PG&E and PacGen: A risky proposal for the Yuba River, our community, and ratepayers.
While many people are familiar with the miles of transmission lines that Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) owns, not as many know about their large portfolio of hydroelectric assets – the dams, reservoirs, and powerhouses — they operate. On the Yuba and Bear...CalTrout Successfully Defends Petition to Protect Southern Steelhead in Court
California Trout is leading the effort to list Southern California steelhead as endangered under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA). On October 25, 2023, we successfully defended this listing in California Superior Court in Los Angeles. This victory brings...Analysis of the new Clean Water Act Section 401 Rule
On September 5, 2023, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued an Order that reaffirms the California State Water Board’s authority to enforce a “water quality certification” for new hydropower licenses granted to projects such as the Upper...
Understanding the Rhythms of Rivers: Exploring Natural Hydrographs and the Impact of Dams on Watersheds
Dams create a number of issues for the overall health of a watershed. One of the primary issues is that they modify the volume (discharge) and timing of when and how water flows in the portion of the river downstream. Dams trap and store water in the wet periods of time, and then release additional water during the dry, hot periods of time to meet human need. The graph which shows the amount of water flowing past a point over time is called a hydrograph.