Recent photo showing drought conditions on the lower Eel River. | Photo by Eric Stockwell.
###
The worsening drought conditions in Humboldt County dominated Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, though the matter that attracted the most public attention on the agenda proved to be something of a false alarm or a premature alarm, anyway.
When the agenda dropped on Friday afternoon, many permitted cannabis growers were alarmed by the details of Item L2: “Report of Drought Task Force on Findings with Recommended Actions.” This task force, which was formed by the board on May 25 and is comprised of officials from several agencies and county departments, was recommending a range of drought-related measures, one of which was to flip the emergency shut-off switch for a lot of local cannabis activity.
June 17, 2021 Lake Mendocino’s supply of water from the Eel River is likely to dry up sometime this summer, due to flows being reduced to a fifth of what
Cape Horn Dam at Van Arsdale Reservoir. Photo: PG&E.
###
There’s
a proposal to remove the fish-blocking Scott Dam on the Eel River but
looming problems still remain. Cape Horn Dam, just downstream of
Scott Dam,
technically allows for fish passage through its
fish ladder but that’s only when the ladder is properly
functioning and the trouble is that fish often can’t use the ladder
because it gets so choked with rocks and debris. So what good is the
removal of Scott Dam if salmon still struggle to get past Cape Horn
Dam?
Friends
of the Eel River is pressing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission