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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — In a show of unity on Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to submit comments to Pacific Gas and Electric, the governor and the Trump Administration regarding the county’s concerns over plans to decommission and eventually remove the Scott Dam.
Built in 1922, the dam created the 80,000-acre-foot Lake Pillsbury, a center of recreation in the northern part of the county as well as a source of hydroelectric power and water that has proved critical for fire suppression during major wildland fire incidents over the past decade.
The dam is part of the Potter Valley Project which extends into Mendocino County. In addition to the Scott Dam and Lake Pillsbury, the project includes the Potter Valley powerhouse, built in 1908, the Cape Horn Dam, a fish passage and steelhead counting station, a tunnel and penstock, and Van Arsdale Reservoir.
The project diverts water from the main stem of the Eel River to the Russian River watershed, and manages water on which 600,000 Californians — in Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma and northern Marin — are reliant, PG&E and county documents explain.
For nearly six years, the dam — located entirely in Lake County, on the headwaters of the Eel River — has been the focus of an effort to remove it after PG&E decided to abandon the hydroelectric project, claiming it was no longer financially feasible.
A group of neighboring counties and wildlife advocacy organizations have joined the effort to advocate for the dam’s removal as part of a “two basin” solution, citing the benefit to salmon and steelhead.
It’s estimated that the dam’s removal could cost $500 million, a figure the board suggested is low if it’s to include restoring the land around the existing lake. At the same time, it’s estimated that an alternative, creating a fish passage, could cost $80 million.
Last month, Congressman Jared Huffman said the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation awarded Round Valley Indian Tribes and the Sonoma County Water Agency $15 million in Inflation Reduction ACt funds toward implementing the two-basin solution. The funding is a “down payment” on construction of a new wintertime diversion to the Russian River following the removal of two salmon-blocking dams on the Eel.
However, both supervisors EJ Crandell and Bruno Sabatier told Lake County News at the time of that announcement that the plan is far from a done deal.
In comments during the hourlong discussion at Tuesday’s meeting, board members noted that a lot of their discussions so far on the matter have been in closed session.
The supervisors and members of the public also questioned PG&E’s claims about the need to stop operating the project because of its profitability, considering the nearly $2.5 billion in profit the utility reported for 2024.
Board members also faulted the process so far, recounting a lengthy history of Lake County being blocked from participation in talks with both PG&E and other counties.
With PG&E releasing its decommissioning plan on Jan. 31 — with a March 3 deadline for public comment — the board voted to submit its own comments on the matter. Their comments include criticizing PG&E for offering less than 21 business days to submit “substantive comments on a 2,086 page document.”
PG&E held one virtual public meeting on the plan on the morning of Feb. 6. Lake County News made a request to the company to hold another for the benefit of the community. The utility has not responded to that request.
Now, faced with a process that appears to be moving swiftly forward largely without the input of the county of Lake or the community members around Lake Pillsbury, the supervisors decided to take the fight to the state and federal levels.
The action they took on Tuesday included approving a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom in which they raise issue with the state taking sides in the process when they said it should have been neutral. Their criticism included pointing out that removal of the Scott Dam contradicts Newsom’s own January executive order on maximizing water storage, and they point out that the state, through the Department of Water Resources, is a party to a memorandum of understanding on the process that does not include Lake County.
Further, the county asks for time to meet with the Governor’s Office to discuss the situation. “Lake County has not been heard, and costs to keep Lake County whole in the face of potential future loss of Scott Dam have been minimized and misrepresented by other parties.”
The supervisors also decided to make the county’s case to the federal government.
In a letter addressed to President Donald Trump’s secretaries of Energy, Interior, Agriculture, Defense, Homeland Security, Commerce and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, the board notes it has “grave concern destroying and draining Lake Pillsbury,” which it said “would constitute an expensive and irresponsible gamble with regional water supply in an area that has repeatedly been threatened by catastrophic wildfire events.”
The supervisors ask for the Trump Administration’s “collective support in ensuring the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and your Federal Agencies take seriously the potential for profound human consequences.”
