It’s hard to believe we’re already at the end of the first month of 2026. So much is happening. It can feel like we’re drifting in a constant flood of negative headlines, each one more outrageous than the last.
That’s why it’s so important to anchor ourselves in what’s right here in and around the Bay. That anchoring can strengthen our resolve to fight for our neighbors, both in the Bay Area and across the country.
Every day, people like you live, work, and play all around the Bay’s waters. And every day, our team is investigating, advocating and taking legal action to make them safer and healthier.
With you by our side this work is a reminder of the incredible power we still hold to defend the Bay—and it’s a potent antidote to the doom scroll.
In that spirit, I invite you to reflect on some of the wins you made possible in 2025:
- 5 Bay Area industrial polluters are now operating under Baykeeper legal agreements that require them to clean up their act and protect people’s health;
- We filed 2 new lawsuits to stop the Trump Administration from ransacking the Bay and Delta at the expense of endangered species and local communities;
- Community volunteers collected over 130 Bay water quality samples through our harmful algae monitoring program to safeguard Bay fish and recreational users;
- Nearly $1 million from our legal settlements is now funding our nonprofit partners to restore the Bay (more details to come soon!) and save Delta Smelt;
- More than 2,100 action alerts from supporters like you encouraged decision-makers to make smarter, science-based choices for the Bay.
These are just a few of the wins that are holding me steady as we face the coming year together. Your support is the backbone to every lawsuit filed, every sample taken, every decision-maker held accountable.
With you in our corner—and a passionate team of experts moored on the water—I’m filled with hope for the future and what we can accomplish for this place we call home.
In solidarity,
Sejal Choksi-Chugh
Photo of the Baykeeper boat and dredger by Robb Most. Headshot of Sejal by Gail Odom.