The Meeting Opened with Public Comments and Some Debate About Free Speech
Gabriel Baca announced that the Mendocino County Rapid Response Network (MCRRN) provides information to the public about Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The MCRRN distributes wallet-sized cards printed in English and Spanish with the phone number of the rapid response hotline, and cards listing your rights should you have an encounter with ICE. The MCRRN also provides information about how to contact ICE if a family member is detained. Check out the website MCRRN for more information. Baca said counties that vote Democratic are more likely to be targeted, and volunteers are working to ensure safe elections in November.
MAC member Deb Hughes responded that “The Redwood Valley MAC is not a place for political comments.” Chair Dolly Riley replied that, “This is free speech.” The public comments were not made by the MAC Members. Hughes said, “The federal officers have a right to be here.” (Note: So far, Mendocino County has had no visible ICE sweeps.) Riley commented that she is glad the MAC Members can hold different political views while remaining on good terms with each other.
Charlie Coleman wants to finalize the proposed county public noise ordinance. This was drafted by former Supervisor Glenn McGourty, now retired. Current supervisor Madeline Cline is not prioritizing the noise ordinance. Coleman said last weekend there was loud music in his neighborhood that lasted until 6:00 a.m., and it started back up again at 9:30 a.m. (Note: it was Super Bowl weekend). Coleman is concerned that the late-night loud music will get worse as the weather warms up. Chair Riley suggested he make a public comment at a Board of Supervisors meeting, and also talk to Supervisor Cline in person at her upcoming coffee meetings.
Guest Speaker - Attorney Phil Williams on the Topics of the Potter Valley Project (PVP) and Raising Coyote Dam
Phil Williams has 15 years of experience in the field of water law. He is currently Special Water Counsel to the City of Ukiah. Williams emphasized that he was speaking on behalf of himself, not on behalf of the City. His experience as an Army officer in Iraq taught him that a secure, clean water source is one of the basics of a stable community.
PG&E owns the PVP, including Lake Pillsbury, Scott Dam, the tunnel through the mountains to Cape Horn Dam and Van Arsdale Reservoir, the pump station and power house. This was originally built 120 years ago to provide hydroelectric power. Once the water, owned by PG&E, leaves the power station, it is legally considered “abandoned.” Some important points:
- For 120 years the Eel-Russian diversion tunnel has supplied water to the Russian River, which would go dry in the summer without Eel River water. The “abandoned” water has allowed an economy to flourish in Mendocino and Sonoma Counties.
- Almost every water right on the Russian River is predicated on the 120 years of “abandoned” water coming from the Eel River.
Lake Pillsbury originally had a storage capacity of 90,000 acre-feet of water. About 20 years ago, that amount was reduced to 70,000 acre-feet. Because of seismic concerns about the safety of Scott Dam, the storage in Lake Pillsbury has been reduced to 52,000 acre-feet. However, there is a 12,000 acre-foot “dead pool” at the bottom of the lake which cannot be used because it is below the intake valve, there is silt, and the dam could be structurally compromised if the water level gets below 12,000 feet. This means that there is only 40,000 acre feet of water available in Lake Pillsbury.
PG&E thinks the infrastructure could fail, and it has been losing money on the PVP. As early as 2007 PG&E indicated that it wanted to withdraw from the PVP. Williams said that PG&E is very good at making money and, “If PG&E could make money off the Potter Valley Project, they would.”
An audience member commented that PG&E could install high-tech turbines and make money generating electricity. PG&E opted not to do this.
The Eel-Russian Project Authority (ERPA) was created to “manage, plan for, and operate in a post-PG&E world,” Williams said.
ERPA will manage the New Eel Russian Facility (NERF), a pumping station planned where the present Cape Horn Dam sits, that will continue to send Eel River water through the tunnel during high flow periods.
An audience member commented that we will still have to pay PG&E for the electricity to pump the water through the tunnel. Chair Riley commented that it could be possible to use hydraulic rams that can move water without electricity, such as are successfully used in Comptche.
Williams said that ERPA worked on implementing a two-basin solution by signing a Water Diversion Agreement with entities on the Eel River side, including the State of California, the Department of Fish & Wildlife, CalTrout, the County of Humboldt, and the Round Valley Indian Tribes (RVIT). The RVIT will own rights to the water after PG&E withdraws from the PVP.
