SCOTT DAM is one of two dams that make up the Potter Valley
Hydropower Project. The Project, owned by PG&E, consists of Scott
and Cape Horn dams, two reservoirs, and a diversion tunnel that sends water south to the Russian River watershed. The dams are up for Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) relicensing
in 2022.
Removing Deadbeat Dams
The era of dam building in California ushered in a period of unrivaled prosperity by supplying water, hydroelectric power, and recreational opportunities to a growing state, but most of the 1,500-plus dams were built without any consideration of the damaging effects of these impoundments on the health of river ecosystems and fish species. The momentum has now switched to taking a hard look at dams where the costs to the environment and native fish species far exceed the benefits to people. While some dams continue to work effectively, others have simply outlived their usefulness. CalTrout is leading an effort to prioritize those "deadbeat dams" that should be removed to realize a variety of benefits such as fish passage to historic spawning habitat, a return to more natural river flows, and the recovery of other species along river corridors.
According to the State of the Salmonids II (SOS II) report published by CalTrout in 2017, 45% of our native salmon, steelhead, and trout will be extinct in 50 years if present trends continue. In the report, dams are identified as one of the top three threats to anadromous species. The report states that removing dams and fish passage barriers or enabling passage to historically important spawning and rearing habitats is key for the recovery and persistence of many anadromous species.
RESTORATION