Potter Valley Project Dam Removal

planned

The Potter Valley Project involves the removal of Scott Dam and Cape Horn Dam on the Eel River in California. The project aims to dismantle these dams, which have been in place for over a century, to restore natural river flow, improve fish passage, and restore ecological balance. The removal will expose the former Lake Pillsbury reservoir bed, restore sediment and wood supply to the river, and allow native fish species such as summer steelhead and Pacific lamprey to access upstream habitats for the first time in 100 years. The project also includes the construction of a smaller run-of-river facility near the old Cape Horn site to manage water diversion under seasonal rules.