THE MENDOCINO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS recently discussed dueling resolutions on PG&E’s position in the decommissioning of the Potter Valley Project’s dams.
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 — that 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 also decrease water availability and negatively impact local communities.
Two different non-binding resolutions were discussed during the board’s Oct. 21 meeting regarding the decommissioning of the Potter Valley Project. After hours of tense discussion and public comment, the board decided to move forward with a resolution sponsored by Supervisor Ted Williams, placing it on the consent calendar for the board’s next meeting on Nov. 4.
Due to the Brown Act, the state’s open meeting law, items must be added to agendas at least 72 hours before a meeting for them to be approved. Williams attached the item on the morning of Tuesday’s meeting, so it will have to be considered at the next meeting.
Two resolutions with different approaches
Supervisors Madeline Cline and Bernie Norvell had initially placed a resolution on the board’s agenda to talk further about how the decommissioning of the dams could harm surrounding communities.
Their resolution called on PG&E to take accountability for how the project’s decommissioning would impact local communities financially and environmentally, such as the effect on agricultural workers and those who rely on the water. This resolution also asked that there be a detailed analysis of the economic and community impact that the removal of the dams could cause.
The second and alternate resolution created by Williams took a supportive position on the decommissioning plan. Williams’ resolution discussed the potential positive impacts of removal of the dams, such as fish restoration and support for local Native American communities, including the Round Valley Indian Tribes.
PG&E and the tribes have reached an agreement to return water rights on the Eel River to the tribes. After decommissioning, the tribes will lease those rights to the newly formed Eel-Russian Project Authority, a commission that includes Sonoma County, the Sonoma County Water Agency, the Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission, and the Round Valley Indian Tribes.
Cline estimated about 90 to 100 people attended the board’s meeting.
Cline, who represents a large portion of the community that relies on the Potter Valley Project’s water and would be deeply impacted by the decommissioning of the dams — such as farmers and cattle ranchers — said in an interview that the board’s decision to move forward with Williams’ resolution only stifles public expression and discussion.
She also said it was not respectful for Williams to place a new resolution on the agenda the morning of the meeting, which did not give the other supervisors adequate time to read the document beforehand.
“… It was a different scope of resolution, different from what we had put forward. In my opinion, this should not have happened. … This is the opposite of transparency.” Supervisor Madeline Cline
“No one notified me about it. It was completely inappropriate. It was a different scope of resolution, different from what we had put forward. In my opinion, this should not have happened,” Cline emphasized. “It was completely inappropriate for him to hijack somebody else’s agenda item. This is the opposite of transparency.”
Cline also noted that her and Norvell’s resolution was not aiming to create a politicized argument, but to begin a civil discussion of the potential consequences the decommissioning could have.
“Our resolution aimed to balance the community’s concerns and the opposition that exists in our community,” Cline added. “We’re just asking for additional information to be presented so that we can make the best decisions for our community.”
Avoiding burned bridges while razing dams
Williams explained during the meeting that his resolution aims to ensure the board does not burn bridges with partners and outside organizations involved in the decommissioning.
“I want water security, I want to protect agriculture, and I don’t know the pathway to get there,” Williams said. “I am worried about unanticipated consequences, and that if the county takes a stronger stance, and then we find we burn bridges with partners, then we would be worse off than where we began. I think there’s a potential of that outcome.”
In an interview Wednesday, Williams explained why he thought Cline’s and Norvell’s resolution was ill-informed.
“The resolution that was proposed yesterday was arrogant,” Williams said. “Mendocino County has no political sway in this process. If we start burning bridges by taking a stance that they should not take the dams down, we may be on a losing end where those coalition partners walk away from Mendocino, leaving us with nothing.”
The next Board of Supervisors meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Nov. 4 in the board chambers at 501 Low Gap Road, Ukiah. Meetings can also be watched virtually via Zoom. More information, including agendas, is available on the county’s website.
This story originally appeared in The Mendocino Voice.