The board also pointed to Lake Pillsbury being a destination for hunting, fishing, camping, hiking and recreation, as well as being used to fight fires in the Mendocino National Forest that surrounds it. “Two of the three largest wildfires in the state of California occurred in the areas surrounding Lake Pillsbury, each within the past decade: the August Complex (1,032,648 acres, 2020) and the Mendocino Complex (459,123 acres, 2018). The August Complex was lightning-caused.”
The letter argues that the dam’s decommissioning puts regional agriculture, fire protection, water availability and the tourism economy at risk.
The county’s most forceful argument is that if the Federal Emergency Regulatory Commission, or FERC, approved the dam’s removal, it would directly contradict Trump’s Executive Order No. 14181, “Emergency Measures To Provide Water Resources in California and Improve Disaster Response in Certain Areas.”
Trump’s order requests that the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce, “immediately take actions to override existing activities that unduly burden efforts to maximize water deliveries,” the letter notes.
If FERC approved the decommissioning, the board argued that it would “‘unduly burden’ many communities that rely on Lake Pillsbury, minimizing water deliveries to our farmers and other end users, including water flows in fire hydrants.”
The letter also refers to a second Trump action, Executive Order No. 14156, issued on Jan. 20, “Declaring a National Energy Emergency,” in which the president requests increases to the nation’s energy supply.
County officials said they’ve long been kept from having a meaningful part in the discussion process. That’s despite their lobbying efforts as well as an October 2020 attempt from Congressman John Garamendi, then one of Lake County’s members of the House of Representatives, to get Lake County a seat at the table.
Board shares frustrations about process
Supervisor Crandell, also the board chair, said at the start of the Tuesday afternoon discussion that the process regarding the Potter Valley Project has been framed in that decommissioning the dam is the best way to move forward. However, he said the county has always felt there has never been a proper discussion about the option of not decommissioning the dam.
Supervisor Sabatier said that on Feb. 11 a memorandum of understanding was approved by a number of parties, including Sonoma County Water, Humboldt County, Mendocino County Inland Water and others as part of the Eel Russian Project Authority, which has been working with PG&E to be part of the FERC process to keep water diversions going.
“Good for them,”said Sabatier, noting there have been big misconceptions about what is happening in Lake County with regard to the situation.
Sabatier said a lot of people believe Lake County has been involved in the talks with other counties and groups. “Those discussions may have occurred but they are very superficial.”
He said Lake County has been denied multiple times in its efforts to be involved in the conversations about the dam’s future. Sabatier pointed to the county’s efforts to be included in talks involving the two-basin solution as part of the Russian River Forum.
Every time the county asked to present its side, it was denied. Finally, it got the opportunity and that was the last meeting the group ever had, Sabatier said.
“We are in the midst of one of the biggest human climate change experiences and it seems like this project wants to ignore climate change or at least ignore the fact that we have to look at a global perspective to climate change and not try to provide for one and not another,” Sabatier said.
He said water availability and fish passage to their spawning grounds have been presented as a binary choice, and they don’t have to be.
Sabatier said the plan also includes building a new dam elsewhere. He said that’s the only option if Sonoma and Mendocino counties want to have water during the end of summer season or especially during times of drought.
He said PG&E’s plan is to destroy not just the dam but the Lake Pillsbury community and water storage, and likely destroy another community somewhere in Mendocino or Sonoma counties because they will have to flood somewhere in order to create a new basin for another dam.
Sabatier said the conversion has been “very myopic,” rather than looking at the whole situation.
Crandell, along with Sabatier, has represented the county in what discussions there have been with the state government and other counties and agencies, but he said they haven’t really had meaningful discussions.
He said it’s also been the case that when Lake County brings forward its concerns, 20 to 30 agencies have arranged to pile up on the county, never acknowledging its concerns but only arguing back.
Crandell said county officials believe the dam is actually helping the fish survive, noting that last year, one of the agencies wrote a letter to FERC asking them to convince PG&E to raise the gates.
“Just giving you an example of the frustration that we’ve had,” Crandell said.
