Healdsburg’s Water Supply at Risk After PG&E Pivot

Maybe you’ve heard mention, over the past few years, of a big bureaucratic haggle going on up in Mendocino County over the fate of an aging piece of waterway infrastructure called the “Potter Valley power plant.” It’s owned by PG&E right now, but they’ve been desperately trying to wash their hands of it. The whole saga is kind of hard to follow, but it’s pretty important — because whoever takes over the plant and its accompanying dams, and what they decide to do with it, will directly impact our Russian River-fed water supply here in Healdsburg and neighboring rivertowns. So here’s the latest on all that. PG&E had initially promised to make sure whoever takes over the Potter Valley plant would “allow continued water diversions from the Eel River into the Russian River,” the North Bay Business Journal reports. “However, it now has decided to proceed with license surrender for the Potter Valley plant without those provisions.” Which essentially “threatens water supply for more than 600,000 Russian River water users” — including us. (We get most of our water from the Lake Mendocino reservoir, which pulls from the Russian, which pulls from the Eel.) Here’s what PG&E’s flip-flop could mean for those of us downstream, according to the Journal: “Studies using 110 years of hydrologic data show Lake Mendocino would go dry in roughly two of every 10 years without continued diversions. In eight out of 10, the reservoir would be unable to meet all the demands on it.” Complicating things further is the fact that tearing out dams — and prioritizing fish and other wildlife — is all the rage right now, and Gov. Newsom has reportedly “pledged to support and expedite dam removal plans so they can be finalized by the end of this year.” However, before anyone starts despairing: A PG&E rep tells the Journal that the utility company “remains committed to continue working together” with all the groups involved. And, in the words of U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman from San Rafael: “I don’t think anyone is hitting the panic button just yet. We’re not going to take out dams and shut off the Russian River basin. That is never going to happen.” (Source: North Bay Business Journal; paywall)