewed to determine the “real” costs and benefits of the dam decision.
2026 is still a year away! Did you take a time machine, to write this story?
The truth is PG&E only cares about profit. Not fish or water substanability. Citizens United gave corporations carte blanche to buy politicians. PG&E lawyers & Tribal lawyers are looking for the deal. PG&E abandons dam…Tribe believes it gets more water flow up Eel but now a future of to sell the (excess?) water to the counties that have water now? What makes no sense is when water just runs off to ocean….no salmon pools will survive heat of August thru Sept or survive certain future droughts. So what’s really behind this….a large company not paying for its neglect of infrastructure it built & politicians that are not asking them to restore the dam they built. The rest is a smoke sceen…a distraction & usary of nature as it’s motive.
PG&E offered it for sale. You were free to buy it, as were Lake County and Sonoma County Water. No one thought it worth risking all of their own assets to maintain this project
There’s a lot of blame to go around. The fact is PG&E has not maintained the dams they own, or the old electric transformer system they own, which has caused huge fires that have killed many. They have poisoned people, like in Hinckley. They make huge profits and are frequently gifted rate changes raising our costs multiple times a year. They don’t care about our water woes or the fish. They haven’t made a profit from the hydroelectric plant. It’s all about their profits.
It’s a disaster to demolish the infrastructure that we have, with the water that’s so precious to all of us.
Please rethink this ill-planned idea before it’s too late. Too many people rely on this water.
Accountability is crucial in projects like this, especially when they impact local communities and the environment. It’s good to see Lake County pushing for transparency in PG&E’s dam removal process. Hopefully, a fair and responsible solution is reached that balances ecological concerns with community needs.
Eliminating a source of water storage capacity In this region is nearly insane. I think we all remember what drought years are like. Every drop matters.
Pillsbury holds 60% the volume of Lake Mendocino.
The Two Basin supposed solution will do absolutely nothing for the key and guaranteed future dry years. It would only provide water during undefined heavy winter flows. Those are not existent in dry years. Climate change, right??
Nothing is a substitute for water storage. Nothing.
The idea of building a new replacement dam is preposterous. Where exactly would that be located, and what water source would fill it?
These unrealistic ideas are tossed out to try to trick people into agreeing to eliminate Pillsbury.
I’m not sure I agree with the statement that 20% of the Eel river’s flow at the ocean come from the main stem. The more important figure would be much comes from the tiny amount of the river behind Scott dam. The dam is located far upstream. There’s not a great deal of habitat behind it for fish. What additional percentage would be added really?
It appears the state Is fully behind the dam removal already.
The answer has to come from Trump and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. Lake Pillsbury is contained entirely within the Mendocino National Forest, Seems like the Feds should have some input in this.
The Army Corps of Engineers is also responsible for water releases from Lake Mendocino.
Slightly related..
For anyone who is not aware, after 20+ years of planning and appeals, California is now beginning construction of a new dam and reservoir in Colusa County, neighboring Lake County.
It will submerge the very tiny village of Sites.
Not a drop of that water is destined for Northern California. 100% of it will be pumped into the California Water Project and sent to our South. Literally none of it will be used anywhere in Northern California. It only comes from here.
The water first has to be pumped uphill to get into the canal heading South.
I imagine the electric pumps required to do that will make use of PG&E’s plentiful and cheap surplus electricity (smirk).
It will be known as the Sites Reservoir and have 1.5 million acre feet of water, about the same size as Lake Berryessaa. Larger than Folsom or Almanor.
By comparison, Pillsbury is 75k acre feet. But that water actually gets used in our own region.
It would be insult to injury to tear down our small reservoir while building a gigantic new, to benefit only Southern California.
Former CA Dem Governor Brown apparently has land bordering the new reservoir. Maybe he can build a new boat dock. While they try to tear down the existing ones at Pillsbury (if there are any left, since they quit filling Pillsbury already).
SAVE LAKE PILLSBURY!!!! I don’t care about the financial cost of removing the dam or building a fish ladder. Do whatever needs to be done to save the lake, and to save a way of life for thousands of people who visit the lake and hunt and recreate there every year and all the people that live there and have businesses around the lake. Dam removal will be the biggest mistake our region has ever made, but it will take years and years for the left to realize this, that they made a mistake. Fish can’t swim in a dry river bed, and adding a few more miles of headwaters of spawning ground is not going to save the salmon either. This is just complete madness. How many times do I have to repeat myself? Write letters to President Trump is my recommendation. I have written several already asking him to intervene. To protect a critical water source instead of a doomed species of fish.
