PG&E plans to decommission the Potter Valley Project, signaling the end for two hydroelectric dams on the Eel River. The decision comes after the utility determined that maintaining the 100-year-old infrastructure is no longer economically viable. The project, which provides power to a limited number of homes, would require a $15 million repair to continue operations, leading the company to seek federal approval for full removal.
This proposal creates a rare consensus among local groups. The Round Valley Indian Tribes, along with farmers and environmental advocates, support the move. For the tribes, the dams represent a century of restricted access to traditional food sources like salmon and steelhead. Removing these structures aims to restore the river as a free-flowing waterway, reclaiming tribal connection to ancestral lands.
Agricultural interests in Sonoma County also find common ground in this agreement. Farmers who depend on water diverted from the Eel River to the Russian River will maintain access through a new arrangement. Under the proposed plan, the Round Valley Indian Tribes will manage water rights and receive fees for the continued diversion, shifting the balance of control back to the tribal government.
The path toward a free-flowing Eel River remains subject to federal oversight and bureaucratic review. While PG&E submitted its formal application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 2025, the decommissioning process involves years of planning. The project must navigate environmental impact studies and public comment periods, with physical removal not expected until the 2030s.
Despite the long timeline, the agreement stands as a significant shift in resource management for Northern California. If successful, the restoration of the Eel River will create one of the longest free-flowing river systems in the state, balancing regional water needs with environmental and cultural priorities.