Thriving Communities

The Estuary provides opportunities for people to connect with nature by swimming, fishing, walking, and observing wildlife. In turn, people are inspired to care for the Estuary when they can be active stewards of the ecosystem.

People fishing in the Bay. Shira Bezalel, SFEI.

Healthy People and a Healthy Estuary are Connected

There are deep connections between the health of the Estuary and its residents. A flourishing estuary provides clean water for swimming and fishing, and beautiful places to exercise, relax, and educate children about nature. Updated indicators measure whether water is safe for swimming and fish are safe for eating. Indicators still in development will measure whether there is broad participation in decisions about restoration in the Estuary, whether education opportunities are available to everyone, and how easily people can access nature.

The sounds and sights of wildlife and water, the different colors of plants across seasons, and the fresh air. Access to wetlands lets people understand that we are not only beneficiaries of wetlands, we are dependent on them.

ERICA JOHNSON

State Coastal Conservancy & San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority, Oakland Resident

Indicators

Thriving Communities

Access to Nature

Evaluates how access to parks, trails, and open space is distributed across the Estuary (Under development)

Wetland Decision-Making

Evaluates participation in restoration decision-making (Under development)

Safe for Eating

Measures concentrations of toxic contaminants (mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs) in fish from the Estuary

Safe for Swimming

Reflects the level of pathogens (microscopic organisms that can cause illness) in Estuary water

Shoreline Recreational Use

Tracks visitor numbers and activity types in shoreline parks (Under development)

Stewardship & Learning

Tracks the levels of participation in shoreline stewardship and education programs (Under development)

Sharing the Estuary’s Benefits to Create a More Resilient Future

Past and present decisions in planning and government have impacted how people interact with the Estuary, including where and how communities access the benefits that the Estuary can provide. Ensuring all residents of the Estuary have access to environmental education opportunities, green space, water that is safe to swim in, and fish that are safe to eat requires involvement by residents in management.

Communities Thrive in Healthy Ecosystems

People play in the water at the beach in Alameda. Water quality monitoring is essential to ensuring local beaches remain safe for swimming. Shira Bezalel, SFEI.

A Community Meeting in an East Oakland neighborhood, as part of the Green Stormwater By and For Communities project. Residents’ involvement in decision-making and planning for environmental projects helps communities thrive. Vanessa Lee, SFEI.

The Bay Trail is a popular destination for recreation along the San Francisco Bay shoreline. In this photo, people walk and bike the trail near Richmond’s Marina Bay neighborhood. Shira Bezalel, SFEI.

People enjoy swimming and paddleboarding in a quiet stretch of river in the Delta, surrounded by marsh and farmland. Access to clean, swimmable water offers essential opportunities to cool off during hot summer days and highlights the importance of protecting waterways for both recreation and community well-being. Mark Jones, MTC.

Kids ride along a bike path that winds beside a vibrant tidal marsh, enjoying the outdoors and connecting with nature. Tidal marshes play a crucial role in protecting recreational spaces like this by absorbing floodwaters, reducing erosion, and buffering storm surges. Preserving these natural landscapes helps ensure safe, long-term access to the trails and open spaces communities rely on. Ben Botkin, SFEP.

Visitors take part in an educational tour of a salt pond restoration project in San Francisco Bay, where they're learning how wetlands protect communities by filtering water, buffering floods, and providing wildlife habitat. These kinds of hands-on experiences are vital for raising awareness about the natural infrastructure that quietly supports our everyday lives but often goes unnoticed. Joey Kotfica, MTC.

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