December 1, 2005
Humboldt Bay is California's second largest natural bay. This picturesque Bay exhibits the richness of an ecologically diverse estuary, while offering a variety of recreational activities such as kayaking, sailing, sport fishing, bird watching, and hiking. Humboldt Bay also boasts a vibrant fishing culture. Commercial fishing in and around the Bay is a significant part of the local economy, and emblematic of the region's cultural heritage. Humboldt Bay has a productive commercial salmon, albacore, and Dungeness crab fishing fleet, and also produces 90% of the oysters harvested in California.
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Humboldt Baykeeper was established in October 2004 to address the need for an advocate for the Humboldt Bay and its associated watersheds. The mission of Humboldt Baykeeper is "to safeguard our coastal resources for the health, enjoyment, and economic strength of the Humboldt Bay community through education, scientific research, and enforcement of laws to fight pollution." Humboldt Baykeeper's service area includes Humboldt Bay, but also extends along the near-shore environment from the mouth of the Eel River to the south, and the Klamath River in the north. Baykeeper uses its boat to patrol its service area, conduct water quality sampling, and to lead interpretive excursions around the Bay.
Humboldt Baykeeper Program Areas
The Humboldt Baykeeper's Program Areas were developed by creating Humboldt Bay-specific programs that focus on innovative science and monitoring, the enforcement of environmental laws to protect our water, and community organizing and outreach.
Water Quality Monitoring and Bay Ecology
Humboldt Baykeeper is working on building partnerships with many of the groups, agencies, and institutions currently conducting monitoring around Humboldt Bay. In April of 2005, Humboldt Baykeeper convened the first meeting of the Humboldt Bay Water Quality Collaborative, which is a group comprised of nearly 30 water quality practitioners active in monitoring efforts around the Bay. This forum is an opportunity for these professionals to get together, identify data gaps, share ideas and projects, and potentially forge new partnerships.
In August of this year, Humboldt Baykeeper began work in planning the First Flush Program in conjunction with Redwood Coast Action Agency (RCAA). First Flush is a watershed-wide stormwater survey taken during the first significant rain event of the season. In October nearly 30 volunteers gathered samples from 10 sites around Humboldt Bay to gather data on pesticides, metals, nutrients, and other stormwater pollutants that may be flushing out of the watershed. Volunteers are trained in citizen monitoring and educated on what the data they are collecting means to the health of the Bay. A full report about the 2005 First Flush event will be released in January 2006.
Humboldt Baykeeper is also assisting the Wiyot Tribe in conducting water quality sampling at its sacred sites near Indian Island and at other spots around the Bay. We are also working with researchers from Humboldt State University in conducting various scientific research projects on Humboldt Bay.
Toxics Initiative and Enforcement
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Part of this program area is monitoring the activity of the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District. In September of this year, Baykeeper, in conjunction with the Humboldt Surfriders, worked to challenge a proposal by the Harbor District to dump 200,000 cubic yards, approximately 20,000 dump truck loads, of dredged material from various sites around the Bay onto Samoa Beach, a local public beach and surf spot. Humboldt Baykeeper contended that the materials that were to be dredged from the Bay were not compatible, as defined by the EPA and other agencies, for beach disposal. Normally a Beach Replenishment Project requires the dredged material to be at least 80% sand and 15% silt and clays. The material proposed under this project was the inverse: 85% silts and clays and 15% sand. Also, it was discovered that the sediment testing completed by the Harbor District for this project did not include tests for dioxin, which is a known carcinogen, and very pervasive in Humboldt Bay.
Baykeeper presented this information to the California Coastal Commission at its September meeting at the Wharfinger Building in Eureka. Our main claim was that disposal of these materials on this beach proved to be a public health hazard and the material should be disposed of at the EPA-approved Humboldt Open Ocean Disposal Site (HOODS) three miles offshore. These EPA-designated sites are used routinely up and down the coast for disposal of dredged material. Ultimately, after reviewing dioxin data presented by Humboldt Baykeeper, the Coastal Commission stopped the hearing and demanded the Harbor District do more testing of these sediments prior to coming back to the Coastal Commission for project approval. This was a great victory for Humboldt Baykeeper and we will be continuing to monitor the progress of this project and to ensure that the health of Humboldt County residents is considered first and foremost in these types of projects around Humboldt Bay.
Community Outreach and Education
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Baykeeper has also begun to develop programs to clean up the sloughs around Humboldt Bay, which often are used as garbage dumps by many. In April 2005, Humboldt Baykeeper worked collaboratively with local slough steward Ted Halsted and County officials to provide free access to the Humboldt County Waste Transfer Station for volunteers who are cleaning up the slough. In our first effort on the Mad River slough we also posted signs. Since the posting of the signs, the amount of garbage and debris removed from the slough has dropped considerably.
Humboldt Baykeeper has also developed a middle-school education program called the "Wonders of Watersheds (W.O.W.)." This program, which will begin in December, is designed to educate sixth- through eighth-graders on watershed processes and the importance of watersheds to the community. The two-phase program will consist of an in-class curriculum and a field-school component that gets the students out on the Bay to conduct water quality sampling. We are very excited about this program and feel that teaching a sense of stewardship at a young age will provide children with a sense of respect for the watershed and Humboldt Bay in their adult life.
Humboldt Baykeeper is honored to be a new Trees Foundation Partner, and we look forward to working together with many of the other Trees Partners.
For more information about Humboldt Baykeeper or to get involved, please feel free to contact us directly at 707/268-0664, or email pete@humboldtbaykeeper.org.
You can also visit our website at
www.humboldtbaykeeper.org.
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TOC for Forest & River News, Fall 2005