The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors has approved a nonbinding resolution in support of PG&E’s plan to decommission the Potter Valley Project’s dams.
The resolution was approved 3-2, with Supervisors Madeline Cline and Bernie Norvell dissenting.
The resolution was placed on the board’s Nov. 4 agenda by Supervisor Ted Williams without naming Potter Valley Project in the title. PG&E’s 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.
Instead, the title on the board’s agenda reads, “Adoption of Resolution Reaffirming Support for the Co-Equal Goals of the Two-Basin Solution and the Water Diversion Agreement for the New Eel-Russian Facility.”
The New Eel-Russian Facility is a proposed plan from the Eel-Russian Project Authority, a newly formed coalition negotiating with PG&E on the decommissioning of the Potter Valley Project. The facility would continue diverting water to the Russian River and replace current infrastructure with two water storage basins, aiming to reduce the risk of shortages.
When asked by The Mendocino Voice about why Potter Valley Project was not included in the title on the agenda, Williams stated, “Because Potter Valley Project is an energy plant operated by PG&E. Our focus ahead is about water security, not power generation.”
Williams’ statement continued, “This resolution marks a shift from conflict to collaboration, uniting diverse partners in securing our shared water future. Through cooperation with tribal, state, and federal partners, neighboring counties, environmental advocates, and the city of Ukiah, we are building lasting water security.”
As soon as 2028, PG&E plans on decommissioning the Potter Valley Project, which could help fish restoration on the Eel River but also could decrease water availability.
Dueling resolutions
Williams’ resolution, included on the Oct. 21 Board of Supervisors agenda, got new additions and edits and was moved forward to last week’s meeting as an alternative to a separate resolution sponsored by Cline and Norvell. Williams’ resolution outlines the positive impacts of the removal of the dams, such as fish restoration and support for local Native American communities, including the Round Valley Indian Tribes.
Cline and Norvell created a resolution to outline how the decommissioning of the dams could significantly harm surrounding communities and that before the decommissioning of the dams, there needs to be a “full and comprehensive analysis of community and economic impacts.”
During Tuesday’s meeting, Williams spoke about why he proposed a different resolution and said he did not want the Board of Supervisors to burn bridges with organizations involved in the decommissioning of the two dams.
“I don’t think Mendocino County has much political sway. I think our best hope is trying to work with partners,” Williams stated.
In an interview, Cline, who recently made a Facebook post about Williams’ alternative resolution, said his resolution seemed rushed and unprepared.
“There were edits that were made to his resolution like the morning of the meeting. It was very sloppily and hastily changed,” Cline said.
She also said the process surrounding the resolutions was not transparent enough for the community to understand what was being approved by the board.
“I think that things are being done by certain people in a way that’s not transparent. My role is to help create transparency and share information,” Cline said.
The next Board of Supervisors meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Nov. 18 in the board chambers at 501 Low Gap Road, Ukiah. Meetings can also be watched virtually via Zoom. More information, including agendas, is available by visiting the county’s website.