The government of the U.S. state of California, conservation groups, and local county governments have reached an agreement that will help restore salmon to the state's Eel River while ensuring water access for more than 600,000 Californians.
The agreement stems from Pacific Gas and Electric’s (PG&E) 2019 decision to remove outdated hydroelectric dams on the Eel River. The Scott Dam and the Cape Horn Dam both impeded the upriver journey of salmon since the early 1900s, and their removal will open nearly 300 miles of the Eel River watershed for salmon spawning and rearing.
On 13 February, the California Department of Natural Resources, CDFW, the Round Valley Indian Tribes, county government leaders, and conservation groups California Trout and Trout Unlimited gathered to announce a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) outlining the deal.
While in place, the dams diverted water from the Eel River watershed to the Russian River watershed, providing water to residents in the California counties of Mendocino, Sonoma, and Marin. Under the new MOU, the Eel River will remain free flowing to allow salmon access to the watershed while the government will build a new facility to continue diverting water to the Russian River watershed.
“This landmark agreement is pivotal for this part of Northern California and also our entire state,” California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot said in a statement. “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.”
CDFW has committed USD 18 million (EUR 17 million) toward the project, with USD 9 million (EUR 8.6 million) set aside for modernizing the old diversion and building a new Eel-Russian facility. The remaining money will be put into the new Eel River Restoration Fund.
“When Californians come together, they deserve thanks. The Eel River historically supported some of the largest salmon and steelhead runs on the North Coast,” California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton Bonham said in a statement. “We can restore that river and bring salmon home. Water supply for people 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.”
The MOU will also return Eel River water rights to the Round Valley Indian Tribes.
“Today is a great day for the Round Valley Indian Tribes, our communities, and the people living along the Eel River,” Round Valley Indian Tribes President Joseph Parker said in a statement. “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.”
In January, U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (D-California) announced USD 15 million (EUR 14 million) in U.S. Bureau of Reclamation funding for an estuary project being led by the Round Valley Indian Tribes and the Sonoma County Water Agency.
