Seasonal Storm Preps Underway Across Marin County

MARIN COUNTY, CA — With the autumnal equinox little more than a month away, maintenance crews are hard at work preparing for storm season and rainy months ahead in Marin County.

Starting in early spring and continuing through the summer, the Department of Public Works collaborates with cities and towns to complete seasonal maintenance, targeting mid-October to wrap up an array of storm preps. The work includes identifying potential issues in Marin County's eight flood control zones and evaluating roads, creeks, levees, tide gates, storm drains, pump stations and culverts.

Crews also inspect sediment levels for potential flood impacts and remove excess sediment that can clog water flow. This summer, that work includes Rush Creek and Vinyard Creek in Novato's Zone 1, and Fairfax Creek in Ross Valley's Zone 9, the county said.

Other projects include inspecting levees and berms for potential weak points.

"Standard maintenance includes inspecting over 14 miles of levees and timber reinforced berms for weak points, fortifying with supportive material and filling rodent burrows to prevent leaks," the county said this month. "This time-intensive process is already underway on levees and berms in Coyote Creek, Ross Valley, Santa Venetia and Novato."

Officials said key areas are rechecked during winter to identify additional potential weak points that may only become evident during rainstorms or unusually high tides.

DPW crews also inspect 45 pumps that play a vital role in reducing risks to flood-prone areas, like Tiburon's Bel Aire, Strawberry Circle, Santa Venetia, Granton Park, the lower Tamalpais Valley and Novato.

Road crews were tasked this summer with inspecting and cleaning thousands of roadside storm drains and catch basins.

Before the storms begin, the county asks residents to take a few steps on their own property, including clearing dead leaves from drains and gutters and disposing of dead vegetation in compost bins. People in more flood-prone areas are advised to test sump pumps, ensure they have sandbags on hand, and sign up for Alert Marin notifications.

Learn more about flood protection on the Marin County Flood Control District's website.