Live Radio
photo credit: Sydney FishmanAt Monday's meeting in Ukiah, farmers expressed fears of increased water costs.
For more than 100 years, the Potter Valley Project has diverted water from the Eel River to the Russian River watershed through two dams -- the Scott Dam at Lake Pillsbury and Cape Horn Dam at Lake Van Arsdale. The two lakes have supplied water to communities throughout Mendocino and Sonoma counties.
This water source has been crucial for agricultural, municipal, and environmental uses. As soon as 2028, PG&E plans on decommissioning the Potter Valley Project, which could help fish restoration on the Eel River but could also decrease water availability and negatively impact local communities.
More than 100 people attended the workshop in downtown Ukiah to learn more about the decommissioning process and what it will look like once PG&E begins dismantling the Potter Valley Project.
The atmosphere was generally calm, but several community members also showed signs of frustration while listening to the presentation.
Presenters at the meeting included key engineers and consultants who have assisted the Inland Water and Power Commission in communicating with PG&E and informing the community about how to provide feedback on the project.
The consultants and engineers spoke about the need for continuous planning on building reservoirs to collect water from the watersheds before the decommissioning. They also discussed how the removal of the dams would impact groundwater availability, particularly during the summer months.
Additionally, the speakers spoke about the economic and political implications of decommissioning the Potter Valley Project. They said the decommissioning could negatively affect surrounding communities, including agricultural workers and other residents.
Ed Nickerman, an apple farmer from Potter Valley who has operated his farm for about 60 years, said how detrimental it would be if water costs were raised for residents and farmers throughout the region, which could happen after PG&E dismantles Potter Valley Project.
"We've been paying $18 to $20 per acre-foot for a while; we are the envy of the whole state," he said. He predicted that the cost could increase greatly once the dams are dismantled. "That's absolutely disastrous. It will wipe out every piece of farming from here to the Bay Area, and you know that as well as I do."
In addition to farming impacts, the presenters noted that the project was built in the middle of significant fish spawning grounds, which has harmed Native groups, their treaty-protected fishing rights, and traditional practices.
Presenters and community members also discussed the need for an economic impact report from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, a federal agency that oversees the transmission of electricity, natural gas, and oil across the U.S.
In the past, community members and local politicians have proposed that Mendocino County residents, particularly those in Potter Valley, receive some form of compensation for PG&E's disruption of their water supply.
Nicole Whipple, a tribal member of the Round Valley Indian Tribe and a policy advocate for Save California Salmon, said in an interview that tribal communities have had water access taken away for more than a century and that she does not believe PG&E owes any compensation to Potter Valley residents after the dams are dismantled.
"As a Round Valley tribal member, our water has been outsourced for hundreds of years at no cost," she said. "Not to be heartless, but I don't understand them asking to be paid for free access to water that has not been paid to our tribe that has held the water rights for the last 100 years."
Whipple said it would be helpful for PG&E to offer community benefits to locals and Native groups, but she does not believe residents should be paid for the water.
Janet Pauli, commissioner for the Potter Valley Irrigation District and the organizer of the workshop, said that although community members are fearful about what will happen after the dams are dismantled, she advises locals to become informed, attend meetings, and get involved in the process.
"I think we are moving in the right direction," Pauli said. "We have a lot of work to do, and it doesn't happen all at one time."
