Scott Dam in Lake County listed by CalTrout among top 5 dams to remove to benefit fish, habitat
- Lake County News reports
- Posted On
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Five dams across California – including one in Lake County that forms Lake Pillsbury – have been listed as key for removal by an advocacy group in the effort to stop the extinction of native salmon and steelhead.
In response to what it calls a “statewide fish extinction crisis,” which indicates 74 percent of California’s native salmon, steelhead and trout species are likely to be extinct in the next century, the fish and watershed conservation nonprofit organization California Trout on Tuesday released its list of the top five dams prime for removal in the golden state.
CalTrout said the dams identified in the report were carefully selected based on scientific criteria. The facilities were chosen provide the least benefit for people and caused the greatest hazards for imperiled native fish rose to the top.
“With the majority of California’s native salmonids at significant risk of extinction in the next 100 years, it’s imperative that we look for low-hanging fruit opportunities to improve conditions for fish, especially when we can do so without compromising public safety or water security for people,” said Curtis Knight, executive director of CalTrout. “The top five dams identified in the report provide only marginal value for people, while their removal would provide significant ecosystem and economic benefits.”
Among the listed dams is the Scott Dam in Lake County, which forms Lake Pillsbury. It’s one of two dams that make up the Potter Valley Hydropower Project, which provides hydroelectricity, water storage and diversions into the Russian River.
The project also includes the Cape Horn dam in Mendocino County, along with two reservoirs – the major one being Lake Pillsbury – and a diversion tunnel that sends water south to the Russian River watershed.
CalTrout said species that would benefit from the dam’s removal including California Coast Chinook salmon, Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast coho salmon, Northern California summer steelhead and Northern California winter steelhead.
The project, licensed through 2022 through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, has over the last few years been in the midst of a relicensing process. CalTrout that process is likely to call for fish passage over dam, which would be cost prohibitive.
Pacific Gas and Electric owns the project. On Tuesday, the same day that CalTrout released its list of dams to remove, PG&E filed for bankruptcy.
PG&E put the project up for sale in September and last week announced it wouldn’t relicense the project with FERC, as Lake County News has reported.
When PG&E’s decision to not relicense the project went public, CalTrout Executive Director Curtis Knight said that, while PG&E’s withdrawal does affect the process, it will not change CalTrout’s continued efforts to achieve a two-basin solution, and that in recent weeks it has put its resources toward building “a tangible plan that would remove Scott Dam and keep the water interests in the Russian River whole.”
The organization said that for the last several years, it has been conducting studies in the upper Eel River basin, commissioned dam removal and fish passage assessments above Scott Dam, and spent significant resources in analyzing the water rights and water delivery aspects of the Project in preparation for the Project’s FERC relicensing process.
CalTrout said it has worked with several other stakeholders in an ad hoc committee convened by Rep. Jared Huffman, and has assessed the fish passage options and water delivery options that will best meet the needs of water users and endangered native fish.
As a result of PG&E’s decision not to relicense, it’s expected that FERC will initiate its “Orphan Project” process, in which it will allow potential buyers to submit an application for a new project license.
In response to a question from Lake County News about whether PG&E’s decision to sell and not relicense the project had any impact on its listing of the Scott Dam, CalTrout said that the Eel River has long been a priority area for it, but its involvement in the Potter Valley Project started during the license amendment process in 1995. Since then, they have viewed the habitat above Scott Dam as high-quality potential rearing and spawning needed to restore salmonid abundance on the Eel River.
CalTrout’s said its primary goal is to open up the 150 plus miles of habitat above Scott Dam and ensure the release of cold consistent water during the spring and summer months into the Eel River.
“What is promising and what would likely be reflected in a settlement agreement, is that we can achieve those goals while diverting enough water from the Eel to the Russian River in Potter Valley during the high winter flows to satisfy the water users in Potter Valley and Sonoma County,” the organization said in a statement released to Lake County News.
“Simply put, the removal of Scott Dam opens up pristine spawning and cold-water rearing habitat in the headwaters of the Eel River, which we believe holds the greatest opportunity to return salmon and steelhead populations to historical abundance. Combine this with a FERC orphan process and hydro facility that has historically lost between $5 and $10 million a year and you have got a great opportunity for the conservation and water users to both get the type of water security they need,” the organization’s statement said.
