Based largely on Baykeeper's advocacy, the Regional Water Quality Control Board today submitted a letter to the Port of San Francisco and the America's Cup Event Authority, indicating that storm water must in fact be managed consistent with the San Francisco Stormwater Ordinance and Clean Water Act.

Please join us for the 2nd Annual California King Tides Photo Initiative this winter. To participate, grab your camera and take photos around the Bay and local coast during flooding from extreme high tides December 23-24, January 20-22 and February 7-9.

Last night KQED aired the first in a two-part series on the prospects of sea level rise in the Bay. The series is entitled RISE and includes interviews from scientists, policy makers and citizens likely to be impacted by sea level rise. Parts 2 and 3 of the series air January 12 and February 9, respectively.

Plans for the upcoming America’s Cup boat races have improved, but the jury’s still out on whether San Francisco’s shoreline and Bay ecosystem will receive all the protections they need. After the America’s Cup Final Environmental Impact Report was released last week, Baykeeper and our partners on the Environmental Council are now reviewing the plans to assess improvements from previous drafts.

Antibiotics, contraceptives and chemicals from personal care products should be removed before local sewage plants are allowed to discharge wastewater into San Francisco Bay. That’s the message Baykeeper gave recently to the Regional Water Quality Control Board.

BAE Systems San Francisco Ship Repair, Inc., a ship yard servicing large vessels that include cruise liners and oil tankers, has agreed to curb its pollution of San Francisco Bay. Baykeeper filed suit against BAE after documenting polluted runoff that far exceeded legal limits for toxic heavy metals. BAE will now make significant improvements to its operations and on-site controls to reduce pollution to the Bay.

Baykeeper is launching a new region-wide initiative to reduce pollution from Bay Area boatyards. Boatyards are both a vital part of the Bay’s maritime industry and a source of Bay pollution – paint residue and other toxic substances are often washed from these waterfront facilities directly into the Bay. Fortunately, simple pollution control efforts can often significantly reduce boatyard pollution.

Last week, the Bay Conservation and Development Commission began the process of modifying an existing plan to protect open water basins along San Francisco's waterfront, in order to allow docking of boats during upcoming America's Cup races. Baykeeper and other environmental allies, along with members of the Commission, warned that such concessions should be allowed only during the races and should not concede long-term development rights.

On Saturday, October 29, more than 150 paddlers took to the water at McNear's Beach in San Rafael as part of the inaugural Battle of the Bay Stand Up Paddleboard Races. It was an exciting day on the Bay, as novice and elite paddlers competed for cash prizes along 4-mile and 5-mile courses. The action continued throughout the afternoon with kids' and relay races, SUP board demos and a manufacturers' expo. Later that evening, racers celebrated at the post-race after party at the Marin Yacht Club.

Hard-won pesticide protections for creeks, rivers, fish and wildlife could be jeopardized by recent exaggerated cost estimates from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The agency has suggested that the cost of implementing new rules on aquatic pesticide applications is almost $50 million, yet the estimate overlooks some basic facts of the new rules.