| 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., May 3, 7:30 pm
BOARD MEETING
Board Room
Sat., May 5, 10:00 am-noon
CENTENNIAL OPEN HOUSE
Corporation Yard
220 Tamal Vista Blvd
Corte Madera
Thurs., May 17, 7:30 pm
PROPOSED FIRE FLOW FEE EXTENSION PUBLIC HEARING
San Rafael City Hall
1400 Fifth Avenue
San Rafael
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APRIL SHOWERS KEEP RESERVOIRS FULL
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Rainfall in April totaled 2.97 inches, approximately 75 percent of the month's average of 3.74 inches. But it was enough to keep the reservoir storage levels well above average (110 percent) and to delay the start of the irrigation season.
Here are the current water statistics:
- Reservoir Levels - As of April 30, reservoir levels are 99.8 percent of capacity, or 77,389 acre-feet.* The average for this date is 90.5 percent (72,030 acre-feet).
- Rainfall - Rainfall from July 1, 2011 to March 28, 2012 totals 40.17 inches. Average for the same period is 50.42 inches.
- Water Use - Water use for the last seven days averaged 20.7 million gallons, slightly lower than last year's average of 21.3 million gallons.
- Creek Releases - During the month of March 2012 MMWD released 311 million gallons, or a total of 956 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 CENTENNIAL OPEN HOUSE THIS SATURDAY, MAY 5
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MMWD is holding a public open house at the district's headquarters in Corte Madera this Saturday in honor of the district's 100th anniversary. MMWD received its charter on April 25, 1912, making
it the first municipal water district in California.
The open house is from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon in the district's corporation yard, located at 220 Tamal Vista Blvd in Corte Madera. There will be tours of the water quality lab and the operations center, historical displays, demonstrations and refreshments. Special activities for children are also planned.
Other MMWD centennial events and programs will continue to 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 on Mt. Tamalpais. The next bio-blitz focuses on Sudden Oak Death on Mt. Tamalpais and adjacent lands. Training is scheduled for Saturday, May 12, at MMWD's Corte Madera office. Reservations required.
A centennial book-signing event is scheduled for Thursday, July 26, at Book Passage in Corte Madera to launch the publication of MMWD Director Jack Gibson's historical book titled Mount Tamalpais and the Marin Municipal Water District .
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MMWD HOLDING PUBLIC HEARING ON 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 for an additional 19 years beginning this year. 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 the initial 15-year period. The extension would raise a total of $64 million, allowing MMWD to replace 12 miles of pipe from the original fire flow program that were not funded due to inflation and also funding an additional 40 miles of fire-flow deficient pipes as well as other related projects. For more information on the proposal, click here.
The May 17 public hearing will be held at 7:30 pm in the Council Chambers, San Rafael City Hall, 1400 Fifth Avenue.
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MMWD RATES TO INCREASE 6 PERCENT
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The MMWD Board of Directors recently approved a 6-percent rate increase that applies to water used on or after May 1, 2012. The new rates will be reflected in meter readings and water bills issued on or after July 1, 2012. The average customer's bill will 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.
Click here for more information about the new rates.
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| MARIN BAY-FRIENDLY GARDEN TOUR SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, MAY 19 |
If you are looking for inspiration for your garden, look no further than your Marin neighbors. MMWD is participating in the 2012 Bay-Friendly Garden Tour on Saturday, May 19, 10:00 am-4:00 pm. The beautiful gardens on this self-guided tour will inspire you with low-water-use and native plants, backyard farming, wildlife habitat, lawn conversions, rainwater harvesting and more. Registration is $10 and includes the tour guidebook with directions, garden descriptions and entrance tickets for your choice of gardens. Click here to sign up.
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| NEW FROM THE 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 colleagues and constituents. Thank you!
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