Local News Outlet Seeks Support for Probe into Proposed Takeover of the Potter Valley Project and Eel River Waters
Independent news outlet MendoLocal.News is asking readers to help fund a new investigative reporting project focused on the proposed future of the Potter Valley Project—and the interests behind it.
Reporter Elise Cox is launching a multi-part series examining why the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District has expressed interest in acquiring the project from PG&E, and what that could mean for both Northern California communities and Southern California ratepayers.
Looking into Hidden Agendas Behind the Proposed Plan to Save the Potter Valley Project
An independent investigative report by MendoLocal.News — funded by you
By Elise Cox
April 24, 2026
MendoLocal.News is launching its first GoFundMe for an investigative project.
The link to our Go Fund Me
Who is the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District and what do they want with water from Northern California—and Potter Valley specifically? Why have they suddenly expressed interest in buying the Potter Valley Project from PG&E? Are they really interested in helping out local farmers in Mendocino County? Or do they have hidden agendas?
Some questions worth pursuing include: who is paying for EVMWD’s planned expansion? Separate from the costs of taking control of the Potter Valley Project, EVMWD is already pursuing $500 million in new projects, including an estimated $102 million treatment facility for PFAS contamination in Riverside County. Rates for their customers are being raised dramatically.
How would taking over the Potter Valley Project affect existing customers in Southern California? And how would the existing infrastructure projects affect the cost of water to Potter Valley farmers should the project become part of EVMWD?
With your support, we’ll launch an investigative project to find answers.
The reporting will produce a focused, multi-part series examining:
The financial structure behind EVMWD’s expansion plans
The potential impact on water rates in both Southern California and Potter Valley
Whether the Potter Valley Project proposal serves local communities—or outside interests
We’re asking for $4,500 to begin this work.
Investigative reporting takes time and experience.
Our editor, Elise Cox, began working on investigative journalism projects 30 years ago for small newspapers and national publications. Before putting together the founding board of Mendo Local Public Media in August 2025, she did investigative reporting for organizations like U.S. News & World Report, Knight Ridder, and the San Jose Mercury News.
At Mendo Local Public Media, we do things differently.
We try to be rigorously nonpartisan. Our local news is not for sale to anonymous donors. We pledge to disclose all grants and gifts above $5,000. We do this so that you can hold us accountable for our coverage—or lack of coverage—of the donor and the donor’s favorite issues.
Please consider contributing.
We cannot do this investigation without your support. We are still short more than $3,000 of our goal of $10,000 for the campaign for help with operational expenses that we launched in February.
If you’d like to help but don’t have funds to spare, please share this campaign with others. We can also talk about creative fundraising—bake sales, dog washes, ice water challenges, and more.
Local investigative reporting doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because readers decide it matters.
Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules
Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/
Let the Eel river flow. Stop this antiquated theft of resources.
Erin Brockovich didn’t use a gofundme.
And Jesus didn’t take any money for feeding the crowd. But some of us don’t have the powers of Jesus to feed our families. And being willing to enjoy the fruits of a reporter’s labor, but not willing to pay for reminds of a story I heard when I was a little girl called the Little Red Hen.
Wow, you are comparing Jesus and the fable “Little Red Hen”? How do you know Jesus did not take any money for “feeding the crowd”? Jesus did endorse tithing:
Luke 11:42 and Matthew 23:23
They are both make believe characters, so it’s a valid comparison.
Well, obviously Jesus knew the fable…
Yep, you’re right. She was employed by Ed Masry and his law firm.
There’s a wide income gap between most reporters and most lawyers
You are so right about the income gap.
And I promise I wasn’t trying to launch a theological mashup where Jesus Christ and The Little Red Hen co-author a parable together.
I was just making the point that work has value, and the people who benefit from it usually have some role in supporting it. Even in the Gospels, there was a mention of Jesus and his disciples having a shared purse so the idea that everything runs on pure goodwill alone doesn’t quite track.
No hens, loaves, or disciples were harmed in the making of that comparison. Just trying to keep the lights on while doing the work folks say they want.
There are so many of us appreciate what you do. I come here daily for local news. From what I know of Elise Cox, she is an investigative journalist and not mearly someone who reports the news.
Real people, doing real stories is needed more than ever, thank you both
Gofundme didn’t exist in the ’90’s. Thankfully, Google exists now to help mitigate comments like yours.
