UKIAH, CA — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) San Francisco District is launching a three-year general investigation study to explore modernizing Coyote Valley Dam now that a key partnership agreement was signed during a ceremony at Lake Mendocino. At a table set up atop the 67-year-old earthen dam, officials from Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission (MCIWPC) and Lytton Rancheria of California — the two non-federal sponsors on the study — and representatives from USACE gathered to sign what is referred to as a feasibility cost sharing agreement. The agreement outlines the roles and responsibilities of both the government and non-federal sponsors in the cost sharing and execution of work.
“Modernizing Coyote Valley Dam is about more than infrastructure; it is about preparing for a future where our water supply is less predictable and more difficult to manage," MCIWPC Chair Janet Pauli said. "This study is a critical step towards building a smarter, more resilient water system in the face of droughts and changes to our historic water supply. Signing the Feasibility Cost Sharing Agreement ... shows that we, as partners, are committed to being forward thinking. Modernization really means using science and collaboration to improve our water storage and delivery systems to better serve our communities and the environment for generations to come.”

“This agreement marks a critical step toward a more inclusive and sustainable approach to managing our region’s water resources," said Andy Mejia, Chairperson of the Lytton Rancheria of California. "The Lytton Rancheria is proud to partner in this effort, ensuring that tribal perspectives are part of the conversation as we work together to protect the water supply, restore ecosystems, and plan for the future.”
USACE is partnering with MCIWPC and the Rancheria to cooperatively investigate project alternatives, including potentially raising Coyote Valley Dam, to determine if there is a federal interest in increasing flood risk reduction and water supply for municipal, industrial, agriculture, and recreational purposes in the Russian River Watershed. The Corps of Engineers completed construction of the 160-foot-high dam in 1958, and the storage capacity of the reservoir is 122,400 acre-feet. Water from the reservoir serves approximately 600,000 people.
“I am confident this study will investigate all of the project alternatives, including raising Coyote Valley Dam, to determine if there is a federal interest and a path forward," said Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Shebesta, Commander of the USACE San Francisco District. "The goal is to increase flood risk reduction for community safety and increase water supply, which we can all agree is crucial as extreme weather out here in the West means we have to find new solutions.”
Last year, Congressman Jared Huffman, who served as keynote speaker at the ceremony, helped secure $500,000 in fiscal year appropriations to complete the study. Also joining the ceremony and providing remarks was Mendocino County Supervisor Madeline Cline.