Tidal marsh acreage throughout the Estuary has declined significantly from historic records, but restoration efforts are bringing back this critical ecosystem and its associated benefits. Projects in the Bay are making extensive contributions to tidal marsh acreage, while efforts in the Delta are beginning to make progress towards regional goals.

See clips from an interview with Letitia Grenier, PhD (San Francisco Estuary Institute), science lead and co-author of the updated indicator on tidal marsh for the 2019 State of the Estuary Report.

The condition of fish communities varies across the Estuary. In the lower Estuary, fish communities are abundant, diverse, and dominated by native species. However, based on long-term monitoring data, native fish communities in the Bay are declining. In San Francisco and San Pablo Bays, this long-term data set is from sampling only the offshore areas of the Bay and may not reflect benefits to fish populations from recent wetland restoration. In the brackish and freshwater upper Estuary, native fish communities are in poor condition.

See clips from interviews with Christina Swanson, PhD (Natural Resources Defense Council) and Jon Rosenfield, PhD (San Francisco Baykeeper), co-authors of the updated indicator on Bay and Delta fish for the 2019 State of the Estuary Report.

The frequency, magnitude, and duration of floodplain inundation in both the Bay and the Delta are too low to support healthy estuarine habitats and sustain important ecological processes. While conditions have been variable over time, they have, in general, remained poor in the Delta and have declined in the Bay.

In both the Bay and Delta, total and per-capita urban water use have declined over the last several decades, despite growing populations. More efficient urban water use means that both regions met and exceeded benchmarks for per-capita use and drought-reduction targets. The regions have modestly increased water use since the end of the drought but still maintained improvements over their 2020 benchmarks for reductions in per-capita use.

See clips from an interview with Peter Vorster (The Bay Institute), co-author of the updated indicator on urban water use for the 2019 State of the Estuary Report.

Levees and seawalls line many miles of shorelines along the San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. By hardening the Estuary’s once soft and absorbent shores, early developers intended to keep people and property safe from flooding; however, These engineered structures do not provide good habitat for native species. These structures were also not designed to accomodate flooding projected for our future, which includes a combination of rapid sea level rise, higher groundwater tables, storm surge, and more rainfall over shorter periods.

Open spaces within urban areas provide a diverse set of benefits for wild animals, plants, and people that live nearby. Green spaces decrease urban runoff, improve downstream water quality, and provide habitat for native wildlife, while also benefiting human health and wellbeing. Urban parks improve local air quality and reduce local temperatures, contributing to lowered rates of childhood asthma and heat-related deaths in nearby areas. Exposure to urban parks is also associated with improved mood, increased physical activity, lower heart rate, and additional human health benefits.