Russian River
Water Forum 
The Russian River Water Forum is a collaborative effort initiated by Sonoma Water and a collection of regional partners with funding from the California Department of Water Resources.
The Water Forum seeks to identify water-supply resiliency solutions that respond to PG&E’s planned decommissioning of the Potter Valley Project while protecting Tribal interests and supporting the stewardship of fisheries, water quality, and recreation in the Russian River and Eel River basins. More broadly, the Water Forum supports ongoing regional collaboration on water supply and watershed restoration issues in the Russian River and Eel River basins.
Go to the Water Forum’s website for detailed information: https://russianriverwaterforum.org/
The RRWF DWR Grant
The Russian River Water Forum (WF) DWR grant included the following projects:
- A facility assessment of the PVP diversion and how it would function under various conditions, including the possibility of Scott Dam being removed. PG&E has recently allowed access to the facility.
- The grant also covers the effort to look for more storage upstream from Lake Mendocino, either surface or groundwater storage in Potter Valley. If Scott Dam is removed, the only water coming through the diversion will be in the wintertime. They are looking for a large storage site that would hold 11 to 15,000 AF of water. Additionally, there may be a potential for drilling groundwater wells and a study is underway to determine this possibility.
- The third element of the grant funding was the formation of the Russian River Water Forum (WF). The Water Forum supports ongoing regional collaboration on water supply and watershed restoration issues in the Russian River and Eel River basins.
Please click on the Russian River Water Forum website link for more detailed information.
The RRWF June 12 Second Planning Group meeting Notes
RRWF-Planning-Group-Meeting-2-Summary_FINAL
Please go Here for more detailed information.
The RRWF First Planning Group meeting 5/17/2023
The Water Forum Planning Group met for the first time to discuss and evaluate options for a local solution that responds to the planned decommissioning of the Potter Valley Project and that can formulate information for future negotiations with PG&E.
The Planning Group is comprised of approximately 30 members representing a cross-section of interests in Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake, and Humboldt Counties. The goal is to explore ways to maintain flows in the Russian River once PG&E decommissions an inoperative power plant while also “protecting Tribal interests and supporting the stewardship of fisheries, water quality, and recreation in the Russian River and Eel River basins,” according to its draft charter.
Listed Goals for the Planning Group include:
- Bring together interested parties in the Russian River and Eel River basins in a collaborative, solutions-oriented process.
- Improve understanding of water reliability uncertainties in the Russian River and Eel River basins.
- Problem-solve around the future of the Potter Valley Project, water supply resilience, and fisheries in both river basins.
- Identify funding sources to support water supply resiliency solutions and environment benefits in response to the planned decommissioning of the Potter Valley Project.
Please click on the Russian River Water Forum website link for more detailed information.
The Russian River Water Forum Summary of Interview Findings
This Summary of Interview Findings document presents overarching themes and key perspectives from interviews Kearns & West conducted with a broad cross-section of parties with an interest in Pacific Gas & Electric Company’s Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project (PVP) and/or water supply or associated resources in the Russian River and Eel River basins. For more than 100 years, the diversion of water from the Eel River to the Russian River via the PVP has provided an important source of water for the Russian River basin.
PG&E plans to decommission the PVP, which could reduce or eliminate this water source. The Russian River Water Forum (Water Forum) is a new collaborative process initiated by Sonoma Water and a collection of regional partners, including IWPC, with funding from a California Department of Water Resources grant. The Water Forum aims to preserve the flow of water from the Eel River via the PVP into the Russian River while also fostering collaboration to support water supply resiliency in the Russian River watershed. Kearns & West has been engaged to help establish and facilitate the Water Forum through an inclusive, transparent process. The interviews for this report represent an initial step in that process, and the findings will help inform the governance structure and engagement approach of the Water Forum. This document summarizes key views on the diversion from the Eel River and the Water Forum, including challenges to overcome, keys to success, and elements of potential solutions.
To review the interview results, click the link below:
RRWF_Interview_Findings_final 1.2023
IWPC & PVP UPDATES
Update 8/22/2023
Sonoma Water officials say the new proposal would still allow for removal of Scott and Cape Horn dams, leaving only the infrastructure necessary to funnel river water through the mile-long tunnel that leads to the East Fork Russian River.Additional infrastructure would be added to improve fish passage and aid restoration of salmon and steelhead trout populations in the Eel River, as sought by tribes and conservation groups, while still channeling water into the diversion tunnel, Sonoma Water officials said.
“Our goals are to restore the Eel River watershed from its degraded condition and to restore our salmon fishery to sustainable and harvestable populations,” Round Valley Indian Tribes Tribal Council President Bill Whipple said in a news release. “We join this proposal because it is one pathway to achieving these goals.”
The diversion of Eel River water through what’s being called the New Eel-Russian Facility also would occur only during wet months, when flows are sufficiently high to support salmon and steelhead trout in the Eel while still contributing to Russian River water supplies on which thousands of consumers depend.
“We are going to dramatically reduce the window in which water can be diverted off the Eel River to times it’s very available and won’t do harm,” Sonoma Water General Manager Grant Davis said. “We really want to see both river basins come out better as a result of this solution.”
