Yosemite Watershed Restoration Project

Abstract

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.