Marin Water Secures $2 Million in Federal Funding for Water Supply Resilience Projects by Marin Water Feb 5, 2026 Member Submitted News CORTE MADERA — Marin Water has secured $2 million in federal funding to support future water supply and infrastructure projects through the Federal Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, which was passed by Congress and signed into law late last month. The funding represents the first federal appropriation from the $28 million authorized for Marin Water infrastructure projects through the 2022 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). The funds will support projects identified in the District’s Water Supply Roadmap, Marin Water’s long-term, adaptive strategy to ensure a reliable and resilient water supply in the face of climate change and future droughts. “Securing this federal funding is an important milestone for Marin Water and for the communities we serve,” said Jed Smith, President of the Marin Water Board of Directors. “It reflects years of planning following the 2021–22 drought and reinforces our commitment to responsibly preparing for future water supply challenges while continuing to pursue outside funding to help offset the cost of critical infrastructure investments.” The Water Supply Roadmap outlines a portfolio of projects that combine demand reduction initiatives with new water supply strategies to address projected supply gaps under changing climate conditions. Many of these projects require significant upfront investment to advance planning, design and environmental review. The $2 million appropriation will be coordinated through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Marin Water will work with USACE to establish a project partnership agreement and identify an eligible project to be incorporated into the Corps’ 2026 Work Plan. That coordination process is expected to take several months and will help determine how the funding is ultimately used. One example of a project that could potentially benefit from this funding is Marin Water’s Atmospheric River Capture (ARC) Project, which is currently in the early stages of preliminary design and environmental review. The ARC Project is one of several projects included in the District’s Water Supply Roadmap and is intended to capture high winter storm flows from the Russian River during select atmospheric river events and store that water for later use during dry periods. “Water infrastructure projects are expensive, and the scale of investment needed to build long-term resilience is significant,” said President Smith. “Pursuing federal and state funding opportunities like WRDA is essential to helping manage costs for our customers while continuing to invest in a reliable water future.” Marin Water has worked closely with Congressman Jared Huffman since 2022 to secure federal authorization and appropriations for District infrastructure needs. “We are extremely grateful to Congressman Huffman for his leadership and continued support in helping advance federal funding for Marin Water,” added Smith. “His efforts have been instrumental in moving this funding forward and supporting long-term water reliability for Marin County.” Looking ahead, Marin Water expects to continue working with the Army Corps on an annual basis to pursue additional appropriations through the federal budget cycle and to fully leverage the funding authorized under the 2022 WRDA.
