TIS bnr green water
Corte Madera, CA                                                                                                     March 2016
The Inside Source is produced by Marin Municipal Water District to inform local decision makers and opinion leaders on issues affecting Marin's water, people, and environment.
Features
Long Range Plans Under Way
Come to the NBWA Conference in April
Latest Blog Posts
Spread the Word

MMWD Board of Directors 

Cynthia Koehler
President

Larry Russell
Vice President

Larry Bragman
Jack Gibson
Armando Quintero

Regular meetings of the MMWD Board of Directors are held at 7:30 pm the first and third Tuesday of each month unless otherwise noticed 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


Join Our Mailing List!
Upcoming Public Meetings
 
Tues., April 5, 7:30 p.m. 
BOARD MEETING   
Board Room
 
Tues., April 19, 7:30 p.m. 
BOARD MEETING 
Board Room
RESERVOIRS REACH CAPACITY AS RAIN CONTINUES
It has been nearly two weeks now that MMWD's seven reservoirs have been at capacity. They filled up early in the morning on Sunday, March 6 and have been full ever since. Especially nice to see, since they had been just short of capacity for the entire month of February.

Rainfall levels are now above normal and we are fortunate to be heading into the warm, summer months with above-average storage in our reservoirs.   

Here are the latest water statistics:
  • Reservoir Levels - As of March 17, reservoir storage is 79,566 acre-feet,* or 100% of capacity. The average for this date is 72,263 acre-feet, or 91% of capacity.    
  • Rainfall - Rainfall this year to date (July 1, 2015 - March 17, 2016) is 46.33 inches. Average for the same period is 43.18 inches; last year on this date we had 36.88 inches.
  • Water Use - Water use for the week ending March 17 averaged 14.12 million gallons per day, compared to last year when water use for the week was 19.83 million gallons per day.
  • Creek Releases - During the month of February 2016 MMWD released 296.15 million gallons, or 908.85 acre-feet, into Lagunitas and Walker creeks in west Marin for habitat enhancement.   
 Visit our Water Watch page for daily updates.

*One acre-foot is 325,851 gallons
DROUGHT NEWS
In February MMWD customers saved 13% compared to the same month in 2013. Cumulative savings for June 2015 - February 2016 is 20.1%, so we continue to meet the 20% target set by the state for MMWD.

As a reminder, the statewide reductions have been extended through October 2016, so we have eight more months to go. We ask that you continue to reduce your water use and we thank you for your commitment to conservation!

Visit our drought information page for updates.
MMWD BEGINS UPDATE OF LONG-RANGE WATER SUPPLY PLANS
MMWD has begun work on the latest version of its Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP), a long-range water supply plan that all water providers must submit to the State of California every five years. The purpose of going through the planning process and developing the final plan is to ensure adequate water supplies to meet existing and future demand. The state requires water providers to assess the reliability of their water sources over a 20-year planning horizon and includes an evaluation of each agency's progress on meeting a 20% reduction in per-capita use by the year 2020.

The information MMWD develops to prepare the newest UWMP will also be used in the development of the district's longer range Water Resources Plan (WRP) 2040. The WRP 2040 will identify a range of alternatives for water supply resiliency through the year 2040, review and evaluate the alternatives, and present a detailed plan for implementing the recommended alternative.

Public hearings on the UWMP are scheduled for the regular meetings of the MMWD Board of Directors of April 19 and May 17. The final report is due to the state by July 1. The draft WRP 2040 is expected to be available for public review in February 2017.

The district's current UWMP is available online (10 MB file; 4 MB file without appendices).
REGISTER NOW FOR 2016 NBWA CONFERENCE ON APRIL 22
Registration is now open for the 2016 North Bay Watershed Association
conference scheduled forNBWA logo Friday, April 22, in Napa at the Embassy Suites. The conference theme is "The Future of Water Is Now: Innovation, Integration, Adaptation." Keynote speakers are State Senator Lois Wolk and Assemblymember Marc Levine. The day-long conference includes panel presentations on preparing for extreme weather impacts, groundwater sustainability, expanding beyond traditional water sources, and examples of successful project integration. The program also includes a presentation by Lt. Col. John Morrow, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District, and talks from local high school students on the benefits of environmental education.

The conference fee of $95/person includes continental breakfast, lunch, and a post-conference wine tasting. Please register online here. The registration deadline is April 15.

The conference is sponsored by the North Bay Watershed Association, a group of 16 public agencies in Marin, Sonoma, and Napa counties committed to regional approaches to watershed management.
NEW BLOG POSTS
  • Container gardening expands your gardening options, but growing healthy plants in a container requires a slightly different approach. Read on for some simple tips.
  • MMWD is celebrating the U.S. EPA's "Fix a Leak Week!" Indoors, toilets are the most common cause of water leaks. Read on to learn how to check your toilets for leaks (video also included).
  • A recent telephone scam attempt was made on MMWD customers.  Read on for information on how to protect yourself.
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.
Libby Pischel, Public Information Manager
Marin Municipal Water District
lpischel@marinwater.org
(415) 945-1421