Current Issues

Chevron Overturned: What It Means for Our Environment – EcoNews Report #239

 Chevron deference is no more. What's Chevron deference you ask? Well, it was the backbone of our federal administrative state. Congress often passes laws that are vague or are...
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Restoring the Eel Must Be Done Right

Dear Friends, Can you believe we are preparing to celebrate 30 years of protecting the Eel River? Many of you have been with us since the beginning, for which we...
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Protecting Instream Flows in the Eel River

We recently submitted a letter to Chuck Bonham, the director of California's Department of Fish and Wildlife, requesting that his agency provide overdue stream flow studies and minimum flow recommendations...
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Project 2025 and the Environment: EcoNews Report #238

Special guest Rep. Jared Huffman is heading a task force in the Democratic caucus to address Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s policy outline for a second Trump administration. The document...
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Comments on the Great Redwood Trail Draft Master Plan

FOER worked hard to provide detailed comments on the Great Redwood Trail Agency’s (GRTA) nearly 600-page Draft Master Plan for the Great Redwood Trail. In addition to the comments linked...
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FERC Urgently Needs to Approve PG&E’s Flow Variance Request

As many of you are likely now familiar, PG&E is unable to meet the flow schedule for the Potter Valley Project as outlined in their amended license from 2004. This...
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PG&E Delaying Eel River Dam Removal, Locals Demand a Free Eel River!

PG&E announced on Friday, May 31 late last week that it will request a 7-month extension from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in decommissioning the Eel River dams. Stakeholders...
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Eco Mingle 2024 Panel Discussion

 Last month we had a lot of fun at KEET TV's first ever Eco Mingle. It was a mixer for all kinds of environmental organizations as well as a film screening...
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Core Programs

One of Friends of the Eel River’s long-term goals, decommissioning and removal of the Eel River dams, may soon become a reality.

Click here to learn more about the two Eel River dams and what we are doing to get them removed.

Friends of the Eel River’s 2017 win at the California Supreme Court helped pave the way for a new future along the old Northwestern Pacific Rail line. Thanks to Senator Mike McGuire and many others, the right of way is transitioning into a rail-to-trail project known as the Great Redwood Trail.

Click here to learn about the transition and the vision for the Great Redwood Trail.

Friends of the Eel River advocates for beneficial land-use policies and effective regulations at the county-level and encourages land owners to practices watershed stewardship.

Click here to access landowner resources and learn about our advocacy.


Eel River Fish Count Station at Van Arsdale Reservoir

Cape Horn dam impounds the river to form Van Arsdale Reservoir. It is located downstream from Scott dam, is the smaller of the two dams, and has a fish ladder.

2023-2024 Adult Migration Season: May 2024

May 26, 2024

Adult fish migration activity through the fishway at Cape Horn Dam has decreased significantly during May, and as a result, this will be the last update for the 2023/24 season. Over the past three weeks one (1) adult steelhead (female 1, male 0, unknown 0) and two subadult steelhead were observed moving upstream through the fishway at Cape Horn Dam. The one (1) adult steelhead was observed during the week of May 6 – 12; no adult steelhead were observed during the last two weeks of monitoring. The two subadult steelhead were observed during the week of May 13 – 19 (1 subadult) and May 20 – 26 (1 subadult). The season total for adult upstream migrating steelhead stands at 218 (female 97, male 83, unknown 38). The season total for subadult steelhead stands at 52.

During this same timeframe, 1,162 adult Pacific lampreys were observed ascending over Cape Horn Dam, bringing the season total to 1,827 upstream migrant lampreys.

Andrew Anderson

PG&E | Aquatic Biologist

 

Learn more about fish counts on the Eel River here.