Water

Water Action NOW in Fairfax and Beyond

August 26, 2021 by Laura Vernon

Understand the Imperative to Save Water Today AND Build Resiliency in our Watershed for the Future

Historically low rainfalls combined with hot weather means that we are experiencing historic drought conditions that cannot be ignored. The threat has been raised from “severe” to “EXCEPTIONAL”!

As of the end of August, our reservoirs which supply about 75% of Marin’s water, are at 38% of capacity. The other 25% would normally come from Sonoma but that is NOT happening this year. That’s bad.

Hopefully it will rain this Winter but the County will need about 250% of a typical rain year to bring our supplies to a “normal” level. That is unlikely to happen.

It is a priority for communities to come together to protect this watershed. Brown lawns are good and dirty cars are fashionable. Anything else means those folks need help understanding the imperative and tools to take action to change it up.

We need YOU. If you can help with this effort, please contact us.

Youth Blog: Why Fire is a Threat to Water

July 4, 2015 by Jennifer Hammond

As a senior in Drake High School’s environmental studies academy SEA-DISC, one of my many activities is an internship with the local non-profit organization Sustainable Fairfax.

Recently I have been working with Sustainable Fairfax on their water program, conducting interviews with various experts on water use, waste water, and watersheds in Marin County and getting a great perspective on these issues. Along the way I also discovered a few other exciting projects that are leading the way to sustainability in Marin.

At the Sky Oaks Watershed Headquarters near Lake Lagunitas, stewards of the watershed face daily challenges to ensure that the land stays healthy in order to provide enough clean water for the region’s water demands. Removing non-native scotch broom and preventing pollution are regular tasks, but a challenge most aren’t aware of is the threat of wildfire to our water supply.

According to Mike Swezy, the Watershed Lands Manager at Sky Oaks, fire is one of the main concerns for the health of our watershed. Fires not only change the scheme of an ecosystem on the large and visible scale but even at the molecular level. According to a 2004 Colorado State University article in the Journal of Forestry, high soil temperatures consume the layer of leaf litter and organic material on the surface of the soil which causes a physical change in the charged particles of the soil, creating a “tin roof” effect; the soil actually repels water and it runs off quickly.

Burns, whether prescribed or naturally-occurring, also prompt a type of erosion called dry ravel, in which dry soil and rocks slide downhill without any precipitation moving it. And, exposed soil without any plants to shield it or roots to hold it washes away in heavy rains. Accelerated erosion fills streams with sediment, which has a negative impact on the clarity and quality of water.

However, managing fire risk is not a matter of putting them out, Swezy says. In fact, preventing fires entirely could make the situation worse. “Native Americans had carefully used fire for 12,000 years, so the vegetation is shaped for fires.When Europeans arrived we entered an era of fire suppression, and in the early 20th century we got better and better at putting out fires and ended up with too much vegetation. Its sort of a paradox.”

So how do we protect our forests and watersheds from fire without creating more risk? Sky Oaks is working on solutions that include fuel breaks and restoring areas to resemble old-growth forests (think large, old trees with less underbrush), which are more fire resistant. “An open forest is more fire hardy and yields more water…if you think of your forest as a carbon bank, it is safer to have larger trees that won’t burn entirely and are more spread out than to put all of your carbon into many little trees that burn up quickly.”

Film & Speaker Series: Russian River: All Rivers

April 17, 2015 by Maya Butterfield Leave a Comment

When: Friday, April 17, 2015
Doors Open: 5:45pm Film: 6:15 pm
Where: Fairfax Women’s Club, 46 Park Rd, Fairfax
Cost: $5-15 Suggested Donation – no one turned away
Special Guests: Filmmakers William Sorensen, Stella Kwiecinski & Nancy Econome; David Keller, Bay Area Director of Friends of the Eel River; and Huey Johnson of the Resource Renewal Institute. Questions & Answers follow the film.

$5-$15 suggested donation

We are pleased to present this timely film, especially relevant as the California drought worsens. Over 25% of the water we use in Marin comes from the Russian River through the Sonoma County Water Agency.

Sponsored by Sustainable Fairfax in collaboration with Marin Municipal Water District, Fairfax Volunteers and Fairfax Parks and Recreation Commission

The film is a non-profit project produced, written and directed by residents of Sonoma County who like most everyone on our planet, depend on a watershed to live. The film explores the diverse forces which have come to shape one of California’s iconic rivers – forces which impact rivers and watersheds throughout the world. It examines how the Russian River has been used, and what the consequences of that use have been. Beyond examining its exploitation as a resource, the film revels in the watershed’s profound, often forgotten, beauty. What can we learn from it? Why are we drawn to it?

The film features Maude Barlowe, Brock Dolman, David Keller, Don McEnhill & Marty Griffin.

Film & Speaker Series: Russian River: All Rivers

April 17, 2015 by Maya Butterfield Leave a Comment

$5-$15 suggested donation

Sponsored by Sustainable Fairfax in collaboration with Marin Municipal Water District, Fairfax Volunteers and Fairfax Parks and Recreation Commission

The film features Maude Barlowe, Brock Dolman, David Keller, Don McEnhill & Marty Griffin.

March 20, 2015 by Maya Butterfield Leave a Comment

When: Friday, March 20, 2015
Doors Open: 7:00pm Film: 7:30 pm
Where: Fairfax Women’s Club, 46 Park Rd, Fairfax
Cost: $5-10 Suggested Donation – no one turned away
Speaker: Mai-Lan Ha, a Senior Research Associate for the Pacific Institute’s Corporate Sustainability program focusing on its international standards and corporate water stewardship programs. Ms. Ha will provide comments and take questions after the film.
BLUE GOLD sheds light on the world’s rapidly approaching water crisis and suggests that wars of the future will be fought over water, as they today over oil, as the source of all life enters the global marketplace and political arena.

“Ultimately the world’s water supply is at risk of disappearing, and rich or poor, no one can’t escape it. Get informed and inspired – watch this film.” (Treehugger)

“A must see film for every person on the planet” (GreenMuze.com)

Sponsored by Sustainable Fairfax in collaboration with New Belgium Brewing Company, Fairfax Volunteers and Fairfax Parks and Recreation Commission

https://sustainablefairfax.org/event/859/