http://droughtreporter.unl.edu/

v 2.4.3.0

Thanks to abundant rainfall refilling reservoirs, the Marin Municipal Water District was no longer in a big rush to construct the $100 million pipeline across the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge which would provide more water for MMWD customers if reservoirs were to run dry. The region received more than 200% of its normal rainfall from October through December, and the district’s seven reservoirs refilled from 32% of capacity in mid-October to nearly 93% in early January 2022. Marin Independent Journal (Calif.), Jan 5, 2022 After a number of atmospheric rivers that brought tremendous rain to Marin County, the reservoirs have refilled from 32% to 74% of capacity on Dec. 17 and water officials were reconsidering some drought restrictions and penalties that were introduced earlier. Since July, the Marin Municipal Water District has received about 34 inches of rain, or about 240% of normal to date. The utility continues to plan for water projects like the $100 million pipeline across the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge that would pump in water purchased from Yuba County. The district began planning the pipeline when it appeared that its local reservoir supplies could be depleted as soon as July 2022. The San Jose Mercury News (Calif.), Dec 19, 2021 More than 17 inches of desperately needed rain fell at Lake Lagunitas reservoir Oct. 18-25. The 17+ inches represents about a third of the 52 inches typically received in a year. Water supplies in the district’s seven reservoirs in the Mount Tamalpais watershed rose from 32% to 43% of total capacity, with the total storage increasing from about 25,772 acre-feet on Oct. 18 to 34,535 acre-feet on Oct. 25. While the rain is beneficial, the Marin Municipal Water District is still planning to build the 8-mile pipeline across the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge to bring in additional water. Marin Independent Journal (Calif.), Oct 25, 2021 The Marin Municipal Water District was taking steps toward constructing an emergency water pipeline if the coming winter is dry like the last, to avoid running out of water next summer. A consulting firm was seeking out potential water rights holders in the Central Valley that might be willing to sell their allotments. In the meantime, it is hoped that conservation efforts will continue to improve so the pipeline and temporary desalination plant can remain unused backup plans. While conservation of 40% has been requested, residents conserved about 19% recently. The Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.), June 23, 2021 The potential for water shortages in Marin County was so high that the Marin Municipal Water District was talking with East Bay officials about building a pipeline across the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge to bring water into the county if the upcoming winter shapes up to be as dry as the past two. The emergency pipeline was once used during the 1976-77 drought. A temporary desalination plant was another of several options under consideration to boost water supplies if the drought were to continue into a third year. Marin only received 20 inches of rain during the winter, less than fell during the 1976-77 drought and the second least amount in the 143 years that records have been kept. The MMWD approved mandatory water restrictions on April 20 and could tighten restrictions further for its 190,000 customers in central and southern Marin. Marin Independent Journal (Calif.), April 27, 2021