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Corte Madera, CA March 2012
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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 |
Cynthia Koehler
President
Larry Russell
Vice President
David Behar
Jack Gibson
Armando Quintero The MMWD Board of Directors has two regular meetings a month in the District Board Room, 220 Nellen Avenue, Corte Madera. Additional meetings are scheduled as needed. All board meetings are open to the public. (415) 945-1450
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April Public Meetings
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Thurs., April 5, 7:30 pm
BOARD MEETING
Board Room
Thurs., April 19, 7:30 pm
RATE HEARING
San Rafael City Hall 1400 Fifth Avenue
San Rafael
Wed., April 25, 1:00-3:00 pm
MMWD CENTENNIAL EVENT
Corporation Yard
220 Tamal Vista Blvd
Corte Madera
Thurs., April 26, 6:30-8:00 pm
PROPOSED FIRE FLOW FEE EXTENSION WORKSHOP
Board Room
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MARCH PIVOTAL RAINFALL MONTH IN MARIN
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What a difference a month can make. Just four weeks ago, on February 29, average annual rainfall at Lake Lagunitas measured only 19.6 inches, or 49 percent of average. Reservoirs were below average, as well, with storage at 60,715 acre-feet* (76 percent of average). While not contemplating rationing, water managers at MMWD were already making changes to standard water system operations in order to maximize water supply this year as a precaution against a second dry winter next year.
As of today, March 28, annual rainfall has nearly doubled, at 36.14 inches. Rainfall for the month of March now measures 16.54 inches, more than double the March average of 7.36 inches. And more rain is in the forecast for the remaining few days of the month.
All of this rain leads to more good news for the reservoirs, which are now above average for this date. Here are the current water statistics:
- Reservoir Levels - As of March 28, reservoir levels are 97 percent of capacity, or 77,103 acre-feet. The average for this date is 92 percent (73,208 acre-feet).
- Rainfall - Rainfall from July 1, 2011 to March 28, 2012 totals 36.14 inches. Average for the same period is 45.94 inches.
- Water Use - Water use for the last seven days averaged 16.17 million gallons, lower than last year's average of 17.11 million gallons.
- Creek Releases - During the month of February 2012 MMWD released 570 million gallons, or a total of 1,750 acre-feet, into Lagunitas and Walker creeks in west Marin. We release water throughout the year to maintain adequate flows for the fishery per our agreement with the State of California. We have released more water every month this winter than last to help make up for the lack of rain this year.
Current water use and reservoir figures can be found on the homepage of our website.
*One acre-foot is 325,851 gallons.
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MMWD CELEBRATES 100 YEARS THIS SPRING
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MMWD is holding two open houses at the district's headquarters in Corte Madera this spring in honor of the district's centennial anniversary. MMWD received its charter on April 25, 1912 and is the first municipal water district in California.
The first open house is scheduled for the day of the anniversary, Wednesday, April 25, 1:00 to 3:00 pm. A second open house will be held Saturday, May 5, 10:00 am to 12:00 noon. Displays, tours and refreshments will be part of both events. Special activities for children will be included in the Saturday celebration. All MMWD customers are welcome.
In addition to the open houses, MMWD is also participating in Earth Day Marin at the Marin Civic Center on Saturday, April 21, and, this summer, in the Marin County Fair, also at the Marin Civic Center. For these events MMWD will be partnering with other local land management agencies also celebrating anniversaries this year. Partners include Marin's state parks (Tomales Bay State Park is 60); Point Reyes National Seashore (50 years); and Marin County Parks and Golden Gate National Recreation Area, both of which are 40.
Other MMWD centennial events and programs will be held throughout the year. Visit the centennial page our website to read more about MMWD's history and to see a schedule of watershed centennial activities that include monthly naturalist-guided hikes, bio-blitzes and rare plant treasure hunts. And in June, Arcadia Publishing will release MMWD Director Jack Gibson's historical book titled Mount Tamalpais and the Marin Municipal Water District.
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| MMWD HOLDING WORKSHOP, PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED 6-PERCENT RATE INCREASE |
MMWD is holding a public workshop on a 6-percent rate increase proposal on Thursday, March 29, 6:30-8:00 pm. The purpose of the workshop is to provide an opportunity for customers to learn more about the district's finances in general and the reasons for the proposed water rate increase in particular in an informal setting. There will be ample time for questions and answers. The workshop will be held in the MMWD Board Room, 220 Nellen Avenue, Corte Madera, 6:30-8:00 pm.
At the rate hearing, scheduled for April 19, the MMWD Board of Directors will consider approving the proposed increase. If passed, the new rates would apply to meter readings taken on or after May 1 and would be reflected in water bills issued on or after July 1. The average customer's bill would go up by a maximum of $5.63 per two-month billing period, increasing from $94.44 to $100.07, or slightly less than $3 per month.
The board proposed the rate increase at the February 16 board meeting.
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MMWD PROPOSES EXTENSION OF FIRE FLOW FEE
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At a public hearing scheduled for May 17 the MMWD Board of Directors will consider approving an extension of the $75 per parcel annual fire flow fee. The Fire Flow Fee is dedicated to capital improvement projects that improve the fire-fighting capacity of the district's water system. The fire flow fee funds raised since the program began in 1997 have supported the investment of approximately $70 million for the replacement of more than 60 miles of fire-flow deficient (undersized) pipelines, the installation of 750 hydrants and seismic retrofits of the water treatment plants, critical storage tanks and pump stations.
But there is still more to be done, which is why the Marin County Fire Chiefs Association (MCFCA) formally requested in November 2010 that MMWD extend the fire flow fee and program beyond 2012. The extension would allow MMWD to replace 12 miles of pipe from the original fire flow program that were not funded due to inflation and would also fund an additional 40 miles of fire-flow deficient pipes as well as other related projects.
MMWD is holding a public workshop on the fire flow fee extension proposal on Thursday, April 26, 6:30-8:00 pm.
The board proposed the extension at the February 16 board meeting.
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| NEW FROM THE BLOG | Check out these recent blog posts:
- Garden planning pays off ( click here).
- Protecting Mt. Tamalpais with Project Restore (click here).
- Bay-Friendly Garden Tour: volunteer and receive free tour tickets (click here).
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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 colleagues and constituents. Thank you!
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