MAC Member Hughes asked, “How did they determine that the water belongs to the Round Valley Indian Tribes?” The reason is that the Winters Doctrine (note: a doctrine is a framework of rules established through judicial decisions) says that when the federal government reserves land for an Indian reservation, it also implicitly reserves water rights to fulfill that purpose. The water rights begin from the date the reservation was created, which was prior to PG&E’s water right.
Williams estimated that if the Russian River entities decided to fight this in court, we would probably lose through the appellate level, and maybe possibly win in the U.S. Supreme Court. The RVIT and environmental groups would not be happy with us if we abandoned an agreement hammered out after years of negotiation for a two-basin solution.
Williams said this is a “very good chance to reconcile with the Round Valley Indian Tribes.” Under the Water Diversion Agreement, they will help us in a partnership situation.
Addressing the efforts to “Save Lake Pillsbury,” Williams walked us through the alternatives:
40,000 acre-feet of water is tiny compared to other water projects.
What if the Federal Bureau of Reclamation Purchased the PVP? Purchasing and operating the PVP in its present state would cost between $500 million and $1 billion dollars. The Bureau of Reclamation has already looked at this, and it does not meet their criteria for funding a project. The Office of Management and Budget would not approve this.
What about the Army Corps of Engineers? The ACOE handles flood control, not water supply projects.
What about the Department of Agriculture? The Department of Agriculture does not operate water supply projects.
(Note: the MendoMatters Facebook page posted a February 12, 2026 article by Keely Covello about U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins D.C. press conference to announce the Farmer and Rancher Freedom Framework to “end government overreach” and protect farmers from “lawfare.” Local veterinarian Rich Brazil attended the press conference where he brought attention to the water situation in Potter Valley in light of PG&E’s planned removal of the PVP. Secretary Rollins, despite expressing support for farmers and ranchers, has not yet offered an alternative to ERPA’s plans.)
What about the State of California? Most state water projects are built to move water into Southern California. Williams said he “finds it odd that two Southern California water districts have filed comments” on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s PVP web page. “I don’t know why, but it's certainly not because those two Southern California water districts care about us.”
What about a private entity taking over? To break even, the private entity would have to charge $12,500 per acre-foot. Nobody would buy water for that price, and they couldn’t make a return on their investment.
Williams is working on the project to modernize and raise Coyote Dam to increase storage capacity in Lake Mendocino to 240,000 acre feet. At the time Coyote Dam was built, the voters of Redwood Valley opted not to fund the construction, giving Redwood Valley no rights to the water in Lake Mendocino. The Russian River Flood Control agency was created and did contribute to the building of the dam. RRFC has rights to some water in Lake Mendocino, costing $65 per acre-foot.
Raising Coyote Dam would provide enough water storage for severe droughts such as we experienced in 2021 and 2022. Lake Sonoma held 100,000 acre-feet at the end of 2022’s drought.
Coyote Dam needs to be modernized to clear the Russian River downstream of mud. The dam currently has only one port, located at a low level, that releases a lot of silt. If the dam was rebuilt of concrete, with more ports at varied levels, the Russian River would have much better water quality and a “blue ribbon fishery.”
Williams said, “Currently we have a Pinto version of the Dam. Lake Sonoma is the Ferrari version.”
An audience member asked whether Sonoma County will still own 80% of the water in Lake Mendocino. Williams said because this will no longer be “abandoned water” from PG&E it’s going to change almost all the water rights to the Russian River.
Hughes asked how long it will take to convert the dam to concrete, raise it, and have it refill? Williams acknowledged, “There will be an interim where water will be a bit scarce,” but the plan is to rebuild the remodeled dam very quickly, using coffer dams, and it should take a couple of years to fill up.
Will water still flow through Potter Valley? Under the Water Diversion Agreement, water will flow seasonally. Williams said, “We aren't leaving anyone behind,” and suggested a that a pipeline may be possible from Lake Mendocino to Potter Valley, as is used to move water to Redwood Valley.
Williams did not address how all this will be paid for. For those interested in learning more, here are some web links to entities where you can find board minutes, scientific and engineering reports, and financials.