County staff present information
Sabatier praised county staffers for their effort to research the situation, recognizing Deputy County Administrative Officer Matthew Rothstein, County Counsel Lloyd Guintivano and Treasurer-Tax Collector Patrick Sullivan. He also praised the Lake Pillsbury community for being an “amazing partner throughout this entire journey.”
Rothstein explained that the county contracted with SLR International Corp. to analyze the effects of the proposed dam decommissioning. As part of the work, the company conducted a thorough review of PG&E’s draft surrender application and provided detailed comments for the board to include in its letters.
He said SLR also provided technical concerns such as slope stability at each stage of the proposed dam removal and risk of landslides in the area of Scott Dam, which he said should be better understood before the project proceeds.
The study confirmed that Lake Pillsbury has been an important fire suppression asset that has helped to keep wildfires small and that it indicates PG&E should provide resources and create a plan to improve firefighting response times.
Other recommendations included PG&E consulting with the county of Lake to obtain correct tax information and incorporate that information into their analysis.
Rothstein said SLR also remarked that the way of life for residents surrounding Lake Pillsbury will likely be adversely affected during and post construction and PG&E should therefore identify proper compensation for those who are to be affected.
Sullivan said that throughout the process it's often been indicated that Lake County has been accommodated or concerns have been addressed but, he added, “it's clearly not the case,” nor does there appear to be a restoration plan for Lake County that's being contemplated.
SLR staff were on Zoom to answer questions. In their brief comments, as well as in the response letter they prepared for the county, the consultants noted that there are about 20 “unavoidable consequences” PG&E has cited in its surrender plan, but SLR said those needed to be more thoroughly evaluated as required by state and federal law in order to find scenarios to minimize those impacts to the county and enhance recreation, ecosystem and fire suppression benefits.
Their letter recommended PG&E discuss with the County of Lake such “likely options” before the final application for surrender of license is submitted on July 29.
Crandell said he appreciated SLR’s synopsis, as they want those issues addressed before moving forward. He said it’s been frustrating that the county has not been able to have the dialogue or to come together with the other parties and have potential action. Rather, the county has been told to take a wait and see approach.
Supervisor Helen Owen said she was concerned about environmental impacts of the dam removal, including sludge deposits. She said it’s her understanding that quicksilver mining had been done in the area where the lake nowsits.
Members of the public weigh in
Nicole Whipple, a member of the Round Valley tribe and a Lake County resident, said her tribal people and their water rights were harmed with the dam’s creation. She said the fishery was so strong that it was of economic value to “the colonizers” to take not only the water source but the fishery and to forcibly move her people off their ancestral aboriginal territories onto reservations.
Lake County Chamber Executive Director Amanda Martin emphasized “the critical importance of including Lake County in the decision making process,” adding, “It is vital that as the dam and the lake are within our county's borders, the people in businesses of Lake County have a voice in this discussion.”
Martin said any decision made about the future of Scott Dam will have “significant implications to our community and it is only fair and just that we are given an opportunity to participate in a process that will shape our environment and economy for generations to come. We believe that decisions about the lake must include those who live here, work here and rely on the lake for their livelihoods. The exclusion of Lake County from these discussions has been both unfair and short-sighted as it overlooks the direct impact such decisions will have on our local economy, tourism and quality of life.”
Ray Todt, a Lake Pillsbury resident, said he’s seen firsthand how valuable Lake Pillsbury is for firefighting. To remove the dam would be a “man-made environmental disaster,” he said.
Todt reported that PG&E has threatened to close all of the recreational facilities and campgrounds around Lake Pillsbury.
In response, Sabatier said there was a deal struck between PG&E and the Mendocino Land Trust in 2022, brought forward by the California Public Utilities Commission, that there will be a conservation easement on the entirety of the Potter Valley Project that only allows the maintenance of what is already there. That easement, he said, is so restrictive “that there is no such thing as Lake Pillsbury 2.0.”
He said he’d never seen the ability of other agencies to cancel the county’s economic development without the county being able to comment. It’s a process that he called “absurd.”
