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Corte Madera, CA November 2011
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The Inside Source is produced by Marin Municipal Water District to inform local decisionmakers and opinion leaders on issues affecting Marin's water, people, and environment.
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| MMWD Board of Directors |
Jack Gibson
President
Cynthia Koehler
Vice President
David Behar
Armando Quintero Larry Russell
Regular meetings of the MMWD Board of Directors are held at 7:30 pm the first and third Wednesday of every month in the District Board Room, 220 Nellen Avenue, Corte Madera. Special meetings are scheduled as needed. All board meetings are open to the public.
(415) 945-1455
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Public Meetings
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Wed., Dec. 7, 7:30 pm
BOARD MEETING
Wed., Dec. 21, 7:30 pm
BOARD MEETING
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ALL ABOUT THE WATER
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The reservoirs continue to stay above average even though rainfall is slightly below average. Here are the latest water supply and demand figures:
- Reservoir Levels - As of November 21, the reservoirs contain 61,756 acre-feet,* or 78 percent of capacity. This volume is well above the average for this date of 50,053 acre-feet, or 63 percent of capacity.
- Water Use - With several days of warm temperatures over the last 30 days, water production this year was higher than in 2010. The daily average for the last 30 days this year was 21.30 million gallons; for the same period in 2010 it was 18.49 million gallons.
- Creek Releases - For the month of October water releases into Lagunitas Creek averaged 3.9 MGD (million gallons per day) and into Walker Creek averaged 3.0 MGD. We release water throughout the year to maintain adequate flows for the fishery per our agreement with the State of California.
- Rainfall - As of November 21, we have received 7.29 inches of rain year to date (since July 1). For the same period in 2010 we received 11.00 inches; average is 7.42 inches. Rainfall is measured at Lake Lagunitas.
Rainfall and reservoir figures can be found on the homepage of our website.
*One acre-foot is 325,851 gallons.
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| MMWD TO APPEAL DESAL EIR LAWSUIT |
On November 16 the MMWD Board of Directors voted to appeal the Marin County Superior Court's decision in North Coast Rivers Alliance (NCRA) vs. Marin Municipal Water District, which determined that MMWD's environmental impact report (EIR) for a proposed desalination facility in San Rafael was not prepared in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). In April 2010, due to reductions in water demand caused by cool weather, economic recession and water conservation savings, the board placed the desalination project on hold. However, in order to keep the desalination project among the district's suite of water supply options, and to preserve the district's ability to proceed with construction of such a project in the future, especially in times of unanticipated drought, the board believes it is necessary to resolve issues related to the Court's ruling. At the August 2011 hearing on the petition for a writ of mandate, MMWD put forth a panoply of reasons why Judge Lynn Duryee's decision invalidating the EIR was inconsistent with established CEQA case law. On each point, MMWD presented clear and compelling reasons why the EIR fully complied with CEQA. However, after hearing oral argument on that same date, Judge Duryee adopted her tentative ruling and ruled against MMWD on 11 issues related to the validity of the EIR and for MMWD on 19 issues. Click here to read the EIR.
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WATER RATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE CONTINUING ITS WORK
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The MMWD Water Rate Advisory Committee, a citizens' committee formed last spring to advise the MMWD Board of Directors on potential changes to the rate structure, is getting closer to developing a recommendation. Additional meetings are being held to give the group more opportunity to consider the multiple factors involved in rate setting, such as how to calculate the meter charge; should tier break adjustments be made, and if so, how; should dedicated fees be considered; and how would any changes affect each customer type (residential, commercial, irrigation)? The committee is expected to make a recommendation to the board soon regarding possible changes to MMWD's rate structure. The current rate structure has a basic meter charge for all customers and a water use charge with four inclining tiers based on water use. The district's goal for any new rate structure is one that secures a more consistent base revenue stream for the district and allocates costs fairly and accurately across all customer categories.
The committee meetings are open to the public. The next meeting is Wednesday, November 30, at 7:00 pm. Background materials provided to the committee are available here.
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MMWD PARTICIPATES IN STATEWIDE EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS DRILL
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It was fitting that MMWD, along with two other North Bay water agencies and local government emergency management providers, participated in a Statewide earthquake simulation exercise in October, the anniversary month of the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. The joint exercise provided an opportunity to practice sharing roles and responsibilities in a catastrophic event like an earthquake. MMWD also used the exercise to test the district's operational readiness and capabilities related to working with multiple agencies in a disaster.
Called "The Great California ShakeOut," the exercise was sponsored by the California Department of Public Health, MMWD, the North Marin Water District and the Sonoma County Water Agency. The tabletop drill consisted of both operational and procedural exercises to test the agencies' abilities to respond in a crisis.
Four of MMWD's water system specialists participated in the exercise. It was a good chance for them to practice giving direction to other emergency responders who were unfamiliar with the water system, to test MMWD's internal communications and to test problem-solving and decision-making skills under duress.
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LEO T. CRONIN FISH-VIEWING AREA NOW OPEN
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MMWD reopened the Leo T. Cronin Fish Viewing Area along Lagunitas Creek in West Marin on Friday, November 18 to once again give the public an opportunity to view native fish swim upstream as the annual winter spawning season begins. The area will be open for one-hour parking and it will remain open until February 28, 2012. The parking lot is closed the remainder of the year. Each year, beginning in November, endangered coho salmon, and, in December, threatened steelhead trout, return to Lagunitas Creek from the ocean to spawn, or lay eggs, before their own life cycles end. The adult spawning runs coincide with the rainy season and continue for three to four months, sometimes longer. The best time to see fish is within a few days of a heavy rainstorm. Lagunitas Creek, which originates on MMWD watershed land on the slopes of Mt. Tamalpais, is considered the home of one of the healthiest salmon populations in Central California. Last year the viewing area received substantial improvements thanks in large part to grants totaling $300,000 from the State Coastal Conservancy and the California Resources Agency. One of the improvements was the resurfacing of the parking lot with an environmentally friendly permeable concrete that allows rain to percolate into the ground. Other improvements included reconfiguring the area to create more parking spaces as well as providing parking and access for persons with disabilities. The area is open 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. Click here for directions and other information.
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| NEW FROM THE MMWD BLOG |
Check out these recent blog posts:
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WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
| We welcome your comments and need your help raising awareness about water in Marin. Please share this information with your members and constituents. Thank you!
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