Almanor Fishing, Weather & Lake Report

John Crotty, Almanor Fishing Association

I will preface the following by stating these are my opinions and my opinions only. I will be making a formal presentation to the AFA board and request our board to take a firm and decisive stance on any proposed cold-water diversions from Lake Almanor and Butt Lake.

On Friday afternoon, AFA Vice President Brett Hurff and I attended a small, limited seating meeting held at the Collins Pine Museum in Chester regarding PG&E’s 16 plus year effort to have the State Water Recourses Control Board (SWRCB) approve their application for relicensing as they conduct business on Lake Almanor and Butt Lake. The disastrous consequences to the Lake Almanor and Butt Lake fisheries and the entire Lake Almanor community, if the SWRCB requires PG&E to remove cold water from Lake Almanor and Butt Lake via a thermal curtain or the Canyon Dam Intake Tower, are well documented and all but guaranteed!

This is not a political statement just the facts as I understand them. The Plumas County Board of Supervisors was either ill or misinformed when on June 9th and July 7th 2020 submitted a letter to the SWRCB offering “unequivocal support” for withdrawing 250 cubic feet per second of cold water from the Canyon Dam Intake Tower between June 16th and September 15th. The Board of Supervisors must take immediate action to retract their “unequivocal support” of any cold-water releases from Lake Almanor and Butt Lake with the intentions of lowering water temps 30 miles downstream!

The process of issuing PG&E a license to operate on Lake Almanor and Butt Lake is long overdue and disruptive to all parties involved including the residents of Lake Almanor and Plumas County. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the SWRCB must consider the science and the devastating impact removing cold water from Lake Almanor and Butt Lake will have on our fishery, businesses, and quality of life. This community must unify and take whatever measures necessary to finally put this issue to rest.

John Crotty


Almanor Fishing, Weather & Lake Report John Crotty, Almanor Fishing Association I will preface the following by stating these are my opinions and my opinions only. I will be making a formal presentation to the AFA board and request our board to take a firm and decisive stance on any proposed cold-water diversions from Lake Almanor and Butt Lake. On Friday afternoon, AFA Vice President Brett Hurff and I attended a small, limited seating meeting held at the Collins Pine Museum in Chester regarding PG&E’s 16 plus year effort to have the State Water Recourses Control Board (SWRCB) approve their application for relicensing as they conduct business on Lake Almanor and Butt Lake. The disastrous consequences to the Lake Almanor and Butt Lake fisheries and the entire Lake Almanor community, if the SWRCB requires PG&E to remove cold water from Lake Almanor and Butt Lake via a thermal curtain or the Canyon Dam Intake Tower, are well documented and all but guaranteed! This is not a political statement just the facts as I understand them. The Plumas County Board of Supervisors was either ill or misinformed when on June 9th and July 7th 2020 submitted a letter to the SWRCB offering “unequivocal support” for withdrawing 250 cubic feet per second of cold water from the Canyon Dam Intake Tower between June 16th and September 15th. The Board of Supervisors must take immediate action to retract their “unequivocal support” of any cold-water releases from Lake Almanor and Butt Lake with the intentions of lowering water temps 30 miles downstream! The process of issuing PG&E a license to operate on Lake Almanor and Butt Lake is long overdue and disruptive to all parties involved including the residents of Lake Almanor and Plumas County. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the SWRCB must consider the science and the devastating impact removing cold water from Lake Almanor and Butt Lake will have on our fishery, businesses, and quality of life. This community must unify and take whatever measures necessary to finally put this issue to rest. John Crotty
Town Chatter - April 2021, Volume 3