Articles on Proposal:
- Press Democrat: Sonoma, Mendocino county water managers propose pathway for continued Eel River diversions, 8/8/23
- Ukiah Daily Journal: Potter Valley Project: New plan to conserve Eel River diversions submitted to PG&E, 8/8/23
- Times-Standard: Multiple groups wary of new Potter Valley Project plan, 8/10/23
- KZYX: Half-hour special on Potter Valley proposal, 8/16/23
- MendoFever: Mendocino & Sonoma County Water Interests Team-up with Round Valley Tribe to Take Over Potter Valley Project, 8/9/23
- Press Democrat Editorial: No one will win a North Coast water war, 8/13/23
Update 8/7/2023
A Regional Partnership to secure water for the Russian River and to improve Eel River fisheries
The Mendocino County Inland Power and Water Commission (MCIWPC), Round Valley Indian Tribes (RVIT), and the Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water), collectively the proponents, have submitted a proposal Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) to advance a regional solution for preserving flows in the Russian River and improving Eel River fisheries.
- View Proposal
- View Press release
Why is this needed?
In 2021, due to equipment failure at the powerplant, PG&E stopped generating power at the Potter Valley Project. PG&E decided not to repair the powerplant. It is preparing a license surrender application, to be filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The deadline for application is January 2025.
PG&E has said that its application would propose to remove Scott and Cape Horn Dams and end any operations, including water diversions to the Russian River, unless it received a complete and credible proposal in July 2023.
The proponents submitted a proposal to PG&E to preserve water diversions into the Russian River watershed through the Potter Valley Project. The proposal is also important to assure that removal or modification of facilities allow for upstream and downstream fish migration at Cape Horn Dam, consistent with goals for a sustainable and harvestable Eel River fishery.
Ongoing water diversions into the Russian River through the Potter Valley Project are critical to the health of the watershed, to ongoing water supply, and to Russian River fisheries. Without the Potter Valley Diversion, Lake Mendocino would have shortages eight of every 10 years and would go dry two of every 10 years.
What does the proposal do?
The proposal includes creation of a regional entity to serve as a legal organization in discussing a New Eel-Russian Facility with PG&E.
The proposal seeks PG&E to include in its final license surrender application a request that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issue a nonpower license to the regional entity, which would preserve components of the modified Potter Valley Project diversion facilities and authorize the construction of the Eel-Russian facility.
The immediate role of this regional entity and the proposal is to preserve water diversions into the Russian River through the Potter Valley Project site while providing upstream and downstream fish migration to support larger efforts aimed at achieving naturally reproducing, self-sustaining and harvestable native anadromous fish populations.
The proposal has been shaped by insights provided through the Russian River Water Forum. Through the Forum, stakeholders and the public will have an opportunity to assist in the development of the details in the proposal.
For information about the proponents and the Russian River Water Forum, go to:
- Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission
- Round Valley Indian Tribes
- Sonoma Water
- Russian River Water Forum
Articles on Proposal:
- Press Democrat: Sonoma, Mendocino county water managers propose pathway for continued Eel River diversions, 8/8/23
- Ukiah Daily Journal: Potter Valley Project: New plan to conserve Eel River diversions submitted to PG&E, 8/8/23
- Times-Standard: Multiple groups wary of new Potter Valley Project plan, 8/10/23
- KZYX: Half-hour special on Potter Valley proposal, 8/16/23
- MendoFever: Mendocino & Sonoma County Water Interests Team-up with Round Valley Tribe to Take Over Potter Valley Project, 8/9/23
- Press Democrat Editorial: No one will win a North Coast water war, 8/13/23
Update 7/14/2023
Flow Variance
On May 22, 2023, PG&E filed a flow variance request with FERC for 2023. The flow changes that are requested are similar to last year, with the East Fork Russian River releases being reduced from the current 75 CFS to a release between 5-25 CFS based on PG&E and agency determinations of daily temperature evaluation of water released from Lake Pillsbury. FERC has opened up the variance request for public comments until August 4th. It is anticipated that the variance will not go into effect until sometime in August.
The variance request can be seen HERE.
Update 6/2/2023
PG&E’s license surrender timelines
PG&E reported that, now that they have been directed by FERC to surrender and decommission the Project, they intend to remove all of the Project infrastructure including both Scott Dam at Lake Pillsbury and Cape Horn Dam at Van Arsdale reservoir. PG&E will, however, review any plans that a qualified owner might submit in order to acquire part of the existing Project infrastructure. PG&E wishes to receive notice of such a proposal as soon as possible.
Tony Gigliotti, PG&E’s Senior Project License Surrender Manager, laid out the timeline for the license surrender plan. There will be an initial draft surrender plan for public review released November 2023. A final draft surrender plan will be filed with FERC, and also available for public review, in May 2024. The final license surrender plan will be filed with FERC in January 2025.