Wonder if it has anything to do with lake Elsinore wanting to build a 60 acre data center compound…that’ll need plenty of water. And a nice discharge outflow into their ‘lake’.
EIR of data center plan:
https://ceqanet.lci.ca.gov/2026020574
Good bet…. Local utility is talking about 3.5 Giga watt increase in demand for incoming data centers to Northern Cal. No explanation on increase in generation or water demands.
That was the first thought that came into my mind. We better take local control before our rivers are drained for this ill conceived mission.
Trump Reich cares not if you have water shortages or pay a lot more for power. He cares about the Cyber-Bros.
More specifically, how he can use them to further his own goals, assuming he remembers what they are; they seem to be mostly about self-aggrandizement.
Yup… Great idea !
Cut off the Eel river water theft to Mendo County !
Is the general public supposed to pay someone to gather information and write an opinion piece… Get a real job! Or better yet create a cardboard sign and go sit at Grocery Store parking lot entrance like a real beggar lmao 🤣
if you need money for your hobby; get a job!
Yeah I hate information too, it confuses me
Time to put stiff tariffs on water exported from NorCal to SoCal. End the ripoff!
True, but the Eel isn’t being diverted to SoCal.
And this article isn’t even really about the dams and diversion,
it’s about someone seeking funding to report on the dams and diversion.
RedwoodRM,
You’re conflating an “Editorial Article” and/or “Letter to the Editor” (Opinion Piece/Subjective Interpretation) with “Investigative Journalism” (Objective Reporting); neither of which is Advocacy Journalism.
That’s a pretty severe mistake.
They aren’t even sligtly the same, except that they are composed by people and use words to say things & describe stuff.
Just as ridiculous as Skunk Railroad being being Public Utility when it just a Disneyland amusement ride.
As much as I dislike the project, I’ll need to see some serious proof that a bunch of local yokels have the brains and ability to actually uncover – with clear and unambiguous proof – illegalities before I’ll give them a penny. I have no intention of funding some idiot liberal’s random conspiracy hunt.
Good little subject of the king!
I seem to recall a certain local yokel who uncovered a scheme by Sonoma County law enforcement officers to seize marijuana and money under the color of law and then filing falsified paperwork and never reporting the income. https://kymkemp.com/2025/07/11/former-rohnert-park-officer-whose-crimes-were-first-reported-by-rhbb-convicted-on-all-six-counts-in-cannabis-theft-case/
Too much work to google her name?
The only way to truly protect the Eel River is to end all diversions and eliminate the dam. It’s a no brainer, as long as the dam exists there will never be an end to people targeting the water with plans of exporting it from its natural intended course. Redwood trees , fish and people along it’s original watershed depend on it and any diversion will continue to jeopardize those things period
Trumps hate free flowing rivers, or free anything for that matter.
To answer your question, here are the chain of events that led us here:
As of April 2026, Lake County officials have engaged with the Trump Administration to intervene in Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s (PG&E) plans to decommission and remove the century-old Potter Valley Project dams, which include the Scott Dam at Lake Pillsbury and the Cape Horn Dam.
Federal Intervention: U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins filed a notice to intervene in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) process, siding with local officials against PG&E’s plan to remove the dams.
Alternative Plan: The Trump administration is working on a plan to stop the dam removal by finding a new owner, such as a Southern California water district, to take over the infrastructure.
Reasons for Opposition: Lake County officials and supporters argue that removing the dams would destroy regional water supplies, harm agricultural traditions, affect property tax revenues, and reduce water availability for firefighting.
PG&E’s Stance: PG&E has moved to surrender its license for the project, deeming the infrastructure too costly to maintain and repairs unprofitable.
Context: These developments are part of a larger, long-term conflict over water rights in the Eel River and Russian River watersheds.
Lake County officials have specifically cited that the destruction of the dams would contradict a federal executive order concerning water resources in California.
There, now you are up to speed…
One thing they’re forgetting; one dam is nearly silted up and the other is at risk of collapse. So they wouldn’t save the dams, they’d have to replace them. I don’t know what a new dam costs, but I’m guessing it isn’t cheap.
How would they ship the water there?
Details, details, details…
That is an interesting question.
It’s always possible the feds have no intention of taking the water; they may just want to disrupt and delay the project for fits and giggles.
This was all initiated by Russian river interests not the Trump administration. The dams and diversions should be eliminated.