| MMWD Board of Directors |
Armando Quintero
Vice President
Liza Crosse
Jack Gibson
Cynthia Koehler
Regular meetings of the MMWD Board of Directors are held at 7:30 pm the first and third Tuesday of each month unless otherwise noted 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) 945-1455
Krishna Kumar
General Manager
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Upcoming Public Meetings
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Tues., July 2, 7:30 pm
BOARD MEETING
Board Room
Tues., July 16, 7:30 pm
BOARD MEETING
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LATE JUNE RAIN SETS NEW DAILY RECORD
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This week we experienced an unusual and impressive two-day rain event for late June, receiving 1.69 inches total at Lake Lagunitas over June 24 and June 25. At 1.57 inches, June 25 was the wettest day of 2013 so far.
Total rainfall for June 2013 is 1.72 inches, well above the monthly average of 0.43 inches. Well-above average June rains occur about once every 10 years, most recently in 2011 when nearly 3.5 inches of rain was recorded. Going back through recent records, 1992 also was a wet June (1.87 inches) and, like 2013, was a below-average rainfall year. Record rainfall for June was 5.24 inches in 1897.
Here are the current water statistics:
- Reservoir Levels - As of June 25, reservoir storage is 65,081 acre-feet,* or 82 percent of capacity. The average for this date is 66,903 acre-feet, or 84 percent of capacity. Total capacity is 79,566 acre-feet.
- Rainfall - Rainfall this year (July 1, 2012 to June 25, 2013) is 40.20 inches. Last year for the same period we had 40.51 inches; average is 52.59 inches.
- Water Use - Water use for the week ending June 25 averaged 30.5 million gallons per day, compared to 31.2 million gallons per day for the same week last year.
- Creek Releases - During the month of May 2013 MMWD released 344 million gallons, or a total of 1,055 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 agreements with the State of California.
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 JOINING NORTH BAY "20 GALLON CHALLENGE"
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MMWD is a member of the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership, which includes all nine North Bay cities and water districts that purchase Russian River water from the Sonoma County Water Agency. Due to the unusually dry spring, the Saving Water Partnership is launching a new public awareness program this summer, the "20 Gallon Challenge," to reduce water demand. The 20 Gallon Challenge is a call to action to all Russian River water users to reduce their water use this summer by 20 gallons per day, per person. The outreach effort includes conservation tips demonstrating what 20 gallons is and how to save 20 gallons. A Challenge web page includes the conservation tips along with a pledge that all North Bay water users can take. Residents who pledge to take the Challenge will be entered into monthly prize drawings for water-saving appliances and professional services.
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BOARD ADOPTS NEW, TWO-YEAR BUDGET EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2013
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MMWD's Board of Directors recently approved operating and capital budgets for the 2013/14 and 2014/15 fiscal years (FY). The operating budgets have slight increases, while the capital budgets show an overall decrease. The operating budget for FY 14 is $75.5 million, which is 3.66 percent higher than the FY 13 budget. The FY 15 operating budget is $77.2 million, which is 2.24 percent higher than FY 14. Here are some budget highlights: - The operational increases are due to the reinstatement of funding for facilities maintenance that was cut due to budget constraints dating back to 2008 as well as the reinstatement of conservation programs that were also cut in 2008.
- The FY 14 capital project budget is $22.8 million, reflecting a decrease of 9.12 percent compared to FY 13. The FY 15 capital project budget is $23.5 million, which is an increase of 3.37 percent over FY 14.
- Based on the projected revenues and operating and capital budget plans for fiscal years 14 and 15, the district continues to make progress toward restoring operating reserves and more pay-as-you-go funding of capital projects, excluding the Fire Flow Improvement Program, which is funded by a property fee.
- Over the last several years MMWD has reduced its full-time employee count from 263 to a current count of 239. The district plans to restore five positions in FY 15.
A PDF version of the new, two-year budget is available here.
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CONSERVATION OFFERINGS FROM MMWD AND LOCAL PARTNERS
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In addition to the 20 Gallon Challenge, MMWD continues to offer free, indoor/outdoor water efficiency surveys through our Conservation Assistance Program (CAP). One of our knowledgeable conservation experts will make an onsite visit to help customers identify ways to reduce their water use and water bill. Customized CAP surveys are available for residential, commercial and large landscapes. Consultations typically take one to two hours, depending on the size of the site. MMWD partner Marin Master Gardeners will provide a free, residential garden evaluation. MMWD also partners with California Youth Energy Services to provide free "green house calls." CYES staff will provide an indoor efficiency evaluation plus free installation of energy- and water-saving equipment. More information about these and other conservation programs is available here.
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WORKSHOP HELD FOR MULTI-AGENCY COLLABORATION FOR MT. TAM
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MMWD organized a workshop earlier this month regarding a proposed "Tamalpais Lands Collaborative" to address habitat restoration, visitor experience, volunteer opportunities and other needs across Mt Tamalpais lands in a holistic and efficient way. More than 60 members of the public, including representatives from environmental organizations, public lands and park support groups, and recreation interests came together to learn more about the concept. The proposal is to create a collaboration that would include all four public agencies that manage land on Mt. Tamalpais: MMWD, Marin County Open Space District, California State Parks and the National Park Service. The general sentiment among those at the workshop was largely in strong support of developing a collaborative effort.
For several years MMWD has been exploring the idea of developing a "Friends" group to help support vital but under-funded restoration, stewardship and education in the Mt. Tamalpais watersheds. As MMWD and other community members with like minds began discussing how best to move forward on this idea, it became clear that real benefits could be achieved by collaborating with the other public land management agencies in and around Mt. Tamalpais, all supported by the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.
This concept and others will be considered by the MMWD Watershed Committee, which will forward a recommended approach to the MMWD Board of Directors later this summer.
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NEW BLOG POSTS
| Check out these recent posts from MMWD's blog, Think Blue Marin:
- Get a quick refresher in local geology by reading this month's Endangered Species Act anniversary blog post on serpentine.
- Everyone can have a garden in a container. Get container gardening tips here.
- This year's annual water quality report is now available. Read more about it 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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