Fisheries are collapsing. Salmon runs are dwindling. Endangered species are rapidly approaching extinction. And drinking water is unsafe in some of California’s most disadvantaged communities.
The fresh water that flows from the Sierras, through the Central Valley, the Delta, and into San Francisco Bay is a precious natural resource. But decades of overuse and mismanagement have exploited this supply and devastated aquatic ecosystems across the state.
The nightmare began several years ago with a dream of turning a 95-year-old former war vessel into a floating luxury restaurant.
But the dream was never realized. The owner abandoned the boat, the Sherman, in 2017 and left it to rot at Vallejo’s municipal dock—leaving the city stuck with a mess.
The Bay Area’s only active coal terminal moves more than a million tons of coal through Richmond every year, releasing toxic coal dust into nearby neighborhoods and San Francisco Bay.
Coal dust causes asthma and other diseases in people, and it contains metals and other pollutants that harm wildlife.
That’s why Richmond city officials have proposed a new zoning ordinance that would phase out the handling and storage of coal in the city—a critical measure for protecting the health of the Bay and local residents.
More than 1,600 industrial facilities around the Bay use and store heavy metals, synthetic chemicals, fuels, and hazardous waste in outdoor areas. With each passing day, these toxic materials accumulate on surfaces and structures around the sites.
When the first big storms of the rainy season hit, the built-up contamination washes off in toxic waves—often flowing directly to the Bay or indirectly through drains leading to creeks and rivers.
What I saw on the San Francisco Bay shoreline that day worried me.
I asked our volunteer skipper, Robert, to maneuver the Baykeeper boat closer. Since the last time we'd been to the site, more heavy industrial equipment had piled up near the water. And more barges were crowding the dock. It looked likely that during storms, toxic pollutants would run off into the Bay.
A Collaboration IPA That Supports Fierce Champions of the San Francisco Bay
San Francisco, CA (November 19, 2019) – Anchor Brewing Company and local nonprofit San Francisco Baykeeper announce their limited-edition collaboration brew, Baykeeper IPA, in cans for the very first time. A San Francisco-style IPA, Baykeeper IPA is a crisp and refreshing, yet high ABV brew that brims with fruit-forward hop layers. Just in time for Baykeeper’s 30th anniversary this Fall, the collaboration beer raises visibility for this reputable nonprofit and contributes directly to the cause of a healthy San Francisco Bay.
In a draft review from July of this year, federal scientists found that the Trump administration's plans for federal dams and water diversions in California would make a bad situation worse.
California's fish are already in trouble. Industrial farms and big cities suck up too much of the water from rivers, and pollutants become concentrated in the little water that remains.
The Bay Area's only active coal export company operates in the city of Richmond, right on the Bay's shoreline. The Levin terminal moves a million tons of coal every year from uncovered trains onto ships that travel across San Francisco Bay.
These coal shipments spread toxic dust throughout local communities and the Bay. Coal dust causes asthma and other diseases in people, and it contains metals and other pollutants that harm wildlife.
Every year, 7 trillion tiny pieces of plastic—microplastics—flow into San Francisco Bay.
Once these tiny pieces are in the water, they never go away. They just break into smaller and smaller pieces. Microplastics range from the size of a popcorn kernel to smaller than a grain of salt.
Great White sharks swim along the Pacific Coast from September through December–which is why Bay Area surfers often call the season "Sharktober". These sharks starred in the classic thriller Jaws because they’ve been known to attack surfers and swimmers, and chomp surfboards and kayaks.
