Ranchers in California’s Potter Valley are facing the sudden shutdown of their irrigation water supply because of a Pacific Gas & Electric project that prioritizes fish over people – and it’s backed by Governor Newsom.
Potter Valley ranchers were hit with no warning when (PG&E) depleted Lake Pillsbury to critically low levels, effectively cutting off irrigation water without federal approval.
The plan – greenlit under Governor Newsom – focuses on salmon restoration over the needs of thousands of residents and agricultural operations.
Ranchers like those in Potter Valley, who depend on the project’s tunnels to irrigate pastures for cattle grazing, described the impact as devastating.
Without water, their land turns barren, stripping away their ability to keep operating on farms that have supported families for generations.
The move lines up with policies pushed by Newsom and Congressman Jared Huffman, who have championed dam removals to “free” rivers for fish migration.
Residents point out political donations from PG&E to Newsom and Huffman—totaling more than $3 Million over the years.
The water shortage will impact more than Potter Valley, possibly impacting the water supply for 600,000 people downstream, where the Russian River supplies drinking water and agriculture.
Conservatives are now pushing for the federal government to step in and stop the ‘attack on rural America’
