Humboldt Baykeeper - Humboldt Baykeeper

Jolly Giant Creek Bacteria Study Delayed by COVID-19

This winter, we continued our bacteria pollution study with the goal of identifying the sources of fecal bacteria at six sites in Jolly Giant Creek in Arcata. This Humboldt Bay tributary was flagged for further investigation due to the frequency of human genetic material in samples taken near Samoa Blvd. during the Regional Water Board's Coastal Streams Pathogens TMDL Project.

COVID-19 update: Our sampling event scheduled for April 6 has been delayed due to both safety concerns and limited lab capacity. Our extraordinairy colleagues at the Humboldt County Public Health Lab are working diligently to analyze COVID-19 samples. We will resume our Jolly Giant Creek Bacteria Source Study as soon as it is safe to do so.

Mercury Levels in Humboldt Bay Fish and Shellfish

UPDATED! Humboldt Baykeeper has been testing mercury levels in local fish since July 2016 with funding from the California Environmental Protection Agency. We’ve found that most local fish are safe to eat in moderation—with a few exceptions.

Click HERE for the Final Report

Click HERE for the updated Guidelines

Comiendo Pescado Con Seguridad Pautas para Humboldt Bay

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Report A Spill Here!

Call Humboldt Baykeeper at (707) 499-3678 to report a spill after business hours, or if you prefer to remain anonymous. Please take photos if possible.

For spills in Humboldt Bay:

Cailfornia Office of Emergency Services (800) 852-7550

For spills in or near storm drains (which drain to creeks and Humboldt Bay):

Eureka Public Works (707) 441-4203
Arcata Environmental Services (707) 822-8184
Humboldt County Public Works (707) 445-7491

New Humboldt Baykeeper poster now available at Eureka Books!

A brand new version of our popular Humboldt Bay poster is now for sale at Eureka Books at 426 2nd Street in Old Town Eureka. They’ll be open for Arts Alive this Saturday, December 7, until 9pm. Thanks to our friends at Eureka Books for carrying our posters - most of the proceeds will support our work to protect Humboldt Bay!

Renewed Threat from Contaminated Former Lumber Mill near Mad River

In December, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control issued a stunning announcement: the concrete cap at the former McNamara & Peepe lumber mill in Glendale has failed to contain groundwater contaminated with the highly toxic wood preservative pentachlorophenol. The 1998 Remedial Action Plan has been rescinded, and the agency will now develop a new plan to remediate and/or control the contamination.

Making Connections to Humboldt Bay

A credo of Waterkeepers is "clean water for all," but the reality is it's hard to meet "all" sometimes. Our Tours Coordinator Jasmin Segura has a knack for developing relationships with community groups, and has expanded our tours exponentially over the past five years. Thanks to Bart Mihailovich of Waterkeeper Alliance for highlighting the amazing work Jasmin does to make our tours program more inclusive:

Keeper of the Bay: “An Individual can make a difference”

Humboldt Baykeeper’s Jen Kalt is one of nine women featured in the Times-Standard's Monday Magazine, a new publication celebrating local women in business.

Kalt says that the lack of enforcement of many environmental laws in Humboldt County is “severe” and criticized decision makers who she said have “enabled” businesses to operate outside of those laws.

“I think that’s an injustice to the people who believe in running their business in ways that follow the laws and protect the environment and community,” she said.

“Industries come and go, but the bay and rivers, if we destroy them, they’re gone forever.”