The Marin Municipal Water District (or MMWD) is the government agency that provides drinking water to southern and central

Marin County, California Marin County is a County (United States), county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat and ...

. Chartered in 1912, it became California's first municipal water district. It serves 191,000 customers in a area that includes ten towns and cities.

Background

The Marin Municipal Water District provides clean water to about 190,000 residents and businesses in the central and southern parts of Marin County. The water district controls and protects over 21,000 acres of valuable watershed land. This watershed leads to seven different reservoirs that can be found on

Mount Tamalpais Mount Tamalpais (; ; Miwok languages, Miwok: ''Támal Pájiṣ''), known locally as Mount Tam, is a mountain, peak in Marin County, California, Marin County, California, United States, often considered symbolic of Marin County. Much of Mount Tama ...

and

West Marin West Marin is the largest rural region of Marin County, California. The West Marin Chamber of Commerce includes seven unincorporated communities in its definition of West Marin: Point Reyes Station, Olema, Stinson Beach, Bolinas, Tomales, Di ...

. Marin's water district delivers an average of 22 million gallons of water per day through its 900+ miles of pipelines and 99 pumping stations. All of this water is processed through two water treatment plants and one finishing plant. About 75% of the districts water supply come from rainfall on Mt. Tamalpais watershed and in the grassy hills of west Marin. The rainwater flow into the 7 reservoirs of Marin. As of 2022, the average water storage is up 106.90% than compared to 2021. The current storage is 59,046 AF (acre-feet) compared to the storage of 2021, which was 27,557AF for this date.

Reservoirs

The district's seven reservoirs in Marin County provide about 75% of the water it uses: *

Alpine Lake Alpine lakes are classified as lakes at high altitudes in mountainous zones, usually near or above the tree line, with extended periods of ice cover. These lakes are commonly formed from glacial activity (either current or in the past) but can al ...

, formed by Alpine Dam on

Lagunitas Creek Lagunitas Creek is a -longU.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed December 27, 2017 northward-flowing stream in Marin County, California. It is critically important to the large ...

Bon Tempe Lake Bon Tempe Lake is a reservoir in Marin County, California, managed by the Marin Municipal Water District. It is the widest lake in the Mount Tamalpais watershed, and on Lagunitas Creek. Beneath its dam is Alpine Lake. Lake Lagunitas is immediately ...

on Lagunitas Creek *

Kent Lake Kent Lake is a reservoir in western Marin County, California formed by the construction of Peters Dam across Lagunitas Creek. Built in 1954, the lake is the most recent lake of the Marin Municipal Water District, as well as the largest. It lie ...

, formed by Peters Dam on Lagunitas Creek *

Lake Lagunitas Lake Lagunitas is a reservoir on Lagunitas Creek in Marin County, California. Nearby lakes Lake Lagunitas is one of seven reservoirs providing potable water to the Marin Municipal Water District. It is the oldest and smallest lake in the Mount Ta ...

on Lagunitas Creek *

Nicasio Reservoir Nicasio Reservoir is a shallow, artificial reservoir in the Nicasio Valley region of Marin County, California, United States. It covers and sits in a drainage basin. It was created by the construction of Seeger Dam on the Nicasio Creek in 196 ...

, formed by Seeger Dam on

Nicasio Creek Nicasio Creek is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 9, 2011 stream in Marin County, California, United States and is the primary tributary of Lagunitas Creek, which ...

* Phoenix Reservoir * Soulajule Reservoir on Arroyo Sausal Combined, these seven reservoirs have a capacity of 79,566

acre-feet The acre-foot is a non- SI unit of volume equal to about commonly used in the United States in reference to large-scale water resources, such as reservoirs, aqueducts, canals, sewer flow capacity, irrigation water, and river flows. An acre-f ...

(98.14 million m³). Alpine, Bon Tempe, Kent, Lagunitas, and Phoenix are all part of the

watershed. The district's remaining 25% of water is sourced from

Sonoma County Sonoma County () is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa, California, Santa Rosa. It is to the n ...

's Russian River water system.

Recreation

Over of land in District ownership are open to the public for recreational use from sunrise to sunset. There are of trails and unpaved roads available for hiking. The Cataract Falls Trail is one of the most popular trails. Many of the trails are also open for dog walking and horseback riding, while bicycling is only allowed on fire roads. Portions of the seven District reservoirs are open for

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

biking Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...

horseback riding Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

, and

picnicking A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding ...

Camping Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more nat ...

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

, and

boating Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether Motorboat, powerboats, Sailing, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sp ...

are prohibited.

Fisheries

MMWD is commonly recognized as a leader in the area for salmon conservation. There are various programs dedicated to monitor salmon populations and enhance their natural habitats such as Lagunitas Creek Stewardship Plan and the Watershed Stewards Program. Lagunitas Creek is home to one of the last and largest remaining populations of Central California Coast coho salmon as it is a spawning and rearing ground for the endangered species of coho salmon and steelhead trout.

Wildlife

There are over 400 species living in the Mt. Tamalpais watershed. These species include rare, threatened, and even endangered animals. MMWD supports a variety of programs that are in place to help monitor the ecosystem health, species presence, and population trends over time. Some of these programs in place to help sustain and monitor species such as the northern spotted owl, the yellow-legged frog, and the western pond turtle.

Employment

The water district sustains various employees at both full time, part time, and seasonal levels. It currently has about 240 full time employees who are governed by a five-member board of directors. Full time employees qualify for a benefits package after six months of employment.

Administration

Its administrative offices are located at 220 Nellen Avenue in Corte Madera.

References

External links

* {{- Government of Marin County, California Water management authorities in California County government agencies in California Mount Tamalpais 1912 establishments in California Government agencies established in 1912