A mudslide that severely broken a Novato street and threatened utility strains alongside Freeway 101 has stabilized, and work is underway to arrange for one more potential storm subsequent week, officers mentioned Thursday.
“The hillside isn't actively sloughing,” mentioned Battalion Chief Jeff Whittet of the Novato Hearth Safety District. “It has considerably slowed however there may be nonetheless motion as a result of the bottom could be very saturated with the entire rain.”
The incident Tuesday night brought on about 75 to 100 ft of a hillside to fall 20 ft. The slide brought on vital harm to a 100-foot part of Redwood Boulevard close to Buck Heart Drive and has blocked entry to Olompali State Historic Park indefinitely.
“If you happen to’ve ever seen images of Loma Prieta earthquake, it actually does appear to be that,” Whittet mentioned of the street harm.
Whittet mentioned there is no such thing as a harm estimate or estimated time of restore. The county says there is no such thing as a risk to close by residents or to Freeway 101.
Work to stabilize the realm additional and divert rainfall from the positioning would possibly start on Friday, Whittet mentioned.
Utilities mentioned they don't anticipate disruption to electrical, gasoline or water service due to the slide.
The mudslide threatened two underground Pacific Gasoline & Electrical Co. gasoline strains and moved PG&E energy poles and transmission strains. The gasoline strains on the web site serve 93,000 residents.
One gasoline line was uncovered within the slide whereas the opposite was buried, in line with PG&E spokesperson Megan McFarland. Each gasoline strains have been undamaged and no leaks have been detected, Whittet mentioned.
PG&E decreased stress on the buried gasoline line however remains to be in a position to serve all its prospects with out disruption utilizing the only gasoline line, McFarland mentioned. Electrical strains within the space have been turned off and energy was diverted to different strains with out interruption to service.
A pipeline transporting Russian River water to Marin suppliers was additionally undamaged by the slide, however it stays shut off in case of additional motion.
The North Marin Water District receives about 75% of its water provide from the Russian River for almost 60,000 residents within the larger Novato space. Till the pipeline could be turned again on or an interim transmission line arrange, the company will use water from its reservoir at Stafford Lake. The lake holds about 25% of the district’s provide and is often used throughout the hotter months when water consumption peaks.
Tony Williams, common supervisor of the North Marin Water District, mentioned utilizing Stafford Lake is barely a short-term answer.
The county’s largest water provider, the Marin Municipal Water District, receives about 25% of its provide from the pipeline and the remaining from its reservoirs. Crystal Yezman, the district engineering director, mentioned the utility has ample provide from the winter storms to serve its 191,000 prospects in central and southern Marin. The district’s reservoirs maintain a few two-year provide of water.
“We’re rather a lot higher off than North Marin, I’d say,” Yezman mentioned.
The Novato mudslide is the second this week that threatened a serious Marin Municipal Water District water line.
On Monday, the district was knowledgeable that a January mudslide alongside a hearth street within the Loma Alta Protect had moved after the weekend rainfall. The slide on the intersection of the Outdated Railroad Grade Hearth Highway and Gun Sight Hearth Highway close to Fairfax was close to the principle water transmission line that serves San Rafael, San Anselmo, Fairfax, Corte Madera and Larkspur.
Yezman mentioned the pipe is uphill from the slide and never in danger. The district is collaborating with the county parks division to design a long-term restore of the positioning, which could embrace a retaining wall, she mentioned.
“It’s nonetheless far sufficient away from our pipeline that we’re not involved in regards to the pipeline,” she mentioned. “They went out and retarped every thing. It appears to be like very steady.”
The estimated value of the long-term restore challenge is about $400,000. The challenge is eligible for reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Administration Company, Yezman mentioned.