Marin Water recently worked with a local milling company to repurpose reclaimed wood from downed trees into usable materials for facilities and access areas throughout the Mt. Tam Watershed.

Trees on the watershed occasionally fall and accumulate in Kent Lake as a result of storms and other natural events. When the logs surface on the reservoir, staff collect and store them for later use. This winter that effort came to fruition, and milling work took place on site along Peter’s Dam Road and Upper Peters Dam Road at Kent Lake. The milling project produced about 2,500 board feet of lumber – suitable for a range of small-scale site improvements within the watershed.

The first project that will benefit from the reclaimed wood will be upgrades at the Leo T. Cronin Fish Viewing Area parking lot, including an updated bathroom screen, benches and other small improvements. The rest of the wood – which consists mostly of redwood, with some Douglas fir – will be stored in existing lumber racks and protected from the elements for future maintenance and improvement projects.

Marin Water regularly repurposes reclaimed reservoir wood, as it provides a sustainable, low-waste source of material while enhancing the appearance and functionality of watershed facilities and access areas. Previously, Marin Water donated recovered reservoir logs to Marin County Parks for use at Roy’s Redwoods.