San Francisco Bay is an estuary in crisis. Seven of the Bay’s native fish species are officially endangered or threatened. Fisheries that once formed the foundation of northern California’s economy and food supply are either gone or increasingly constrained. Harmful algae blooms, some of which are toxic to humans, infest the Delta, where water from Central Valley rivers enters the open waters of the Bay estuary.
These issues are connected because each is caused, in large part, by over-diversion of Central Valley rivers that flow into San Francisco Bay. In an average year, California diverts more than half of the water in these rivers; in dry years, the percentage diverted increases. Roughly 80% of diverted water goes to agribusiness; 20% goes to municipal uses and every other industry in the state. The water quality consequences for fish, wildlife, and riverside communities are devastating.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that, in his eight years in office, Governor Newsom pursued policies to protect San Francisco Bay, the largest inland estuary on the west coast of the Americas. But you’d be mistaken.
In fact, no California governor in living memory has been worse for San Francisco Bay than Gavin Newsom.
Read MoreSource: Beyond Chron