Russian River Weekly Update 2/18/25
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Reservoir Storage & Operations:
Water supply information provided by Sonoma Water (find more water storage info here).
Regional Partnership to Preserve Eel to Russian River Diversion
Breaking news: A draft Memorandum of Agreement is being considered by Two Basin Partners paving the way for continued diversions from the Eel River to bolster flows in the Russian River. The parties include California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), California Trout, Eel-Russian Project Authority (ERPA), Humboldt County, Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission (IWPC), Round Valley Indian Tribes (RVIT), Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water), and Trout Unlimited.
This Agreement is a result of years of negotiations to preserve supplemental flows in the Russian River depended upon by Sonoma and Mendocino counties. The Agreement also supports the restoration and fish recovery in the Eel River, which was crucial to securing support from environmental interests, Tribes, and Humboldt County. This is the “two-basin solution” regional stakeholders have been working toward since at least 2019.
From the Press Democrat, February 12, 2025:
Stakeholders on the Eel and Russian rivers have reached agreement on a framework for future water diversions from the Eel into the Russian River, once PG&E decommissions its Potter Valley power plant, through which flows have been directed for nearly 120 years.
A memorandum of understanding to be signed in a ceremony in Sacramento on Thursday [February 13, 2025] allows for limited diversions to continue, but only when the Eel River has sufficiently high flows to accommodate different life stages of federally protected salmon and steelhead trout.
The mostly wintertime diversions will reduce annual transfers into the Russian River watershed from a current level of about 40,000 acre-feet a year to about 35,000 acre-feet. (An acre-foot is equal to 325,851 gallons, or about the amount of water needed to flood most of a football field one foot deep.)
PG&E’s water rights for the diverted flows will be transferred to the Round Valley Indian Tribes, which will collect $1 million a year from Sonoma and Mendocino County users in exchange for diverted flows.
Russian River users also will pay $750,000 to $1 million annually into an Eel River restoration fund to pay for fish recovery and environmental restoration efforts on the Eel River, which has long been impacted negatively by diversions and dams in the river.
The agreement will stand for a 30-year term plus a possible 20-year renewal, but Russian River users are intended to wean themselves from the Eel River by developing new water storage and supply solutions.
Parties to the agreement also agree to endeavor to raise $50 million or more for new diversion facilities and $50 million or more for additional restoration funding.
Signatories include the Sonoma County Water Agency, known as Sonoma Water, the Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission, Humboldt County, the Round Valley Indian Tribes, Trout Unlimited, California Trout and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Press Democrat: Historic pact reached on future Eel River water flows into Russian River, 2/12/25
Related:
- Lost Coast Outpost THIS WEEK IN SUPES: Humboldt Supervisors Consider Next Steps for Decommissioning the Potter Valley Project, 2/10/25
- Eureka Times Standard: Eel River diversion agreement on Humboldt County Board of Supervisors agenda, 2-10-25
- Eureka Times Standard: ‘The dams will come out’: Humboldt County supervisors sign onto historic Potter Valley water diversion agreement, 2/11/25
- Lost Coast Outpost TODAY in SUPES: Board OKs Agreement on Potter Valley Project Decommissioning and New Eel-Russian Diversion Facility, 2/11/25
- Jefferson Public Radio: Humboldt County Supervisors sign onto historic water agreement for Eel River, 2/12/25
- San Fran Chronicle via MSN: Dam removal deal could create longest free-flowing California river, 2/13/25
- Press Democrat: Eel River pact redresses past wrongs, provides model for compromise among diverse interests, officials say, 2/13/25
- Press Democrat: Eel, Russian River deal reached - Historic pact on future waterflows a lifeline for Sonoma, Mendocino, 2/14/25
- CA Department of Fish & Wildlife: Natural Resources Agency Thanks Tribal Leaders, Northern California Counties and Conservation Groups for Their Leadership as Historic Agreement Announced to Secure Water Reliability in the Russian River, Benefit Salmon on the Eel River, 2/13/25
- Trout Unlimited: Breakthrough for the Eel-A new agreement promises to resolve decades of conflict over water use on California’s third largest watershed––and a legendary salmon and steelhead river, 2/13/25
- California Trout Press Release: Regional Partners Sign Historic MOU on Eel River Recovery, 2/13/25
- MendoFever: End of an Era: PG&E plans to decommission Potter Valley Hydroelectric Facility, 2/15/25
- Redheaded Blackbelt: Humboldt Approves Agreement as End of Potter Valley Project Nears, 2/17/25
- ABC 7 KRCR: Multiple agencies sign agreement for Eel River infrastructure, 2/17/25
- EcoNews Report Podcast by Friends of the Eel: A Deal for the Eel? February 2025
PG&E Public Draft Surrender Application and Decommissioning Plan
PG&E’s Final Draft Surrender Application and Conceptual Decommissioning Plan (Surrender Application) and Application for Non-Project Use of Project Lands for the Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project (FERC Project No. 77) is available for review and comment at the following website: http//pottervalleysurrenderproceeding.com. This document can be accessed from the Documents page using the following password: PV_Surrender
On Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025 PG&E hosted an online meeting to share information on the final draft, discussed the regulatory process, and noted opportunities to participate.
