Gravel bar on the Eel River in California.

The Trump administration is urging PG&E to halt plans to remove two aging Northern California dams that play a crucial role in the region’s river system. 

PG&E owns Scott Dam in Lake County and Cape Horn Dam in Mendocino County, which together are known as the Potter Valley Project. Those dams divert water from the Eel River to the Russian River, providing water supply to local communities in Mendocino and Sonoma counties. The utility submitted its proposal to decommission the structures in July 2025 and plans to eventually remove them altogether after determining that they are no longer economically beneficial.

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Despite the fact that PG&E’s plan has been known — and debated — for years, the Trump administration stepped in several months ago. 

The Trump administration’s argument was that removing the dams would cut off critical water supply for farmers and rural communities. In December, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reject PG&E’s plan. FERC has jurisdiction over the facility as the federal agency that licenses hydropower projects. The Potter Valley Project included a hydroelectric powerhouse until 2021.

Now, Rollins is saying a potential buyer has emerged for the century-old complex. 

Don't let Google decide who you trust.

In a Tuesday post on X, Rollins said she spoke with the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, which she said is interested in buying the Potter Valley Project. That Southern California water district serves communities in southwest........

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