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 fallen bay billboard from being rebuilt – 19 down, two more to go! Our biggest news of 2024 is the addition of our new GIS & Policy Analyst, Sylvia van Royen, who has been busy developing StoryMaps on sea level rise, expanding our dioxin database, getting up to speed on offshore wind, and sampling water quality.Water Quality ProgramOur newest study is on 6PPD-quinone, a tire preservative that is toxic to Coho. Vehicles shed bits of tires that flush into streams and the bay every time it rains. We hope to learn how much of this poison is in our waterways, and what can be done to prevent it. As members of California Coastkeeper Alliance, we are advocating for safer handling of road runoff to protect streams and fish.We recently collected our fifth round of water samples at Mouralherwaqh, the 45-acre property acquired by the Wiyot Tribe with funding from the Ocean Protection Council. We are working with Pacific Watershed Associates to gather baseline information for the Tribe’s Eco-Cultural Restoration Plan to restore the streams and freshwater wetlands on the site.Our long-running efforts to address bacteria pollution have largely been subsumed by the Regional Water Board, but we recently initated a study to identify sources of bacteria pollution near oyster farms in North Humboldt Bay. Stay tuned for a report on our findings.Toxics Initiative: Protecting People and WildlifeThis year, the owner of the old railyard known as the Balloon Track in Eureka finally took steps toward cleaning up the site – 14 years after we filed lawsuits to block a poorly-planned cleanup. This summer, Security National subsidiary CUE VI began removing old foundations and debris. Testing will be done to identify contamination in areas not previously tested, and will lead to development of a cleanup plan. We’ll be watching these plans carefully to ensure the site is thoroughly remediated and all wetland impacts are avoided or mitigated.In April, we tested a sample from Redwood Marine Terminal 1, the site of the proposed offshore wind terminal. Our sample came back with high levels of dioxins. Formerly the Hammond Mill, this site needs thorough testing and cleanup. We will be watching the proposed project carefully, including any new dredging, to ensure that the bay is protected to the fullest extent possible. Image by Oren Nardi.After 15 years of raising concerns about dioxins contamination in Butcher Slough in the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, we have made significant progress towards cleaning up this site. We teamed up with the City of Arcata to pursue grants to study toxics left behind by lumber and plywood mills. The coming year will see more sampling to hone in on hotspots, with a goal of developing a cleanup plan that avoids impacts to wetlands and wildlife.This summer, the County posted signs about our research on mercury levels in local fish at popular fishing spots to let people know which species are “best choices” as well as which ones to avoid. Unfortunately, one sign lasted just a few weeks before being torn down, which only deprives people of info on how to protect their families from mercury exposure. A sign of the times, perhaps – but you can find the info on our website.Bay Tours ProgramThis year, nearly 500 people participated in our Bay Tours aboard the Madaket, kayaking with the Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center, or enjoying coastal trails. With funding from the State Coastal Conservancy’s Explore the Coast grant program, we’ve been leading tours for community groups for ten years – and we’ll do it again next year, along with everything else we do to protect Humboldt Bay and coastal resources!
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 fallen bay billboard from being rebuilt – 19 down, two more to go! Our biggest news of 2024 is the addition of our new GIS & Policy Analyst, Sylvia van Royen, who has been busy developing StoryMaps on sea level rise, expanding our dioxin database, getting up to speed on offshore wind, and sampling water quality.Water Quality ProgramOur newest study is on 6PPD-quinone, a tire preservative that is toxic to Coho. Vehicles shed bits of tires that flush into streams and the bay every time it rains. We hope to learn how much of this poison is in our waterways, and what can be done to prevent it. As members of California Coastkeeper Alliance, we are advocating for safer handling of road runoff to protect streams and fish.
We recently collected our fifth round of water samples at Mouralherwaqh, the 45-acre property acquired by the Wiyot Tribe with funding from the Ocean Protection Council. We are working with Pacific Watershed Associates to gather baseline information for the Tribe’s Eco-Cultural Restoration Plan to restore the streams and freshwater wetlands on the site.Our long-running efforts to address bacteria pollution have largely been subsumed by the Regional Water Board, but we recently initated a study to identify sources of bacteria pollution near oyster farms in North Humboldt Bay. Stay tuned for a report on our findings.Toxics Initiative: Protecting People and WildlifeThis year, the owner of the old railyard known as the Balloon Track in Eureka finally took steps toward cleaning up the site – 14 years after we filed lawsuits to block a poorly-planned cleanup. This summer, Security National subsidiary CUE VI began removing old foundations and debris. Testing will be done to identify contamination in areas not previously tested, and will lead to development of a cleanup plan. We’ll be watching these plans carefully to ensure the site is thoroughly remediated and all wetland impacts are avoided or mitigated.
In April, we tested a sample from Redwood Marine Terminal 1, the site of the proposed offshore wind terminal. Our sample came back with high levels of dioxins. Formerly the Hammond Mill, this site needs thorough testing and cleanup. We will be watching the proposed project carefully, including any new dredging, to ensure that the bay is protected to the fullest extent possible. Image by Oren Nardi.After 15 years of raising concerns about dioxins contamination in Butcher Slough in the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, we have made significant progress towards cleaning up this site. We teamed up with the City of Arcata to pursue grants to study toxics left behind by lumber and plywood mills. The coming year will see more sampling to hone in on hotspots, with a goal of developing a cleanup plan that avoids impacts to wetlands and wildlife.This summer, the County posted signs about our research on mercury levels in local fish at popular fishing spots to let people know which species are “best choices” as well as which ones to avoid. Unfortunately, one sign lasted just a few weeks before being torn down, which only deprives people of info on how to protect their families from mercury exposure. A sign of the times, perhaps – but you can find the info on our website.Bay Tours Program
This year, nearly 500 people participated in our Bay Tours aboard the Madaket, kayaking with the Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center, or enjoying coastal trails. With funding from the State Coastal Conservancy’s Explore the Coast grant program, we’ve been leading tours for community groups for ten years – and we’ll do it again next year, along with everything else we do to protect Humboldt Bay and coastal resources! 
