Potter Valley Project
Sector: Hydro • Location: Potter Valley, California, United States
Source: The Mendocino Voice
The Potter Valley Project consists of two dams on the Eel River: Scott Dam, which holds back Lake Pillsbury, and Cape Horn Dam, which holds back Van Arsdale Reservoir. The project diverts water from the Eel River through a tunnel into the East Branch of the Russian River, supplying water to Lake Mendocino and supporting local agriculture and communities. PG&E has filed to surrender its federal hyd
- Status
- Prospective
- Sector
- Hydro, Water Supply and Storage, Government, Tunnel, Raw Materials
- Location
- Potter Valley, California, United States of America
- Updated
- 22 Jul 2026
- Source
- The Mendocino Voice
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Project Information
Participants
| Not available for this record. |
Status
Original status | planned |
Taiyo status | Prospective |
Taiyo last update | 2026-07-22 |
Contact
| Not available for this record. |
Description
Description | The Potter Valley Project consists of two dams on the Eel River: Scott Dam, which holds back Lake Pillsbury, and Cape Horn Dam, which holds back Van Arsdale Reservoir. The project diverts water from the Eel River through a tunnel into the East Branch of the Russian River, supplying water to Lake Mendocino and supporting local agriculture and communities. PG&E has filed to surrender its federal hydropower license for the project, citing seismic safety issues with Scott Dam. A local coalition has developed a federally accepted plan to remove the dams and maintain a smaller seasonal diversion to protect the Russian River watershed. The Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, located in Riverside County, has expressed interest in buying the project infrastructure, though its intentions and plans remain unclear and are under scrutiny by local stakeholders and Congress. |
Original sector | Water and Hydropower |
Location
Country | United States of America (USA) |
State | California |
City | Potter Valley |
Source
Source | The Mendocino Voice |
URL |
More Details
Record type | Project |
Sector | Hydro, Water Supply and Storage, Government, Tunnel, Raw Materials |
Article published date | 2026-05-18 |
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