When nighttime lights spill outside of areas we want to illuminate, it causes light pollution, which is defined by Dr. Terrel Gallaway as “the unintended consequences of poorly designed and injudiciously used artificial lighting.” This impacts our ability to star gaze, disrupts our natural sleep/wake cycles, and disrupts our animal neighbors’ lives in many ways.
The New World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness shows that 80% of the world population lives under sky glow. One study published in 2017 found that from 2012 to 2016, the area artificially lit at night increased 2.2% per year.
The North Coast Regional Water Board is recommending that four local streams should be removed from the Clean Water Act 303(d) list of “impaired” waters because they are no longer considered polluted with E. coli, a type of fecal bacteria that is considered an indicator for pathogens that can make people sick, cause eye and wound infections. The streams are Little River, Lower Elk River/Martin Slough in Eureka, Gannon Slough/Campbell Creek in Arcata, and Norton/Widow White Creek in McKinleyville. 
Our second study of mercury in local fish focused on nine species from nearshore coastal waters, including Pacific Halibut and several species of rockfish. We also sampled more Lingcod and California Halibut to add to the findings from our 2018 study. We found that most local fish are safe to eat in moderation—with a few exceptions.Download our mercury fliers in English, Spanish, or Hmong:
Humboldt Waterkeeper was founded 20 years ago after the defeat of a proposed Liquified Natural Gas facility on the Samoa Peninsula. Ever since, we've focused cleaning up contaminated sites, protecting water quality, and getting people outside to enjoy the bay's beauty and to learn how to help protect it.Photo: This year, we successfully blocked one more 
