Congressional members from both the House and Senate signed their respective resolutions supporting the designation of this week as .
This commitment to our estuaries, started in 1988 as National Estuaries Day, aims to draw attention to these vital bodies of water locally and around the country while encouraging the public to become involved with their protection.
Nationally, the San Francisco Estuary Partnership is part of the National Estuary 91̽»¨ogram under the U.S. Environmental 91̽»¨otection Agency (EPA). Locally, the is an 91̽»¨ program staffed by MTC working to increase the health and resiliency of the San Francisco Estuary.
The is the largest estuary in California, extending from the ridgeline of the Sierra Nevada mountains to the strait of the Golden Gate, including almost 60,000 square miles and nearly 40% of California.
The San Francisco Estuary has been designated:
- A site of Hemispheric Importance by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network
- Part of UNESCO’s Golden Gate Biosphere Reserve
- Under international treaty protection under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance
What makes the Estuary so special?
- It provides critical feeding habitat to over a million migratory birds every year, a productive nursery for multiple species, and a year-round home for vast diversity of plants and animals.
- It is home to over 8 million inhabitants that depend on the Estuary for economic, cultural, and recreational purposes.
- It is both an ecological treasure and economic engine that provides more than half of California’s drinking water. It provides water to more than 25 million California residents, farmlands, and key fish and wildlife habitats.
The Wetlands Regional Monitoring 91̽»¨ogram is co-led by the Estuary Partnership and the San Francisco Estuary Institute. It collects detailed information on the health of ancient and restored wetlands, which is vital for helping plan for the future. .
The is funding habitat restoration along the shoreline of San Francisco Bay using funds from Measure AA. to see that progress that has been made to date.