Yosemite Watershed Restoration Project

The Bay View-Hunters Point neighborhood of San Francisco has a history of significant environmental degradation and a population comprised mainly of underrepresented minorities. This highly industrialized area lies adjacent to Yosemite Slough, on the western shore of South San Francisco Bay. Under normal conditions local runoff is diverted into the city’s combined sewer system. However, during heavy precipitation events the runoff is discharged with untreated sewage directly to the slough through the combined sewer overflow system. Moreover, Yosemite Slough is bordered by the San Francisco 49er’s stadium parking lot, heavy industry, and the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, each of which provide a source of diffuse urban and industrial pollution through direct runoff and groundwater – surface water interactions. The Yosemite Watershed Restoration Project is a community-based assessment of water quality at Yosemite Slough and is organized and led by undergraduate research assistants at the University of San Francisco. Teams of local high school students are trained on environmental concerns impacting the community and on sampling protocols necessary to conduct a detailed water quality assessment of the slough. The students examine the impact of sewage treatment plant outflow, good urban water quality practices, and sources of impervious surface runoff. Additionally, the students take part in enrichment programs and a local wildlife census. Data from this water quality assessment and wildlife census will be incorporated into a communitywide effort to influence redevelopment decisions to minimize environmental impacts. Through the community-involved environmental assessment, this project will lay a foundation for community empowerment so that decisions regarding future redevelopment projects will be scientifically sound and informed.