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ENEWSLETTER FOR MARCH 2024

White sturgeon
  • Take Action to Protect the Bay’s White Sturgeon
  • SFPUC Caught Dumping Millions of Gallons of Sewage
  • It’s Not Wasteful to Keep Water in Rivers
  • Check out Baykeeper’s 2024 State of the Bay
  • Join the Clean Bay Challenge for Earth Month

Take Action to Protect the Bay’s White Sturgeon

San Francisco Bay’s white sturgeon—the continent’s largest and oldest freshwater fish—is facing multiple existential threats. Excessive water diversions from upstream rivers, harmful algae blooms, and overfishing are pushing white sturgeon to the brink.

Meanwhile, the agencies responsible for maintaining Bay-Delta water quality are making decisions that would further harm these giant fish.

Act now to ensure that the Bay’s white sturgeon receive the protections they need to survive!

White sturgeon illustration above by Fiorella Ikeue in collaboration with Baykeeper

Sewage polluted water rushing out of sluice gates on Mission Creek in San Francisco

SFPUC Caught Dumping Millions of Gallons of Sewage

Photo: SFPUC via Public Records Act.

We recently took legal action against the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) for dumping large volumes of sewage and stormwater runoff into the Bay. In a wet year, SFPUC’s discharges are equivalent to 120 million gallons of sewage—enough to fill 180 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

“San Francisco is dumping raw sewage and trash directly into the Bay at a magnitude that’s almost incomprehensible,” said Baykeeper managing attorney Eric Buescher.

Read more about the case in the San Francisco Chronicle. We’re holding SFPUC accountable for discharging sewage and trash into the Bay, like in Mission Creek, Pictured above.

An abandoned boat in a dry riverbed

It’s Not Wasteful to Keep Water in Rivers

Last week, a court upheld a State Water Board plan calling for partial restoration of San Joaquin River flows to help Chinook salmon populations. The judge rejected arguments by industrial agriculture—and the city of San Francisco— that claimed keeping water in the river for fish would be “wasteful.”

Baykeeper, represented by attorneys at Earthjustice, advocated that even higher river flows are needed to revive struggling fish populations. While the ruling supported us on the science, it ultimately deferred to the state agency’s plan.

Read more in the Los Angeles Times.

Pictured: A boat in a dry riverbed along the San Joaquin (photo by Baykeeper)

Check Out Baykeeper’s 2024 State of the Bay

Last week, we held our annual State of the Bay for 2024.

Sejal Choksi-Chugh, Baykeeper Executive Director, delivered an in-depth look at the threats to the Bay this year—and how Baykeeper supporters are making sure Bay Area communities are safe from sewage pollution, fossil fuels, harmful algae, and much more.

Thanks to everyone who joined us! If you missed out, don’t worry—you can watch the State of the Bay video, above.

Join the Clean Bay Challenge for Earth Month

Make a difference for San Francisco Bay this Earth Month!

You can volunteer to protect the Bay by picking up trash in your own community—whether it’s on the streets, in parks, or along shorelines. Baykeeper will support you with the tips and tools you need to conduct a safe and effective cleanup. Tag Baykeeper in your social media posts so we can highlight your awesome effort!

Click here to join the Clean Bay Challenge.