A poignant article published today by CalMatters highlights the severe ecological crisis facing the San Francisco Bay and Delta rivers. Urban runoff, algal blooms, and historical contamination from gold mining and industrial waste are deteriorating the watershed, making fishing– an essential source of food and cultural connection for many– increasingly unreliable.
The article also reveals that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is investigating claims of systemic discrimination in California’s water management, which has marginalized the voices of Tribes and communities of color, further worsening their access to safe fishing.
It emphasizes that people of color are disproportionately affected by toxic contamination in the Bay-Delta. Heavy metals like mercury and industrial chemicals have contaminated fish, leading to health warnings and a significant decline in consumption among local communities.
As harmful algal blooms proliferate due to warming waters and nutrient runoff, the state’s historical negligence in addressing these issues is compounded by ongoing water management decisions that threaten these vital ecosystems, including the costly Delta Tunnel.
The article argues that the challenge extends beyond environmental health to the preservations of a way of life deeply connected to the Delta. For California’s indigenous Tribes, the deterioration of the Bay-Delta threatens their cultural heritage and traditional practices.
“What’s at stake is neurological learning disabilities, not being able to teach culture to future generations and not being able to eat traditional foods. We’re trying to protect our lives and our health,” says Sherri Norris of the California Indian Environmental Alliance.
Tribes are struggling to maintain their cultural identity as fish populations decline and ceremonial practices become impossible due to polluted waters. Malissa Tayaba, vice chair of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, states “Being taken from our homes really hurt us — our whole way of life is different. The Delta is our original home. It is where we come from… Whatever happens to the Delta is going to happen to us.”
Activists and environmental groups are calling for recognition of subsistence fishing in policy discussions, emphasizing the urgent need to protect these communities and restore the waterways they depend on for health and cultural survival.
As Cintia Cortez, policy manager of Restore the Delta, aptly notes, the deterioration of the Bay-Delta separates residents from the rivers and streams that are integral to their communities: “It’s their birthright to have access to safe waterways.”