Former Lake County Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Officer Melissa Fulton spoke of her efforts to work against the proposal. She said she found it “extremely disturbing” that Congressman Huffman, whose district doesn’t have any tie to Lake County, began the project to dismantle the dam. Fulton noted that Lake County has been sorely missing at the table; she recalled contacting Huffman’s office in early 2019 to ask for a meeting about the matter and was told that wasn’t possible.
She thanked the board for its efforts, noting the county’s letters “express very well the issues that Lake County has faced in trying to address an issue that is totally within their boundaries.”
Carol Cinquini, a Lake Pillsbury community leader who has fought the dam removal, also thanked the board. She said PG&E is under no obligation to forward community comments to FERC.
“It's going to be really important that we continue this, stay strong and be very prepared during the FERC process which will open July 29,” she said.
Crandell said he has no ill will towards any of the other agencies, tribes or government. “I think they've all been put in the same position we have, they need a source of water, so they're doing what they feel they need to for their constituency.”
He said the process frustrates him, pointing to the transparency issues and not being allowed to be involved in the early years of the process. Some of the animosity might have died down if Lake County had been able to be a part of it. Yet, he said the county was kept out even after it paid a required $100,000 to participate.
During the August Complex, Crandell said he was at Lake Pillsbury Ranch and watched the helicopters go over to bring in water. He said hotshot crews on the fire told him the county would have been toast if it hadn’t been for Lake Pillsbury as a water source.
On Zoom, Frank Lynch said Lake County has been slighted throughout the process. He saluted the board for trying to stay engaged.
Lynch echoed Sabatier’s comments about trying to find the economic balance, and he said an effort to examine finding another entity to take overoperation of the lake is warranted.
Jonathan Cronan said Lake County needs Lake Pillsbury for fire mitigation. He said wildlife — including bears, otters and mountain lions — will perish when the dam is removed.
“We also have paid $7.5 billion in California for a new additional water storage which would be nice if we could apply that towards refurbishing the dam,” Cronan said. “I use Lake Pillsbury for recreation. It's a beautiful area and I hate to see that dam come out.”
Crandell offered more time to speak, and Whipple returned to the microphone. “You guys can’t even take care of this lake here,” she said in an apparent reference to Clear Lake, advocating for letting the Eel be a free flowing river. “Having another bacteria infested cesspool is not getting us anywhere.”
She accused the county of coming into the talks about the lake and acting “entitled.”
Crandell said he wasn’t going to respond to Whipple’s comments because it would take all day.
Written comments to the board on Tuesday appeared unanimously against the dam’s removal.
Board holds short deliberation
Supervisor Jessica Pyska said she had watched a Humboldt County meeting from a few weeks ago, noting they were the only MOU party that has had a public discussion. However, they didn’t talk about issues like sediments, potential structural collapse due to instability, and she suggested there are issues that they may not be aware of.
“Again, everyone is looking out for their own interests. But, I can’t wrap my head around that this dam has to come down to build another reservoir somewhere else, in this day and age when we're so focused on water capacity and storage and recharging groundwater, that's exactly what this project already does,” Pyska said.
She added, Humboldt County also didn’t discuss the potential for the rivers to dry up every year, which it’s known happens. “I think there could have been a lot more collaboration between all of the parties, a better conversation, better work product,” because if there had been, Pyska said they wouldn’t be where they were.
Vice Chair Brad Rasmussen also thanked the board members and staff for their work. “I know there's a lot of stakeholders with concerns but I don't feel like the Lake County concerns have been listened to and I have a lot of concerns about the impact on our community here so I'm in support of sending these letters as written.”
Sabatier made three separate motions, to approve the comments to PG&E in response to its draft application to surrender the project license, as well as the letter to Newsom and to the Trump Administration, with Owen seconding all three.
The board voted 5-0 on all motions.
On Tuesday evening, Newsom’s office released a statement celebrating the Trump administration’s announcement that it had released more than $315 million of obligated money to create new water storage at the future Sites Reservoir in the northern Sacramento Valley and at the existing San Luis Reservoir.
“We are grateful for this shared priority with the Trump Administration as we move forward together to build critical infrastructure to improve water storage,” Newsom said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
022525 BOS Potter Valley Project Agenda Packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd
