FIND A SHOW NEAR YOU

Kick off winter with Warren Miller!

GET TICKETS

YOUR MEMBERSHIP TO WINTER

25% off articles, streaming & more with Outside+

JOIN TODAY

Eel River Diversion: Good for Wine, Bad for Fish?

The relicensing of a hydroelectric dam project raises questions about salmon and agriculture.

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.

For almost 100 years, much of the Eel River’s flow has been diverted to the Russian River, which sustains a large chunk of California wine country. But with the relicensing negotiations of the hydroelectric dam project, fish advocates are arguing that the diversions hurt a once-mighty salmon population on the Eel. 

Popular on Backpacker