Landmark deal will secure water reliability for people and agriculture in the Russian River while returning Eel River water rights to Round Valley Indian Tribes and restoring salmon
California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot and California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham today joined with the Round Valley Indian Tribes, supervisors from Humboldt, Mendocino and Sonoma counties, California Trout, Trout Unlimited and other state and local leaders to announce a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a water agreement that will ensure water reliability for 600,000 or more of coastal Californians, farmers and ranchers while allowing the Eel River to again flow free to benefit salmon, environmental health, tribal and local communities.
The landmark agreement follows Pacific Gas and Electric’s (PG&E) decision, first announced in 2019, to remove century-old, outdated and seismically at-risk hydroelectric dams on the Eel River— the Scott Dam and the Cape Horn Dam in the Potter Valley area of Mendocino County. Removal of these dams will open almost 300 miles of historic spawning and rearing habitat on the upper Eel River watershed to native fish species such as Chinook salmon, steelhead and Pacific lamprey that have been locked out since the early 1900s.
For nearly 120 years those aging dams and now antiquated infrastructure have facilitated diverting water from the Eel River watershed to support the Russian River watershed and the water needs of coastal residents in Mendocino, Sonoma and Marin counties. This legacy has perpetuated conflict and disputes among California counties, communities, and Native American sovereign nations.
“This landmark agreement is pivotal for this part of northern California and also our entire state,” said Secretary Crowfoot. “It assures future water supply for area residents, restores the health of the Eel River, and builds tribal sovereignty. More broadly, it demonstrates how groups with very different interests can come together and solve complex challenges with common solutions. At this particular moment in time, this is a powerful and hopeful milestone.”
“Today is a great day for the Round Valley Indian Tribes, our communities, the people living along the Eel River,” said Joseph Parker, President, Round Valley Indian Tribes. “We’ve been left out of the loop for a long time so it’s nice now to have a seat at the head of the table. We’re grateful to Director Bonham and all of the partners who have made today possible.”
In support of the rural county, Tribal government and conservation group collaboration to reach this MOU, CDFW will make a funding commitment to support Californians coming together to solve a century-old conflict. Using existing bond funding intended for multi-benefit projects, CDFW today commits $18 million toward this partnership, directing $9 million to the design and capital costs of modernizing the old diversion and building the New Eel-Russian Facility (NERF) and a parallel $9 million as initial support for the MOU’s envisioned Eel River Restoration Fund.
PG&E’s separate decommissioning process is progressing and as a key partner recognizes the need to secure a new diversion facility to safeguard the future.
“When Californians come together, they deserve thanks. The Eel River historically supported some of the largest salmon and steelhead runs on the North Coast,” said CDFW’s Bonham. “We can restore that river and bring salmon home. Water supply for people in the Russian River can be protected. Putting Native American Tribes at the center is the right thing to do. All of this happens when people work together. We are proud of Sonoma, Mendocino, and Humboldt counties, the Round Valley Tribe, and our conservation group partners.”
Today’s announcement builds on the blueprint to recover California’s salmon populations put forth in 2024 by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s California Salmon Strategy for a Hotter, Drier Future.
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Media Contact:
Steve Gonzalez, CDFW Communications, (916) 804-1714