FERC is preparing an environmental review of PG&E’s proposal to surrender the Potter Valley Project license, remove Scott and Cape Horn dams, and allow use of project lands for construction of a New Eel-Russian Facility to continue water diversions from the Eel River to the East Branch of the Russian River.
Agencies and communities have identified critical questions that this environmental review must address. Below, we highlight their key requests for studies and analyses, with links to the full filings so you can read them for yourself.
Lake Pillsbury Alliance: What happens to the people and places around the lake?
LPA asks FERC to examine the loss of Lake Pillsbury as a wildfire suppression resource, the effects on groundwater and local water systems, the loss of recreation, and consequences for the surrounding community. LPA also calls for a full Environmental Impact Statement and a serious comparison of alternatives that would retain the lake and its benefits.
Read LPA’s July 23, 2026 Scoping Comments
County of Lake: How will local impacts be measured and addressed?
The County has called attention to Lake Pillsbury’s role in recreation, water supply, and wildfire protection, as well as the need to assess effects on Lake County residents and services. Its filing provides a local government perspective on impacts and alternatives that FERC’s regional analysis must account for.
Read the County of Lake’s July 24, 2026 Comments
U.S. Department of Agriculture: Which alternatives deserve a full comparison?
USDA asks FERC to examine continued operation, transfer to a qualified successor, and options that retain some or all project works. It also requests study of effects on Forest Service grazing allotments, agricultural communities, water supply, and wildfire response. USDA calls for an Environmental Impact Statement.
Read USDA’s September 18, 2026 Scoping Comments
U.S. Department of the Interior: Will replacement water be ready when it is needed?
DOI asks FERC to test whether the proposed New Eel-Russian Facility can provide water in the volumes and seasons needed, whether Lake Mendocino can store that water under its operating rules, and what happens if replacement infrastructure is delayed. DOI requests an Environmental Impact Statement and a detailed analysis of water supply continuity. DOI filed these comments with a request that FERC accept them after the scoping deadline.
Read DOI’s September 18, 2026 Scoping Comments
State Water Resources Control Board: Are the studies and management plans complete?
The State Water Board identifies ongoing work on slope stability, sediment, toxicity, wetlands, and other subjects. It asks FERC to consider the surrender application incomplete and hold its environmental analysis until PG&E develops the management plans informed by those studies.
Read the State Water Board’s July 23 Comments
Mendocino County Inland Water & Power Commission: Where will the water be stored after Scott Dam is gone?
IWPC asks FERC to analyze what happens when Scott Dam’s seasonal storage is eliminated and the proposed NERF can divert water only when Eel River flows allow it. It specifically raises the risk that water available during winter and wet spring months may not be available when it is needed for summer irrigation, environmental flows, and domestic uses unless additional Russian River storage is developed.
Read IWPC’s July 2026 Scoping Comments
Potter Valley Irrigation District: How will Potter Valley have water when it needs it?
PVID asks FERC to examine the consequences of replacing the existing system of stored water with a seasonal, run-of-river diversion. Potter Valley sits upstream of Lake Mendocino and cannot rely on releases from the reservoir, making the timing, quantity, storage, and reliability of future NERF deliveries especially important to farms, homes, and other local water users. IWPC specifically directed FERC to PVID’s filing for more detailed analysis of this issue.
Read PVID’s July 2026 Scoping Comments
Sonoma County Farm Bureau: What are the economic consequences of reduced water supply?
The Sonoma County Farm Bureau asks FERC to examine the economic effects of reduced Potter Valley Project water on agriculture and the broader Sonoma County economy. It also calls for replacement water infrastructure to be funded, permitted, designed, and operational before existing diversion or storage infrastructure is dismantled, and asks FERC to examine whether the proposed NERF can provide reliable replacement water.
Read Sonoma County Farm Bureau’s July 15, 2026 Scoping Comments
Humboldt County: What happens downstream when the dams are removed?
Humboldt County asks FERC to examine how sediment released by dam removal could affect water quality, channel migration, and municipal water infrastructure serving downstream Eel River communities, including Scotia and Rio Dell. It also asks FERC to evaluate socioeconomic effects on sport and commercial fishing, recreation, and the benefits and costs associated with fisheries restoration.
The shared question is whether FERC will examine the complete consequences of the proposal before making an irreversible decision. The filings do not all make the same arguments. Together, they show why the public needs a thorough, transparent review of the evidence and reasonable alternatives.
