Watershed Headquarters
EBMUD
Orinda, California

The Watershed Headquarters Project created a new facility for the East Bay Municipal Utility District's Watershed Headquarters located at the Southern end of San Pablo Reservoir in Contra Costa County, California. This 4.5 acre facility is used as a base for Watershed maintenance and operations, fisheries and wildlife management, public education programs and the administration of land leases and special use permits. Site functions include diesel and gasoline fueling, vehicle washing, material storage, vehicle and equipment storage, loading equipment and miscellaneous bulk storage.

The Watershed Headquarters is located in a natural setting amid native plants and wildlife. The new facility is designed to blend into this natural environment and harkens back to historic barn forms. The main building houses administrative offices, laboratory space for water treatment testing, locker and shower facilities for the park rangers, conference and meeting spaces, a GIS computer center and a reference library. A visitor center/public meeting/emergency operation center space was located in a separate wing off the entry lobby to allow public use during off hours. A high vaulted ceiling and strategically placed windows frame dramatic views of the surrounding native landscaping.