The Laguna Gets Its Due
On this year's World Wetlands Day 2011, Sonoma County's Laguna de Santa Rosa officially became a Wetland of International Importance according to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
The Bay
Sedimental Journey
For years, controversy raged about the future of Bolinas Lagoon, a significant coastal wetland that seems forever in danger of filling in, to the detriment of the fishing fleet and wildlife like seals and shorebirds. While some locals continue to push for dredging, others say this is all part of a natural cycle. But sea level rise driven by climate change might swamp the whole debate.
Story Update: Subtleties of the Subtidal
This past October, we reported on a landmark plan to preserve and restore the subtidal habitats of the San Francisco Bay – thousands of acres that sit mostly out of sight and out of mind below the surface of the Bay. In late January, the Final San Francisco Bay Subtidal Habitat Goals Report addressing this plan was released.
Good News for Steelhead from SFPUC
Things are looking up for the steelhead trout of Alameda Creek. A revised plan to replace the Calaveras Dam includes several features that will benefit the federally threatened fish. The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) approved the project on January 27, 2011, ending years of discussion with conservation groups and federal agencies.
Suburban Slough
There is a godwho sits upon the sea’s blue monumentand breathes into the tide.He sits far off, and yet his breath is here. It is a little channel, barely wideenough to have some mud and pickleweed,with bulkheads hemming it on … Read more
Saving the Bay’s Sharks
October 2010 is the second-annual Sharktoberfest--time to celebrate and learn about these critical predators of the Bay: sevengill cowsharks, leopard sharks, spiny dogfish, and more.
Subtleties of the Subtidal
San Francisco Bay is both familiar and mysterious. Millions see it every day, yet we almost never glimpse beneath the steely surface. From eelgrass and oyster beds to mudflats and sand waves, there’s a lot to learn about. An innovative coalition is working to set an agenda for 50 years of research and restoration that will illuminate and resuscitate the vast wilderness below the lowest tides.
The Long, Slow Spill of the Luckenbach
We don’t even have a word for an oil spill that drags out over five decades, but that’s just what happened with one ship that sank off the Golden Gate. Now, funds are flowing to help mend the damage.
What Makes a Sea Breeze Blow in the Summer?
Summer is the season for sea breezes in the Bay Area, and no one knows that better than the kite-boarders, windsurfers, and sailors who ply the Bay every chance they get.
Was there ever a waterfall at the Golden Gate?
Q: Rumor has it there might have been a waterfall at the Golden Gate during the last ice age, when sea level was at its lowest. Is there any evidence for this? [Cisco, Oakland] A: Well, there is no incontrovertible … Read more
