EPA Awards Record $82 Million to Improve Water Quality and Restore Habitat Across San Francisco Bay Watersheds

September 22, 2026

SAN FRANCISCO (Sept. 22, 2026) – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing its largest-ever investment in the San Francisco Bay and surrounding watersheds through grant funding under the agency’s San Francisco Bay Program. EPA is awarding more than $82 million to fund 20 projects that support major water quality improvements and habitat restoration across the Bay, advancing EPA’s mission to provide clean water for every American.

“EPA’s San Francisco Bay Program puts federal funding into action to improve water quality, reduce pollution, and restore natural habitat around this iconic American body of water,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Mike Martucci. “Through the long-term investments we are unveiling today, EPA and local partners will work together to safeguard the health of the Bay for the benefit of our local communities.”

The following organizations received San Francisco Bay Program grants and will be starting their projects in 2026.

2026 San Francisco Bay Program Projects

• Association of Bay Area Governments ($5.6 million) – This funding will support habitat restoration at Strip Marsh East along Highway 37 in San Pablo Bay by reusing sediment produced from excavating new tidal channels and lowering berms. The project will also deliver a report on how sediment moves through the Bay-Delta estuary to inform long-term plans to restore 100,000 acres of tidal wetlands in the region.
• Bay Area Clean Water Agencies ($7 million) – This funding will support five pilot projects aimed at reducing nutrient inputs to San Francisco Bay. The projects will test biological nutrient removal technologies at wastewater treatment plants, advance nature-based approaches for nutrient management, and develop a regional nutrient trading program.
• City of Oakland ($3 million) – This funding will support the cleanup of legacy polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB)-contaminated soil from Arroyo Viejo Creek. Harmful PCBs accumulate in the environment and fish, which can lead to impacts on human health when those fish are consumed. The project will remove 2,500 cubic feet of PCB contaminated sediment from the creek bed, preventing it from entering the Bay.
• City of San Jose ($3.16 million) – This funding will support the City of San Jose’s green stormwater infrastructure implementation plan. A new approach will be added under the City’s stormwater permit requirements to allow new development projects to pay into an “operations and maintenance” fund for existing green stormwater infrastructure.
• City of San Leandro ($2.49 million) – This funding will help reduce trash and pollutants entering the San Leandro Bay by installing two large trash capture devices in stormwater drains in San Leandro Creek.
• City of San Pablo ($1.26 million) – This funding will support the construction and monitoring of green stormwater infrastructure facilities designed to capture and treat large volumes of stormwater runoff.
• East Bay Regional Park District ($5 million) – This funding will support restoration of tidal marsh habitat at Hayward Marsh. The project will include the installation of approximately 1,200 feet of living shoreline and enhancements of wetlands and marsh habitat to improve ecological complexity and water quality.
• Marin Audubon Society ($5 million) – This funding will help restore 4 acres of tidal marsh along the Marin County shoreline and protect existing marsh through construction of a 2-acre cobble beach. Beaches are a nature-based solution that can protect inland property from erosion and sea level rise.
• Metropolitan Transportation Commission ($9.57 million) – This funding will improve tidal circulation in Tolay Creek and nearby wetlands by expanding the width under the State Route 37 bridge. The project will also reuse excavated sediment to reinforce flood protection levees at nearby facilities.
• Port of Oakland ($5 million) – The funding will support the Port of Oakland’s installation of four large trash capture devices which will collect stormwater from 427 acres of port property. The devices will reduce more than 4,700 gallons of trash from entering the San Francisco Bay.
• Richardson Bay Regional Agency ($3.05 million) – This funding will support the removal of legacy marine debris from Richardson Bay to improve subtidal habitat and advance eelgrass restoration efforts. The project will map, remove, and characterize 700 to 900 tons of debris and help restore six acres of eelgrass habitat.
• San Francisco Estuary Institute – The four following grants are awarded to the San Francisco Estuary Institute for separate projects:
• Advancing Eelgrass Restoration ($1.83 million) – This funding will support the development of a regional dataset for subtidal eelgrass habitat in San Francisco Bay. The project will evaluate regionwide eelgrass monitoring options, identify cost-effective strategies, and develop standard operating procedures to support restoration goals.
• Nutrient Management and Wetland Restoration ($4.09 million) – This funding will ensure continued nutrient monitoring in San Francisco Bay and evaluate the results of nutrient-focused wetland restoration projects and wastewater treatment plant upgrades. The project will track harmful algal blooms, collect data on changes in water quality, and inform future nutrient trading programs.
• Protecting Bay Fishers: Management of PFAS, PCBs, and Other Contaminants ($3.18 million) – This funding will support fish monitoring, consumption surveys, and efforts to reduce exposure to contaminants in San Francisco Bay. The project will help update Bay Area fish consumption advisories, inform cleanup plans for mercury, PCBs, and PFAS, and improve public health for Bay fishers and their families.
• Wetlands Regional Monitoring Program ($5.86 million) – This funding will support the Wetlands Regional Monitoring Program by expanding water quality and fish monitoring efforts. The project will provide baseline data, standardize monitoring requirements, and inform decisions on future regional restoration investments.
• San Mateo City/County Association of Governments ($3.8 million) – This funding will support targeted monitoring of PCBs, implementation and evaluation of efforts to control PCB sources, and public outreach in San Mateo County. Removal of PCBs from Bay Area watersheds is required under the stormwater permit to protect Bay fish from bioaccumulation.
• San Francisco Public Utilities Commission ($5 million) – This funding will support construction of green stormwater infrastructure throughout the Outer Mission neighborhood in San Francisco, including planted sidewalk filtration systems, rain gardens, and an underground system that helps water soak into the ground.
• Solano Land Trust ($3.99 million) – This funding will help restore tidal flow to 80 acres of marsh at Rush Ranch as part of the Goat Island Restoration Project. The project will expand high-quality habitat, remove invasive plants, improve public access, and support long-term monitoring of the marsh and special-status species.
• State Coastal Conservancy ($3 million) – This funding will advance the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project by restoring 275 acres of tidal marsh habitat in Pond A1. The project will reconnect Pond A1 to the San Francisco Bay, add shoreline erosion protection, and plant native vegetation to enhance habitat benefits.
• Trout Unlimited ($1.29 million) – This funding will support the planning and permitting needed to remove a fish passage barrier in the Petaluma River watershed. By removing a failed culvert, upper watershed habitat for steelhead and Chinook salmon will be reconnected in Adobe Creek and Petaluma Marsh.

Background

San Francisco Bay is a designated "estuary of national significance" under the Clean Water Act. The Bay and its tributary streams, situated in an urban area with more than seven million people, provide crucial fish and wildlife habitat at the heart of the larger Estuary. EPA’s San Francisco Bay Program is a congressionally appropriated Geographic Program and grant program which was established in 2008.

More information:

EPA San Francisco Bay Program Office

Learn about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.