Starting Monday, Marin County crews and Marin Water began lowering Phoenix Lake in Ross. The goal is to free up space to catch the season's first storm runoff before it reaches Ross Creek and Corte Madera Creek, which flood San Anselmo and Ross.
Marin Water spokesperson Jessie Underhill told KQED that crews will pump out 60 to 160 acre-feet over four to six weeks, roughly 29 to 70 Olympic-size pools. Bay City News reports the work should continue through mid-November.
The idea came from 2021. After that year's drought, the reservoir's low level captured runoff that would otherwise have flowed downstream. Officials caution that any benefit depends on the timing, intensity and length of storms and on the lake's level when rain arrives. According to a county press release cited by KQED, Phoenix Lake provides drinking water to more than 191,000 people in Marin.
The drawdown follows January storms that flooded parts of Marin and forecasts for a strong El Niño winter. Last month, the Board of Supervisors added $3 million for storm preparedness. The county recommends signing up for AlertMarin for emergency updates.