Cape Horn Dam. Photo: PG&E.

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Yesterday Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins made quite a splash in our corner of the country. The secretary tweeted out that a new player had arisen to block the decommissioning of two failed Pacific Gas and Electric dams on the upper stretches of the Eel River.

This player was “a legitimate buyer who expressed strong interest in purchasing the project from PG&E,” according the secretary. Its purchase of the project would allow the federal government to “restart/expand reliable hydroelectric electric generation while keeping both [dams] in place” and “secure reliable water for 750,000 Californians and hundreds of hardworking farmers who rely on it for irrigation.”

Secretary Rollins explicitly expressed optimism that this player would kill the PG&E-led effort to tear down the dams, and also to do away with the water-sharing agreement reached between communities downstream and water users in the Russian River watershed, which receives Eel River water through the dams.

So who is this buyer? It is the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, a small to mid-sized water agency way down south in Riverside County. Last night Sylvia Ornelas, a spokesperson for the district, returned the Outpost’s call and agreed to answer some questions.

To sum up the conversation at the top: Ornelas wished to emphasize that the district had absolutely no concrete plans at this stage of the game, that it hadn’t yet looked at the opportunities or constraints of taking ownership of the project, or even if doing so was legally feasible at this point in the proceedings.

“Taking meetings and having discussions with different stakeholders is kind of where we’re at,” Ornelas said. “Initially, I don’t have any other information beyond that at this point.  Once we do and once we move forward, we can certainly, you know, give you an update. But as far as I know right now, again, we’re just in an initial exploratory phase.”

What impelled the district to look at the Potter Valley project?

“What I can say is that as part of our strategic plan, we actively explore opportunities that support long-term water reliability and protects public health. And so specifically for Potter Valley, it includes water infrastructure and supply options beyond our immediate service area.”

Does the district envision shipping Eel River water south to its Riverside County customers?

“I don’t think we have that information yet. I think right now we’re just in initial stages of talking to different stakeholders and exploring all opportunities.”

Has the district looked into the seismic issues that plague the dams, or the environmental concerns around their continued existence?

“Like I said, we have not. We’re not that far yet into any processes yet. It’s just an initial, you know, evaluation and opportunity. Beyond that, we don’t you know, we haven’t gotten into anything further.”

Had she seen PG&E’s statement yesterday, in which the utility said that it no longer had the legal ability to transfer the license to the project, contra the Secretary of Agriculture’s assertions? 

“I have not heard one way or the other, so I can’t speak to that.”

[To clarify the above: Though PG&E said it cannot transfer the license to the dams, the agency said that it can still transfer the dams themselves.]

The Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors meets tomorrow at 4 p.m. There is no mention made anywhere in the published agenda of a possible acquisition of assets along the Eel River, but Zoom and telephone participation will be available. Instructions at the link.