How Removing Two Century-Old Dams Could Restore Salmon to California’s Eel River

How Removing Two Century-Old Dams Could Restore Salmon to California’s Eel River

By
Jesse Taylor

Publish Date:September 2, 2026

CLICK TO
SUBSCRIBE

follow follow
Impactful Ninja is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more Learn more .
Affiliate Disclosure

Hey fellow impactful ninja ?

You may have noticed that Impactful Ninja is all about providing helpful information to make a positive impact on the world and society. And that we love to link back to where we found all the information for each of our posts.

  • Most of these links are informational-based for you to check out their primary sources with one click.

  • But some of these links are so-called "affiliate links" to products that we recommend.

Why do we add these product links?

First and foremost, because we believe that they add value to you. For example, when we wrote a post about the environmental impact of long showers, we came across an EPA recommendation to use WaterSense showerheads. So we linked to where you can find them. Or, for many of our posts, we also link to our favorite books on that topic so that you can get a much more holistic overview than one single blog post could provide.

And when there is an affiliate program for these products, we sign up for it. For example, as Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases.

What do these affiliate links mean for you?
  1. First, and most importantly, we still only recommend products that we believe add value for you.

  2. When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission - but at no additional costs to you.

  3. And when you buy something through a link that is not an affiliate link, we won’t receive any commission but we’ll still be happy to have helped you.

What do these affiliate links mean for us?
  1. When we find products that we believe add value to you and the seller has an affiliate program, we sign up for it.

  2. When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission (at no extra costs to you).

  3. And at this point in time, all money is reinvested in sharing the most helpful content with you. This includes all operating costs for running this site and the content creation itself.

What does this mean for me personally?

You may have noticed by the way Impactful Ninja is operated that money is not the driving factor behind it. It is a passion project of mine and I love to share helpful information with you to make a positive impact on the world and society. However, it's a project in that I invest a lot of time and also quite some money.

Eventually, my dream is to one day turn this passion project into my full-time job and provide even more helpful information. But that's still a long time to go.

Stay impactful,

At Impactful Ninja, we curate positive and impactful news for you. Add Impactful Ninja as a preferred source on Google or sign up for our free newsletter to get these delivered straight to your inbox—just like our expert roundup below!

📰 The quick summary: Federal authorities are reviewing a proposal to remove two century-old dams from California’s Eel River, which could reopen hundreds of miles of habitat to salmon, steelhead, and Pacific lamprey.
📈 One key stat: Two dams have blocked fish passage on the Eel River for over a hundred years, and removing them could restore access to the entire Upper Eel River watershed for migratory species.
💬 One key quote: “Removing Scott Dam and Cape Horn Dam would allow fish to access habitat in the Upper Eel River watershed,” according to PG&E’s surrender application submitted to federal regulators.

Illustration of a ninja with a newspaper with one big news

1️⃣ The big picture: Two hydroelectric dams on Northern California’s Eel River, Scott Dam and Cape Horn Dam, have shaped water flow and blocked fish migration for over a century. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. submitted an application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in July 2025 to surrender and decommission the Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project, which includes both dams. Federal authorities are now conducting a full environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act to evaluate the potential effects of removing the dams. Migratory species including salmon, steelhead, and Pacific lamprey are among the key environmental considerations in the review. Public comment periods have been expanded so that agencies, Tribes, organizations, and individuals across California can all weigh in on the proposal.

2️⃣ Why is this good news: Removing both dams could reopen the Upper Eel River watershed to salmon, steelhead, and Pacific lamprey for the first time in over a hundred years. Restoring free-flowing water through the Eel River system gives these migratory species access to spawning and rearing habitat that has been cut off for generations. Healthier fish populations in the Eel River can also benefit the broader ecosystem, supporting wildlife, improving water quality, and strengthening the food web that many species depend on. The public review process ensures that Tribes with deep cultural ties to the river and its fish have a meaningful voice in shaping the outcome. Beyond this single project, a successful decommissioning could serve as a model for future dam removals across the US, accelerating river restoration efforts in other regions.

3️⃣ What’s next: FERC continues its environmental review and is collecting information and studies from interested parties to inform the final environmental document. No final determination on the surrender application has been made yet, meaning the proposal still needs to pass full regulatory scrutiny. Once the review concludes, federal authorities will weigh both the beneficial and adverse effects before deciding whether to approve the decommissioning.

Illustration of a ninja holding up a newsletter with many good news

Read the full story here: Ecoportal – California wants to erase two century-old hydro dams from the Eel River, and engineers think thousands of salmon, steelhead, and Pacific lamprey are waiting on the other side of the concrete

Photo of author
Did you like this article?

Get the 5-minute newsletter that makes reading impactful news enjoyable—packed with actionable insights to make a positive impact in your daily life.

Newsletter Form - After Content
0