PG&E offered it for sale for quite some time. No one bought it because none of you thought it was worth risking your assets to maintain it.
Disingenuous! The Lake County Board of Supervisors (BOS) appears to operate in an alternate financial reality. They haven’t developed a plan to ensure Scott Dam’s seismic safety and are assuming all the long-term liability. Scott Dam/Lake Pillsbury is privately owned and operated by PG&E for hydroelectric generation through a lengthy process called FERC relicensing. PG&E announced years ago that maintaining the Potter Valley Project is no longer economically viable, and they put it up for sale. More recently, they proposed surrendering the FERC hydroelectric license. As a PG&E customer, I don’t want my rates to increase further; they are already rising excessively. It seems the Lake County BOS has a simplified view of its own economic interests.
For Sonoma Water customers, who receive water from the lower Russian River Wohler Collector in southern Sonoma and Marin counties, I recognize that our water resiliency is multi-year, secured by Lake Sonoma and with potential backup from Lake Mendocino. Any grade school student can analyze the numbers and understand from historical records that Warm Springs Dam, forming Lake Sonoma, began operation approximately 40 years ago.
Surely, the Lake County BOS can engage in a more realistic discussion about the changing world. We might not like change, but we must confront it directly and determine how to adapt
Decommissioning the dam would be nothing short of a selfish act done by those who do not depend on the water source. There is no other explanation. Its an active display of these groups desire to wield their power, greed in winning a battle, and desire for control without concern of others sufferings. It is sickening that it’s even an option to destroy such a beautiful and resourcful asset that much of California depends on. And a pure waste of our resources, time, and energy, to even consider it’s removal. It’s pure selfish.
I am inclined to agree with those who say “this is a done deal.” The restoring fish habitat claim carries legal weight. Scott dam being 140 feet means fish passage is impractical. Fish passage would be mandatory but any “ladder” proposal would be found fraudulent. Besides no “entity” wants to assume ownership, operation, and liability of the dams.
Bob Schneider, Bachelor of Science, Geology, UC Davis
530-304-6215 verve2006@comcast.net
Chad Roberts, Senior Ecologist, Ph.D., Ecology, UC Davis
530-219-1288 recp2@att.net
March 26, 2025
Re: Potter Valley Project Scott Dam Seismic Risk Danger
The Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) is surrendering the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license for the Potter Valley Project (PVP). PG&E identifies this action as a business decision because of the project’s failure to produce revenues that offset its operating costs, even though PG&E customers pay higher rates for delivered energy than just about everywhere else in the Unted States. In our opinion, PG&E has determined to rid itself of the PVP for a different kind of economic consideration, after determining that the Scott Dam represents an economic liability that the company cannot afford. A key factor in this determination is the increased understanding of the seismic hazards represented by the Bartlett Springs Fault Zone (BSFZ), which runs through Lake Pillsbury approximately 5000 feet east of Scott Dam.
As part of the PVP relicensing process, FERC held an auction for potential alternative licensees for the PVP. No takers made offers to accept the ownership of and responsibility for this existing hydropower license, for the same reason that PG&E does not want the responsibility for these existing conditions: a recognition of the outstanding risk that the BSFZ represents for the PVP licensee.
The history of the PVP doesn’t need to be repeated here, but the scientific understanding of Earth sciences that has developed in the past century, which is critical in considering the best options for the future of the PVP, is less well-known. The geological framework represented by plate tectonics is particularly significant in understanding the circumstances presented for the PVP. The dynamics of plate tectonics were not understood in the early 1900s when the Cape Horn and Scott Dams were designed and constructed. Over this past century, the scientific understanding of plate tectonics (including the Bartlett Springs Fault System) has developed continuously, and most of our current understanding of how tectonic dynamics affect northwestern California has developed fully only in the most recent 30 years.