Update 5/20/2023
Cape Horn Dam
As part of the RRWF’s DWR grant, one of the objectives was to assess the PVP facilities for possible acquisition. One of the issues is that the current diversion facilities will require modification to improve fish passage. The existing fish ladder is inadequate, so three alternatives are being considered. These include modifying Cape Horn Dam and installing a state of the art fish ladder. The second alternative includes designing a gradual roughened channel allowing fish passage while maintaining the elevation needed for the diversion. The third concept is a facility that would pump water from an infiltration gallery downstream of the existing dam back up to the diversion tunnel. The DWR grant funding will result in a 20-30% design for these three alternatives. Sonoma Water is applying for a grant from the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) to determine the most feasible of the three alternatives and take that alternative to a 60% design. IWPC is sending a letter of support for the BOR grant.
Update 4/27/2023
Scott Dam
PG&E held a town hall meeting on April 27 to talk about changes in operations they have made at Lake Pillsbury’s Scott Dam. After a Safety Study that included a seismic analysis, they concluded that the 100 year old dam had an increase in seismic risk due to the Bartlett Springs fault that runs directly under Lake Pillsbury. PG&E is opening the gates at the dam to reduce the lake level by ten feet which will reduce the pressure and risk of dam failure.
Lake Pillsbury has provided a reliable source of water to the Eel and Russian Rivers during the summer months when natural flows can be extremely low. On average, per annum, the Project diverts 1.8% of the flow in the Eel River through a diversion into the Russian River. However, maintenance of the aging dam is one of the reasons that the Potter Valley hydroplant is running at an economic loss for PG&E. The costs of finding a solution for fish passage and building a suitable alternative plus correcting the identified seismic issues, make maintaining this dam even more expensive.
PG&E also reported that, now that they have been directed by FERC to surrender and decommission the Project, they intend to remove all of the Project infrastructure including both Scott Dam at Lake Pillsbury and Cape Horn Dam at Van Arsdale reservoir. PG&E will, however, review any plans that a qualified owner might submit in order to acquire part of the existing Project infrastructure. PG&E wishes to receive notice of such a proposal as soon as possible.
Tony Gigliotti, PG&E’s Senior Project License Surrender Manager, laid out the timeline for the license surrender plan. There will be an initial draft surrender plan for public review released November 2023. A final draft surrender plan will be filed with FERC, and also available for public review, in May 2024. The final license surrender plan will be filed with FERC in January 2025.
Sonoma Water is applying for a grant from the Bureau of Reclamation to bring one of the three Eel River diversion plan alternatives, that will allow volitional fish migration passage and continued diversions into the Russian River watershed (currently being studied with grant funding from DWR), to a 60% design level.
Challenges
What are the biggest challenges to maintain the transfer of Potter Valley Project water into the Russian River?
Water Supply Challenges
- Without PVP water transfers to the Russian River:
- In 8 out of 10 years there will not be enough water supply in Lake Mendocino to meet all the needs of businesses, cities, residents, and wildlife that depend on the Russian
- In 2 out of these 8 water-short years, there is predicted to be a 30,000-acre foot shortage of water in the Russian River, and Lake Mendocino is predicted to go dry
- Water users that rely on Lake Mendocino for their water supply will be impacted to varying degrees depending on their location and water use.
- Farther reaching economic and environmental impacts are also anticipated in Mendocino and Sonoma counties with the loss of PVP
Current Infrastructure Challenges
Since the transformer unit at the PVP is not being repaired, PG&E is not able to run water through the powerhouse to make power and has only been bypassing the minimum amount of water as required by their license for the East Fork Russian River and the Potter Valley Irrigation District.
- The reduced diversion has impacted, and will continue to impact, the water storage levels in Lake Mendocino.
- 4/2023: PG&E has delayed the decision regarding the transformer replacement at the PVP until April 2023. At that time they announced that there would be no replacement of the transformer. See letter from PG&E: PG&E Transformer Replacement Update 12.22
- 10/2022: PG&E revealed in late October 2021 that an electric transformer necessary for the operation of the powerhouse had degraded to a point that it was at risk of failing. Preliminary estimates indicate an expected timeline of 18 to 24 months to design, manufacturer, and install, with a cost in the $5 to $10 million range. And in February 2022, it was announced that PG&E has, “concluded it is beneficial to PG&E’s electric generation customers to proceed with the work necessary to return the powerhouse to full operational status.” No specific timelines for the repairs were presented, but overall, this is positive news.
Future Funding Challenges
- A broad-based funding program will be needed to support the ongoing operation of the PVP to preserve the benefits that PVP water provides to the economies and environment of the Russian River
- “Bridge Fund” estimates are being researched to determine the level of funding needed to support IWPC’s efforts to engage in the FERC license surrender process, negotiations with PG&E and the feasibility study to raise Coyote Valley Dam.
Licensing Challenges
- On April 21, 2022, FERC provided a notice stating that PG&E has been authorized to continue to operate the Project under a year-to-year license or until the issuance of a new license for the project or other disposition under the Federal Power Act, whichever comes first.
- On May 11, 2022, FERC submitted a response to PG&E requesting a license surrender plan to be submitted within 60 days.
- The timeline for the year-to-year operation is currently unknown as are the details of the license surrender plan. The Mendocino County Inland Water & Power Commission will continue to engage with PG&E and other stakeholders as the process moves forward.