Environmental Topics | Bay Bridge Info

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The San Francisco Bay is home to one of the most diverse communities of flora and fauna in the world. To protect these natural treasures, we have implemented a comprehensive program to safeguard the Bay’s fragile environment during construction activities.

California has always led the nation – and often the world – when it comes to protecting the environment. We are taking numerous steps to make sure the Seismic Retrofit Projects don’t impact the environment around the bridge, from wildlife and plants to the Bay waters and shoreline they call home. The efforts listed below are just some of the measures we are taking to ensure that construction does not adversely affect the environment. Our efforts include:

Water Quality Control – We are using a combination of erosion control methods, including silt fencing and slope stabilization, to prevent polluting the bay. Other efforts include back-up systems for fuel storage, prevention of hydrocarbon run-off, platforms to control mud during excavation, and stockpiled oil absorbent materials. For example, basins collect and treat storm water runoff from 143 acres of the Bay Bridge approach, improving water and habitat quality in the Emeryville Crescent Marsh and the San Francisco Bay.
Birds – We have built platforms under the East Span to provide a nesting habitat for cormorants that currently roost under the Bay Bridge. Crews are also constructing a 500-square-foot island to serve as a habitat for roosting shorebirds, including the snowy egret and the ruddy turnstone.
Fish and Marine Mammals – We monitor for marine mammals during pile driving and other deep water activity. Technology also helps protect fish and other marine life by dampening sound waves during pile driving.
Eelgrass – This aquatic plant is crucial to the Bay’s ecosystems, as it serves as a critical marine habitat and improves water quality by collecting and filtering organic matter and sediments. We are taking several steps to protect eelgrass beds, including remote turbidity monitors that measure changes in water quality which can impact eelgrass. At the Oakland Touchdown, environmental staff installed a curtain to control turbidity and protect eelgrass beds. Crews have also transplanted 0.55 acres of eelgrass from the footprint of the barge access channel to the Emeryville Flats and Brickyard Cove to study factors supporting transplanted eel grass growth and survival.
Fencing and Signs – Fences, signs and buoys are used throughout the project to denote and protect sensitive areas from construction. These areas were also mapped prior to construction.

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