Baykeeper

Target demographics: protect the Bay and its watershed from the biggest threats by holding polluters and government agencies accountable. Baykeeper uses science, advocacy, and the law to ensure clean and safe water, thriving ecosystems, and resilient communities protected from pollution and climate impacts. Our work ensures people and wildlife around the Bay can thrive – today, and every day.

Direct beneficiaries per year: protect San Francisco Bay by taking bold action to stop pollution, strengthen laws, and build a resilient future for the Bay Area. We spent 275 hours patrolling the Bay to find and stop polluters. We launched a new community science program to monitor for harmful algae blooms, collecting 124 phytoplankton samples across six locations with the help of 5 volunteers. Baykeeper’s legal team filed a new lawsuit against the City of San Francisco and their Public Utilities Commission for illegally dumping up to 73 million gallons of untreated sewage into the Bay each year. We also achieved our 300th legal victory, holding Valero and the Port of Benicia accountable for polluting the Bay and nearby neighborhoods with toxic petcoke. This settlement resulted in $2.4 million dollars directed to local nonprofits doing on the ground restoration work to protect the Bay. We secured the Bay Area’s first-ever regional permit to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus pollution from sewage treatment plants by 40

Geographic areas served: the Bay Area

Programs: 1. Investigating pollution in the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary – Baykeeper is the only organization that patrols San Francisco Bay to find and stop pollution. As the Bay’s on-the-water watchdog, we protect the Bay, wildlife, and local communities from pollution. Baykeeper’s field team conducts regular on-the-water patrols aboard the Baykeeper boat, helmed by our volunteer skippers. As certified drone operators, our field investigators use Osprey and Falcon to capture footage of pollution sources from above. We also investigate pollution by kayak and on foot. Since 1989, Baykeeper has logged over 17,200 hours on the water, tracking down and stopping pollution at the source. Baykeeper’s Pollution Hotline empowers whistleblowers and the public to report water pollution threats. Our field team investigates to identify the source and responsible party. Baykeeper then alerts the proper agency or polluter – and when needed, we may take legal action to require cleanup or advocate for new policies to stop the pollution. 2. Stopping Polluters in the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary – San Francisco Bay is under constant threat of pollution from 1,600 industrial facilities, 86 cities, seven million people, and oil and coal operations. Driven by the global climate crisis, sea level rise threatens to flood low-lying communities and spread toxic pollution from 1,100 contaminated sites into the Bay. Baykeeper takes swift action to stop polluters – including direct legal action when needed. For example, in 2024, our expert attorneys secured a settlement with Valero and the Port of Benicia after our drone investigations caught them polluting the Bay and nearby communities with toxic petcoke. With over 300 legal victories, Baykeeper is your most effective advocate for the Bay. Major wins made possible by our supporters include: preventing the Trump administration from paving over the Cargill salt ponds, clearing out toxic ghost fleet ships, responding to the Cosco Busan oil spill, stopping harmful sand mining, and supporting Richmond residents to phase out the storage and handling of coal. 3. Advocating for Stronger Laws & Policies to Protect the Bay – Baykeeper advocates for stronger laws and policies to protect San Francisco Bay – and the people and wildlife that depend on it. For example, in the summers of 2022 and 2023, harmful algae blooms turned the Bay reddish-brown and caused a catastrophic fish die-off. These blooms are fueled by excessive nutrient pollution from wastewater treatment plants. Thanks to our supporters, we’ve now secured the Bay Area’s first ever regional permit to reduce these pollutants, a big win for protecting fish and the Bay. Baykeeper also pushes for stronger oil spill protections, fights for increased freshwater flows from rivers into the Bay, resists federal environmental rollbacks, and advocates for endangered species protections for fish like the Longfin Smelt and White Sturgeon. Your support ensures that sound science drives policy and that government agencies do their jobs to safeguard the Bay. 4. Creating a Climate Resilient Bay Area – The global climate crisis is accelerating sea level rise, threatening Bay Area communities, infrastructure, and habitat with flooding. Rising seas will also push shallow groundwater to the surface, mobilizing pollution from toxic sites before floodwaters arrive. So far there is little regulation of toxic sites and limited efforts to address the risks. That’s why Baykeeper is leading the charge for a climate-resilient Bay. We’re opposing shortsighted shoreline development projects and pushing for a regional strategy to clean up toxic sites before the flood. We’re pushing for nature-based solutions that protect people and the natural environment. Through our Shoreview project, we mapped shoreline risks and created a community toolkit to support local cleanup and resilience efforts. Baykeeper advocates to preserve wetlands, stop destructive sand mining, and expand green infrastructure. Our supporters are helping to create a Bay Area that is prepared, not paved, for the future.