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Officials: 'Extreme' king tides and creek overtopping flooded Larkspur streets and lagoon; residents press for faster response
Summary
City staff said Jan. 1–5 king tides and elevated creek levels produced unprecedented flooding in low‑lying Larkspur neighborhoods, with the Marina Lagoon remaining high for days; residents reported sewage and urged proactive lagoon pumping and faster communications; staff said pumps were rented, flap valves ordered and further coordination with county and Ross Valley Sanitary is planned.
Larkspur city staff told the City Council on Jan. 21 that an "extreme" Jan. 1–5 king tide cycle — with measured creek elevations up to 8.7 feet — combined with local conditions to flood multiple low‑lying streets and the Marina Lagoon, causing prolonged street and property flooding that left some residents with sewage in garages and yards.
"It seems primarily this flooding was the result of the elevated king tides," Public Works Director Julian Skinner said, explaining that regional tide gauges recorded water levels about 18 inches above prediction and that Larkspur saw higher-than-forecast creeks that overtopped banks and flowed into streets.
Skinner said the city's storm pump stations are sized to remove rainwater that collects in low areas; they are not designed to pump creek or bay water once those waterways overtop banks. "They're not sized or designed for when the creek then spills into the street, to be able to pump that water back out," he said.
Multiple Riviera Circle residents told the…
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