PG&E Submits 2025 Flow Variance Request to FERC
PG&E is now calling this a “temporary flow amendment” though the terms mimic the 2024 PVP Flow Variance Request. FERC will likely open a public comment period. Follow links for more information:
2025 Flow Variance for Potter Valley Project
2024 Flow Variance for Potter Valley Project
Congratulations to Mendocino as American Wine Region of the Year
Mendocino County was officially honored as the American Wine Region of the Year at Wine Enthusiast magazine’s Wine Star Awards ceremony on January 27 in San Francisco. The award was accepted at a ceremony in San Francisco on January 27 by representatives of the Mendocino Winegrowers Inc. This prestigious honor celebrates Mendocino County’s long-standing tradition of winemaking excellence, its commitment to sustainable practices, and the vibrant community that defines the region. As one of California’s most eco-conscious wine regions, Mendocino has earned its reputation as the state’s "greenest AVA," with 25% of its planted vineyards certified organic – a remarkable distinction that accounts for one-third of all organic vineyards in California.
Conversation with Dr. Daniel Swain, Climate Scientist, February 26th at 9 AM
Grab a cup and join a virtual Coffee and Conversation with Dr. Daniel Swain, California Institute for Water Resources (UC ANR), and Institute of the Environment & Sustainability, UCLA. Hosted by Regional Water Authority’s Manager of Government Relations, Ryan Ojakian, the discussion will explore the challenges and opportunities of managing California’s increasing climate extremes, from intensifying droughts to severe floods. This engaging discussion will examine what the future holds, how water agencies can prepare, and strategies for balancing affordability and resilience in a rapidly changing world. Link to registration.
Water 101 Workshop by CA Water Education Foundation – April 10, 2025
The annual Water 101 Workshop details the history, geography, legal and political facets of water in California as well as hot topics currently facing the state.Taught by some of the leading policy and legal experts in California, the one-day workshop on April 10 gives attendees a deeper understanding of the state’s most precious natural resource.
Link to Water 101 Workshop Info & Registration
Link to CA Water Education Foundation Resources
In the press:
- CA Water Blog: How’s California’s water year developing? – early February 2025, 2/9/25
- Mendo Fever: Ukiah Valley Water Authority moves to standardized fees in major overhaul, 2/11/25
- Pasadena NOW: What Data-Driven Science Reveals About the Twisted Saga of Western Water Rights, 2/11/25
- Yale Environment 360: World Likely to Breach 1.5-Degree Target, Research Finds, 2/11/25
- North Bay Business Journal: North Coast wine grape crop value falls nearly 21% in 2024, 2/12/25
- UC Sandiego: Atmospheric Rivers Explain Atypical El Niño and La Niña Years, 2/13/25
- Sonoma Magazine: Those Working To Preserve the Russian River Watershed’s Native Coho Salmon Offer Hope for a Flourishing Future, Feb 2025
- Unwon: Destroying the Potter Valley Project Won't Save the Salmon: 8 Truths Behind the Downfall of Fisheries on the Eel River, 2/17/25