There is an entire other school of thought on the water and how people will be affected. As for Huffmans district, here is what Congress says. Maybe Musk broke it but now🤷🏻
Yup, Potter Valley is still there. So is the Russian River. And there are also definitely folks in Lake County who want to keep Lake Pillsbury — at least until an earthquake brings the dam down.
Hey interesting slant to your article, I enjoy your choice of words like ‘defunct’, which it isn’t. Lake Pillsbury isn’t even in his district 🤭. Here is a different perspective.
Hi Marc, the hydroelectric power plant is most definitely defunct. It hasn't operated since 2021. Potter Valley is also definitely in Huffman's district. So is the Russian River, which is fed by the Potter Valley diversion. For Huffman, this is mostly about downstream users/voters but the math suggests that the proposed diversion + storage is a better deal for the PVP ranchers and farmers, as well as water users throughout Norcal. The talked about acquisition could be a better deal for Socal, which already has very high water costs. We don't know because there are no details, but sooner or later we will know if there's really a proposal and what it's all about.
Once again, politics is taking precedence over people. The facts are being shaped to make closing the site look like the only viable option, ignoring the more sustainable path of upgrading it. Passing a $2 billion bill to taxpayers or customers, protecting shareholders, is unacceptable. This site was operational for 100 years; that legacy should fund its future, not be used as an excuse to burden an already struggling public.
@marcatager that link talks about the Cape Horn Dam, you are aware, right, that the Cape Horn Dam has nothing to do with Lake Pillsbury? Lake Pillsbury was the subject of your first comment. Lake Pillsbury is not in Huffman's district. Correct. All the downstream users of PVP are. That's why he's concerned, because he represents them. And you're throwing around cost figures that have no official source — no engineering cost estimates, no accountability. If you've followed our coverage, these are concerns we've raised about much smaller utility increases (but still very high percentage wise and very hard for low-income users). These smaller increases supposedly are tied to cost estimates but we haven't seen them. If you would like to dig into those increases, I'm happy to provide public records coaching. We'll do the same thing for the PVP estimates when they become available -- but they aren't yet. I will look into the preliminary engineering report that is the source of the article you link to.
@marcatager I took a look at the report. Good news, there are Class Four estimates for the cost of updating the Cape Horn Dam and none are anywhere close to $2 billion. Three options were examined in the preliminary engineering report. The first option — leaving the dam and its fish ladder in place, was estimated to cost substantially less than the second and third options. It was dismissed because key stakeholders, including those willing to contribute budget, wanted a lower dam. A Class Four estimate of a lower dam with a pump house is $39,691,000. A Class Four estimate of a lower dam that would supply water to downstream uses through gravity is $41,865,000. The first option scored well on criteria like design approach, constructability, water supply reliability, and capital and operations & maintenance cost. The engineers did a thorough job and the stakeholders made a choice among three viable options. Not everyone is going to agree with the choice — that would be the case with any selection. Also, the Cape Horn costs are only part of an equation that includes removing Scott Dam and raising the Coyote Valley Dam.
....The 'lake' is in a different 'district', but the entire Eel and Russian River are in District 2, which is what the argument is about. Potter Valley needs water for their farms and then downstream, the winemakers need to start saving their own water when the rains come and not demand that the 'Eel' be dumped 80-90% into their watershed when the Eel needs the water for the Salmon, which feeds the bears which feed the forest habitat all the way to Humboldt Bay!
There is an entire other school of thought on the water and how people will be affected. As for Huffmans district, here is what Congress says. Maybe Musk broke it but now🤷🏻
https://www.congress.gov/member/district/jared-huffman/H001068
Yup, Potter Valley is still there. So is the Russian River. And there are also definitely folks in Lake County who want to keep Lake Pillsbury — at least until an earthquake brings the dam down.
Hey interesting slant to your article, I enjoy your choice of words like ‘defunct’, which it isn’t. Lake Pillsbury isn’t even in his district 🤭. Here is a different perspective.
https://www.facebook.com/americaunwon/videos/lets-break-down-congressman-huffmans-statementunwon/27157606610541303/
Hi Marc, the hydroelectric power plant is most definitely defunct. It hasn't operated since 2021. Potter Valley is also definitely in Huffman's district. So is the Russian River, which is fed by the Potter Valley diversion. For Huffman, this is mostly about downstream users/voters but the math suggests that the proposed diversion + storage is a better deal for the PVP ranchers and farmers, as well as water users throughout Norcal. The talked about acquisition could be a better deal for Socal, which already has very high water costs. We don't know because there are no details, but sooner or later we will know if there's really a proposal and what it's all about.
Once again, politics is taking precedence over people. The facts are being shaped to make closing the site look like the only viable option, ignoring the more sustainable path of upgrading it. Passing a $2 billion bill to taxpayers or customers, protecting shareholders, is unacceptable. This site was operational for 100 years; that legacy should fund its future, not be used as an excuse to burden an already struggling public.
https://www.americaunwon.com/p/sonoma-county-water-report-finds?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
@marcatager that link talks about the Cape Horn Dam, you are aware, right, that the Cape Horn Dam has nothing to do with Lake Pillsbury? Lake Pillsbury was the subject of your first comment. Lake Pillsbury is not in Huffman's district. Correct. All the downstream users of PVP are. That's why he's concerned, because he represents them. And you're throwing around cost figures that have no official source — no engineering cost estimates, no accountability. If you've followed our coverage, these are concerns we've raised about much smaller utility increases (but still very high percentage wise and very hard for low-income users). These smaller increases supposedly are tied to cost estimates but we haven't seen them. If you would like to dig into those increases, I'm happy to provide public records coaching. We'll do the same thing for the PVP estimates when they become available -- but they aren't yet. I will look into the preliminary engineering report that is the source of the article you link to.
@marcatager I took a look at the report. Good news, there are Class Four estimates for the cost of updating the Cape Horn Dam and none are anywhere close to $2 billion. Three options were examined in the preliminary engineering report. The first option — leaving the dam and its fish ladder in place, was estimated to cost substantially less than the second and third options. It was dismissed because key stakeholders, including those willing to contribute budget, wanted a lower dam. A Class Four estimate of a lower dam with a pump house is $39,691,000. A Class Four estimate of a lower dam that would supply water to downstream uses through gravity is $41,865,000. The first option scored well on criteria like design approach, constructability, water supply reliability, and capital and operations & maintenance cost. The engineers did a thorough job and the stakeholders made a choice among three viable options. Not everyone is going to agree with the choice — that would be the case with any selection. Also, the Cape Horn costs are only part of an equation that includes removing Scott Dam and raising the Coyote Valley Dam.
....The 'lake' is in a different 'district', but the entire Eel and Russian River are in District 2, which is what the argument is about. Potter Valley needs water for their farms and then downstream, the winemakers need to start saving their own water when the rains come and not demand that the 'Eel' be dumped 80-90% into their watershed when the Eel needs the water for the Salmon, which feeds the bears which feed the forest habitat all the way to Humboldt Bay!