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Making Waves at 35: Protecting the Bay’s Fish and Flows

Longfin smelt

In celebration of our 35th year of defending San Francisco Bay, each month we’re sharing significant victories that we’ve won together. And we’re highlighting how these wins are still making waves today!

Protecting the Bay’s Fish and Flows

For decades, state and federal agencies have been taking too much fresh water from the San Francisco Bay’s tributary rivers. They’re giving the water to big industrial agricultural operations in the Central Valley and to large cities, many of which are outside of the Bay’s watershed.

When there aren’t sufficient freshwater flows, our field investigators have documented that some of the Bay’s tributaries, including the mighty San Joaquin River, run dry in certain stretches. In the summertime, we’ve also captured many parts of the Delta turning neon green with toxic cyanobacteria (also known as blue-green algae). Both of these conditions harm people who depend on a healthy Bay ecosystem, including commercial fishers, residents who need clean drinking water, and Tribal communities.  

The lack of fresh water in the ecosystem harms fish, too. It’s the main reason that Bay fish populations are collapsing. For many years, five Bay fish species have been classified as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act. This week, that number rose to six.

The Bay’s longfin smelt population has declined more than 99% since the 1980s. It used to be one of the Bay’s most common species and supported a thriving fishery. Now, it’s representative of an ecosystem thrown out of balance.

Baykeeper and our allies have launched a series of legal actions over the years to defend the Bay’s longfin smelt. And the hard work paid off. As of this month, longfin smelt are now protected under the federal Endangered Species Act.

That’s good news for the longfin smelt. It means that state and federal agencies must weigh how new freshwater diversions will affect the species’ health. And, we now have another tool to hold the government accountable to protect these fish—and the Bay! 

We’ll continue advocating to improve conditions for the Bay’s fish and wildlife, and for everyone who lives around the Bay. Some of the other recent wins we’ve had together to protect fish and flows include:

  • Listing the white sturgeon: This summer, in response to advocacy by Baykeeper and technical presentations by our science director, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife voted to name white sturgeon as a candidate for listing under the California Endangered Species Act. While the department conducts a status review, white sturgeon will be fully protected under state law. Baykeeper and our allies have also petitioned for the white sturgeon to be protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. We’re still awaiting that decision. 
  • Keeping it cool for Chinook salmon: Baykeeper has long advocated for the federal agency that manages water flows from Shasta Dam to retain cold water behind the dam so the Sacramento River’s iconic Chinook salmon are able to spawn under conditions that allow their eggs to develop (rather than be killed by water that’s too warm). In June this year, the agency finally released a water management plan that will do exactly that and help Chinook salmon have more favorable spawning conditions. It’s a good first step to rebuilding the populations.
  • Putting the dangerous Delta tunnel project on hold: A state court paused the destructive Delta tunnel project because starting invasive geotechnical work before the project has all the required permits would violate the Delta Reform Act. The ruling was in response to a petition by Baykeeper and our allies, including Tribes; community, environmental, recreational, and commercial fishing interests; Sacramento and San Joaquin Counties; and other public agencies. And we’re still actively urging the State Water Board to reject the necessary permissions to operate the harmful Delta tunnel. 

Baykeeper’s work has made waves across the Bay—and your support over the years has made it all possible. You can learn about our victories listing longfin smelt and supporting the health of the Bay by scrolling through Baykeeper’s timeline of historic wins, below.

Illustration of a longfin smelt by Fiorella Ikeue in collaboration with Baykeeper