The Potter Valley Project, which diverts water from the Eel to the Russian River, was on track to be taken over by a group of five entities from both watersheds. The federal agency that licenses hydropower facilities recently denied a request from the group to extend the timeline to complete required studies.
Contrary to what some people in the Russian River have said, it does not close the door to the continued diversion through the license surrender process it will now be on. The surrender process actually could greatly reduce public costs, project difficulty, and timelines to reach a final outcome. As Congressman Huffman recently stated, the Two Basin Partnership is still on track for the same outcomes envisioned in the takeover scenario. We’ll keep you informed as this situation evolves. Stay tuned.