CalTrout said it’s studied the dam removal impacts on flow regimes on the Eel and Russian Rivers, salmon and steelhead populations, and is producing a peer-reviewed study of the Scott Dam Decommissioning and Removal study conducted by Sonoma Water. “We expect to make this study available for all interested parties and we will continue to analyze the potential impacts and feasibility of the removal of Scott Dam. Nothing in our research has shown that the removal of Scott Dam is not a real and feasible potential outcome of this FERC process.”
The organization said removing the Scott Dam can have positive impacts on fish, the Eel river watershed as a whole and tribal interests, all the while keeping the necessary flows to the Russian River to support Potter Valley and Sonoma Water interests. “We have yet to analyze the effects of this project on groundwater interests, although we are analyzing the potential for groundwater recharge opportunities in Potter Valley as an opportunity for water storage on the Russian River side of this equation.”
CalTrout said its Top Five California DAMS OUT Report is a natural next step to its 2017 “State of the Salmonids II: Fish in Hot Water” report, which was completed in partnership with UC Davis.
That report detailed the status of 32 types of salmon, steelhead, and trout that are native to California and offered data about the threat of near-term extinction facing each of these fish populations. It also identified opportunities for stabilizing and even recovering many of the state’s native fish species.
Restoring access to upstream habitat through efforts like dam removal is a priority action in the drive to prevent a mass extinction of California’s native fish.
More than 1,400 dams block California rivers, creeks and streams. Many of these structures block access to salmon and steelhead spawning and rearing habitat.
CalTrout said studies have shown access to upstream habitat is critical for promoting self-sustaining populations of migratory fish.
While a great number of the state’s dams provide critical water supply, flood control and hydroelectric power, CalTrout said many others have outlived their functional lifespan and could be removed without impacting human health and safety.
In addition to the Scott Dam, the other four dams in the top 5 that CalTrout suggests for removal are:
Matilija Dam, Ventura River in Ojai: Built in 1947 for water storage and flood control, now essentially defunct due to excessive sedimentation. Widespread support for removal among locals and public agencies. Species to benefit: Southern California California steelhead.
Searsville Dam, Corte Madera Creek/San Francisquito Creek watershed in Redwood City: Built in 1892, has lost more than 90 percent of its original water storage capacity due to sedimentation. The dam does not provide potable water, flood control, or hydropower. Removal would allow steelhead to access historical spawning grounds. Species to benefit: Central California Coast steelhead.
Rindge Dam, Malibu Creek in Malibu: Located in Malibu Creek State Park about three miles upstream from the coastline, the concrete dam was completed in 1926 to provide water for irrigation and household use. The reservoir filled entirely with sediment by the 1940s. Removal would provide access to high-quality steelhead habitat. Species to benefit: Southern California steelhead.
Klamath Dams (Iron Gate Dam, Copco Dam No. 1, Copco Dam No. 2) in Siskiyou County: Four aging hydroelectric dams, three of which are in California, block salmon and steelhead fish from reaching more than 300 miles of spawning and rearing habitat. Dam removal is now expected to proceed in 2021, pending a dam license transfer to the non-profit Klamath River Renewal Corporation. Species to benefit: Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast Chinook salmon, Upper Klamath-Trinity Rivers fall-run Chinook salmon, Upper Klamath-Trinity Rivers spring-run Chinook salmon, Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast coho salmon, Chum salmon, Klamath Mountains Province summer steelhead and Klamath Mountains Province winter steelhead.
CalTrout identified the dams as ripe for removal by analyzing information found in several studies to assess the overall benefits that removal would present to native fish, water, and people.
Every dam considered for inclusion in the list blocks access to habitat for salmon and steelhead species listed as critical or of high concern in the State of Salmonids II report.
CalTrout said these dams also no longer serve the purpose for which they were built and, in some cases, may now pose a public safety threat. Dams that currently provide flood control or water supply for people were not considered for inclusion in the list, nor were any dams that are part of the State Water Project or federal Central Valley Project due to their vital role in securing water for residents throughout the state.
“CalTrout’s priority is always to find a middle ground that protects the water needs of people while improving conditions for native salmon, steelhead and trout where possible,” said Knight. “Removing these five dams would be a significant step in the right direction for imperiled native fish without having a significant impact on people. It would also be a step in the right direction for the overall health of our watersheds, which is especially important in this era of climate change.”
Read the full report here.