Report from Redwood Valley-Calpella Fire Chief Marty Creel
The Fire Department will hold a community hands-on CPR class Saturday, February 28th from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
The Fire Safe Council is active in Redwood Valley. Find information on the Mendocino FireSafe website. Defensible space inspections are free of charge.
Chair Riley said there is a Fire Safe neighborhood group that covers all of Roads A and B, and the section of East Road between Roads A and B. Creel remarked that he hoped all of Redwood Valley would become Fire Safe.
An audience member asked about neighbors who don't keep their property cleared. Creel replied that “Right now we are in an education phase. Some counties will do the work and attach it to your tax bill.”
The department is currently training on structure fires. They will begin training on wildfires in April. There were 717 calls last year, 70% of those were medical. There are currently 24 volunteers, and four Explorers (aged 14-17) who will be eligible to become volunteers when they turn 18.
The siren was tested on February 11. The test was announced on the department’s Facebook page, and on the electronic sign in front of the Fire Department.
The Fire Department Board Meeting schedule is posted on the website, meetings are open to the public.
Report from Monica Barragan, Field Rep for Assemblyman Chris Rogers
Assemblyman Rogers has introduced 10 bills so far this session. Some highlights:
Rogers introduced a bill that would remove the requirement that survivors of domestic abuse notify their abuser before filing a temporary restraining order.
AB1699 the Good Fire Act. This expands the capacity to conduct prescribed burns for increased safety from wildfires.
AB1866 seeks to ensure that small rural low income communities can receive state funds after disasters. Currently there is a $72 million threshold before disaster funds will be dispersed. Some small communities do not meet that threshold, for instance Rio Dell experienced earthquakes with $35 million of damage, but that was too low to get assistance from the state.
Assemblyman Rogers hosted 16 town halls last year. He hopes to schedule one in this area soon. See Chris Rogers Webpage for more information.
MAC Member Hughes asked whether Rogers voted for the mileage tax? There is a $31 billion deficit for roads and infrastructure because there are fewer gas tax revenues due to the popularity of electric vehicles. Barragan said “Bill 1421 authorizes research to be conducted on a mileage-based tax system.”
Redwood Valley Recreation Center (RVRC)
Dr. Marvin Trotter gave an update on the committee working to create the RVRC at the abandoned campus of the Redwood Valley School. He traveled to Eureka, along with committee members Marybeth Kelly and Debra Phenicie, to view the recreation center created at the abandoned Jefferson Elementary School. That recreation center is hugely successful, and was funded by Proposition 68 money. The center in Eureka sparked neighborhood pride with nearby properties being spruced up, leading to higher property values. Dr. Trotter urged the public to attend the February 12 Ukiah Unified School District Board meeting to show support for the RVRC. The group hopes to obtain Prop. 68 funds, but they need the UUSD to accept their proposal before that is possible.
Redwood Valley Grange
The Grange hosts a flea market every second Saturday. Food will be available for purchase. The Grange meets on February 19, with a potluck at 5:30 p.m., meeting at 6:30 p.m. Jim Beatty, the Dancing Grandpa, will host more of his popular play dates at the Grange. The annual St. Patrick’s Day pancake breakfast will be on March 15, a fund raiser for the Grange and the Humane Society for Inland Mendocino County.
Report on Mendocino Council of Governments (MCOG)
Gizmo Henderson reported on the latest MCOG meeting. The goal is to have only two fare rates for the MTA, but that has not yet been finalized. MCOG is looking at expanding service for the Highway 162/101 corridor to Covelo. Some Covelo residents use the MTA to travel to Santa Rosa for medical appointments, and expanding service will provide later afternoon return routes. MCOG is studying how sea level rise will affect roads on the coast. There is no update on the proposed public transit mall.
Community Action Plan (CAP)
Provisions from the draft CAP were accepted by the County Planning Department and will be voted on by the Board of Supervisors.
Officers and Members Reports and Announcements
The Redwood Valley MAC will change to a smaller census, with five members instead of seven. There is still an opening for one MAC member.
The MAC purchased two sandwich board signs, announcing meeting times. These seem to have been successful already, as there were some additional faces in the audience at the February meeting.
The next MAC meeting will be March 11th at 5:30 p.m.
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