Zone 1 was formed in 1955 to address flooding issues in downtown Novato and surrounding areas.
Zone 1 is the largest zone by area in Marin. It covers over 45 square miles. It includes the City of Novato and portions of unincorporated County in:
- Indian Valley
- Bel Marin Keys
- Green Point
- Black Point
- Loma Verde
- Western Novato
There are 21,580 parcels within the Zone.
The boundaries of the Zone and the Novato Creek Watershed closely align. Novato Creek is a substantial perennial stream that extends approximately 17 miles from San Pablo Bay to its headwaters at Stafford Lake, and about another 6 miles upstream of the Lake.
Tributaries including Bowman Creek, Simmons Creek, Warner Creek and Arroyo Avichi, drain the subwatersheds.
Watershed
Zone 1 is located within the Novato Creek watershed and the Rush Creek watershed.
Work program
The Zone work program includes:
- Regular servicing of District-owned facilities including 4 pump stations along Novato Creek
- Nine miles of flood protection levees on Novato Creek
- Select tidegates and trash racks on tributaries to Novato Creek and Rush Creek
- Annual vegetation management along 15 miles of creeks tributary to Novato Creek and Rush Creek
- Periodic removal of accumulated sediment from lower Novato Creek, Warner Creek and Arroyo Avichi to improve flow conveyance
The Zone is overseen by a five-member Advisory Board.
