Skip to main content

Russian River Weekly Update, 2/24/25

<Click to view content on website>

Coyote Valley Dam release, February 8, 2025 by D. Edelman
Coyote Valley Dam release, February 8, 2025 by D. Edelman

 

Reservoir Storage & Operations:

Water supply information provided by Sonoma Water (find more water storage info here).

Storage data for Lakes Mendocino, Pillsbury, and Sonoma with current levels, targets, and 7-day changes.
Lake Mendocino storage graph from 2018-2025 with storage and FIRO storage curves on an acre-feet scale.
Graph of Lake Pillsbury storage, showing acre-feet scenarios from 2018-2025 with specific targets noted.
Graph of Lake Sonoma storage from 2018-2025 showing acre-feet over time with storage and deviation curves.

 

PG&E Public Draft Surrender Application and Decommissioning Plan

PG&E’s Final Draft Surrender Application and Conceptual Decommissioning Plan (Surrender Application) and Application for Non-Project Use of Project Lands for the Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project (FERC Project No. 77) is available for review and comment at the following website: http//pottervalleysurrenderproceeding.com. This document can be accessed from the Documents page using the following password: PV_Surrender

On Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025 PG&E hosted an online meeting to share information on the final draft, discussed the regulatory process, and noted opportunities to participate. For more information, visit RRFC's website page on the PG&E Draft Surrender Application & Decommissioning Plan for PVP.

Partnership to Preserve Eel to Russian River Diversion

Stakeholders on the Eel and Russian rivers have reached agreement on a framework for future water diversions from the Eel into the Russian River, once PG&E decommissions its Potter Valley power plant, through which flows have been directed for nearly 120 years. A memorandum of understanding was signed in a ceremony in Sacramento on Thursday February 13, 2025, allowing for limited diversions to continue, but only when the Eel River has sufficiently high flows to accommodate different life stages of federally protected salmon and steelhead trout. For more information, visit RRFC's website page on the Partnership.

PVP Related Articles:

 

PG&E FERC Filings for 2025 and Beyond

PG&E has submitted a temporary license flow amendment (previously referred to as a temporary flow variance) to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for the Potter Valley Project 2025 operations. It has also submitted an Application for Non-Capacity License Amendment. Visit RRFC’s website for more information:

 

Conversation with Dr. Daniel Swain, Climate Scientist, February 26th at 9 AM

Grab a cup and join a virtual Coffee and Conversation with Dr. Daniel Swain, California Institute for Water Resources (UC ANR), and Institute of the Environment & Sustainability, UCLA. Hosted by Regional Water Authority’s Manager of Government Relations, Ryan Ojakian, the discussion will explore the challenges and opportunities of managing California’s increasing climate extremes, from intensifying droughts to severe floods. This engaging discussion will examine what the future holds, how water agencies can prepare, and strategies for balancing affordability and resilience in a rapidly changing world. Link to registration.

 

California Natural Resources Agency Hosts Virtual Discussion with Black Leaders Charting the Path in Conservation - Wednesday, February 26, 2025 from noon to 1 p.m.

Join the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) for a special Black History Month edition of Secretary Speaker Series, featuring a distinguished panel of Black leaders in the environmental and conservation fields. This compelling discussion will highlight their groundbreaking achievements, the obstacles they have overcome, and the lessons they carry forward as they champion equity, sustainability, and community empowerment. Register for Zoom here.

 

New Dry Domestic Well Susceptibility Tool now available

Working with the State Water Resources Control Board, DWR has developed the Dry Domestic Well Susceptibility Tool, an interactive mapping tool that identifies areas within groundwater basins throughout California that may be prone to water supply shortages in drinking water wells. The tool is housed on the California's Groundwater Live, a website containing the latest information and data on groundwater conditions across the state. To use this tool, visit California's Groundwater Live and click the Dry Domestic Well Susceptibility tab. The California Natural Resources Agency website offers a fact sheet to learn more about this mapping tool, as well as information on DWR’s Dry Well Reporting System.

 

In the press:

 

Join our mailing list