A short summary of western California’s geological history shows that until about 28 million years ago (Ma) the western continental margin was a “subduction zone” with the Farallon Plate subducting beneath the western margin of the North American Plate. West of the Farallon Plate was another plate (the Pacific Plate), with a surface movement direction toward the northwest. When the margin between the Pacific Plate reached the edge of the North American Plate, the relative dynamics of the plate boundary changed to become a “transform margin”, with the Pacific Plate moving northwest relative to the North American Plate. This margin is known today as the San Andreas Fault Zone (SAFZ).
The SAFZ is not just a line on a map, but a 50-mile-wide zone of fault activity on a number of collateral major faults in addition to the San Andreas Fault itself. The Bartlett Springs Fault Zone is the easternmost fault in the SAFZ The BSFZ extends 50 miles from the Middle Fork of the Eel River southeast to Round Valley, past Lake Pillsbury and Bartlett Springs to just north of Cache Creek. Related faults in the same alignment system to the south include Wilson, Hunting Creek, and Green Valley faults.
Nobody we know can accurately predict when a seismic event might occur. However, based upon the length of the fault zone and other criteria geologists can estimate the potential magnitude of a major seismic event. Recent studies have identified the Bartlett Springs Fault as capable of producing an earthquake of Moment Magnitude between 6.7 and 7.2 (as documented by geological studies published by B.L. Melosh et.al. 2024, V.E. Langenheim et.al. 2023, and J.C. Lozos et.al. 2015).
Earthquakes with magnitudes between 6.7 and 7.2 are major seismic events. Prior events within the memories of individuals living in northern California that fall within this magnitude range include the 1994 Northridge Earthquake (M6.7), the 1992 Cape Mendocino Triple Junction Earthquake (M7.2), the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake (M5.9), and the 1980 Eureka (Gorda Plate) Earthquake (M7.3).
The 1992 Mendocino Triple Junction event (M7.2) resulted in damage in Ferndale (in Humboldt County) very similar to the damage that occurred in Ferndale from the 1906 (M7.9) event in San Francisco. The 1980 Gorda Plate earthquake (M7.3) resulted in a collapsed Highway 101 overpass near Humboldt Bay. The 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake (M6.9) was on an oblique fault very close to the San Andreas Fault in the Santa Cruz area, and may be more directly indicative of effects associated with the Bartlett Springs Fault at Lake Pillsbury. The event was memorialized on TV because it occurred at the start of a World Series game in San Francisco. Long sections of the I-580 freeway in Oakland collapsed during the quake, and a large part of the Marina District in San Francisco was damaged because of liquefaction in the poorly consolidated fill on which it was built.
An earthquake in this magnitude range on the Bartlett Springs Fault in the vicinity of Lake Pillsbury could result in an immediate failure of Scott Dam as a consequence of the seismic shaking per se. Moreover, the existing large landslide at the south end of the dam, on which the south abutment is based, would likely be mobilized (as occurred widely in northwestern California in 1992 with the Triple Junction event), leading to the destruction of the south end of the dam, and the rest of the structure would follow.
Dams do fail and while the specific dynamics are different, the St Francis Dam failure in Los Angeles in 1928 is a relevant example. A common joke among geologists is that a sure way to find a new fault is to look for an older dam, an indication of how significant a risk geologists consider fault movement to be with respect to dam safety, particularly for older structures. Geological science clearly indicates that the BSFZ represents a significant risk of failure for Scott Dam, While we have yet to see the internal studies conducted by PG&E for the Scott Dam, we suspect that those studies say the same. We strongly believe that discussions among members of the public and their elected decision-makers about the future of the Potter Valley Project should include a greater appreciation of these geological realities.
Loma Prieta Quake 1989 – 6.9 magnitude (typo)
Yes to dialogues about pros and cons re Scott’s Dam and Lake Pillsbury. I mostly Love seeing the rallying here to SAVE LAKE PILLSBURY. The information given to save the dam and lake (in this article and comment section (and elsewhere), have always made sense to me. YES to SAVING LAKE PILLSBURY. My voting for local and regional political candidates will reflect positions taken on this issue too.
Lake Mendocino is needed. Source power production, water storage, fire control, drought control economic reasons, because the russian river needs water in it during droughts, and all of these dams serve santa rosa pataloma, sebastopol marin county, and what’s going to happen during a drought, we’re going to have water rationing. What about when there’s a major fire? Where did the helicopters dip to get their water?Alright, this is absolute garbage and must be stopped.