Fresh Drinking Water Secured for Point Reyes Station

By Matt Dolkas, Associate Director of Communications

June 7, 2022

This year, a new source of drinking water for the community of Point Reyes Station will be secured from the MALT-protected Gallagher North Bend Ranch. A newly established well installed by the North Marin Water District (NMWD) will soon provide the nearby community with close to 150 gallons of fresh drinking water every minute — a game-changing supply for the unofficial capital of West Marin. 

“This is just one of the ways we want to give back and support our community,” shared Paul Gallagher, one of the property’s owners. “Our family likely wouldn’t still be here if it wasn’t for MALT and the generous support of Marin County residents.” 

The Gallagher North Bend Ranch, pictured here, is a regional asset of which we are all beneficiaries.  

After more than 140 years of owning and tending to this land, the Gallagher family began receiving attractive offers from developers looking to build luxury estates. Fortunately in 2016, MALT partnered with the Gallagher family to protect the natural resources and agricultural productivity of this ranch.

Through a collection of funding opportunities, including the Marin County Farmland Preservation Program (Measure A funding), a California State Coastal Conservancy grant, and the Department of Conservation’s Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALC) program, MALT was able to permanently protect this land from the threat of subdivision and development. Generous donations from MALT supporters provided the funding for the MALT staff to acquire this easement, share its story, and ensure an ongoing partnership to steward the land. 

Named for the bend of Lagunitas Creek that runs through it, the ranch comprises 330 acres in the shadow of Black Mountain, just outside of Point Reyes Station. At this size, it is a vital asset for all life moving within, across and past its boundaries — including the largest population of Coho salmon on the central coast of California. This land is a regional asset of which we are all beneficiaries. 

“None of this would have been possible without the cooperation of this willing landowner,” said Avram Pearlman, NMWD engineer. “Through mutual cooperation we’re able to deliver this water security for West Marin—it’s a win, win for everyone.”