Baykeeper and our partners at The Bay Institute are advocating in support of increased freshwater flows to the Bay and Delta.
Currently, too much water in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is being diverted. There’s not enough natural flow to keep the fish alive and the ecosystem healthy.
From the San Joaquin River and its tributaries all the way down to San Francisco Bay, low river flows have concentrated pollutants and harmed salmon and other Bay-Delta wildlife. These impacts are documented in a recent report from The Bay Institute: “San Francisco Bay-The Freshwater-Starved Estuary”.
Now, the California State Water Board has proposed decreasing diversions from the Delta. Their proposal calls for restoring flows to between 30 and 50 percent of natural levels in the Tuolumne, Stanislaus, and Merced Rivers, which feed into the San Joaquin River. Though an improvement, this is still less than the 50-60% scientists agree are required to restore the San Joaquin Valley’s once mighty salmon fishery and downstream water quality.
But one local water supply agency, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)—which manages water deliveries throughout the Bay Area—is considering siding against more water for the Bay and Delta.
If you live in the SFPUC service area, please take action now and show your support for healthy wildlife and a thriving Bay and Delta. Tell the officials managing your water supply that you support conserving water, saving fish, and protecting the Bay.
SFPUC’s service area includes areas served by the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency: San Francisco, Fremont, Newark, Union City, Brisbane, Burlingame, Atherton, Portola Valley, Woodside, Menlo Park, Redwood City, San Carlos, San Mateo, South San Francisco, Daly City, Colma, Half Moon Bay, El Granada, Miramar, Princeton by the Sea, Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Hayward, Hillsborough, Belmont, Millbrae, Milpitas, Mountain View, Pacifica, Los Altos Hills, Woodside, San Bruno, San Jose, Santa Clara, Stanford, and Sunnyvale.
Baykeeper and our partner environmental groups are calling on the SFPUC to act on behalf of Bay Area residents who want to conserve water and protect the environment. SFPUC has overestimated water consumption needs, when Bay Area residents have already proven we can achieve water conservation goals.
Tell SFPUC that Bay Area residents are ready and willing to conserve water for the benefit of our ecosystem. With your help, we’ll make sure officials know that the Bay Area wants to be part of the solution to California’s water problems.
