Educating and inspiring communities
to protect our local watersheds
We all live in a watershed. No matter if you are in the middle of San Francisco's financial district or on a cherry farm in Contra Costa County, water trickles and gushes around you on its journey to one of the world's greatest estuaries--the San Francisco Bay. Our lives are interconnected through our relationship with our watersheds. They are the containers for our homes, schools, and places of work. Everything we do, from mountaintop to marsh, affects the health of local water, soil, air, wildlife, our families and communities.
The ecological and cultural importance of our relationship with our watersheds is undeniable. Unfortunately, our ties to precious water resources are rapidly unraveling. San Francisco Bay has become the most altered aquatic ecosystem in the United States. What was once a paradise for shorebirds, waterfowl, oysters and salmon, is now a soiled afterthought to development of new mines, mansions and malls. Today, the debris and gravel-filled Bay bears little resemblance to the natural wonderland that was celebrated by the Ohlone, Patwin, and Miwok people over 10,000 years ago.
Learn about your watershed today. Take a workshop or support a local community group. Together we can protect the Bay Area's many creeks, waterways, and watersheds.
Watch a Video: What is The Watershed Project?
Grow (and Eat) Your Own Oysters
A Conversation with Pickleweed Point Oyster Farmer
The Watershed Project's Executive Director Linda Hunter recently made a trip out to Tomales Bay to visit our newest fiscally sponsored project: The Pickleweed Point Community Oyster Farm, directed by local Aquaculturist Luc Chamberland. Her interview with Luc gives some great insight into the exciting world below bay waters.
What's in Your Watershed?
The Feisty Dungeness Crab
If you look closely into the depths of the estuaries around the Bay, you may spot a Dungeness Crab resting near the sea floor. Dungeness Crabs make temporary homes in our watershed. They use the blend of salt and fresh water to grow into the large and grumpy-looking water dwellers that many people know and love (to eat). Dungeness Crabs generate tens of millions of dollars for their value as food for humans, but they also play an important role in the marine food chain. The Latin name Cancer magister means "Chief Crab."
