HomeMy WebLinkAboutReso 85-1988 RESOLUTION NO. 85-88
C1TY COUNCIL, CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, STATE OF CALIFORNIA
A RESOLUTION CONCERNING PROTECTING
THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY-DELTA ESTUARY
WHEREAS, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) has convened the
Bay-Delta Hearings, a three-year, three-phase proceeding designed to set new
water quality standards and water rights for the San Francisco Bay-Sacramento/
San Joaquin Delta Estuary; and
WHEREAS, over the next three years the SWRCB will review evidence and set
water quality standards for the Bay-Delta Estuary to protect such beneficial
uses as drinking water, agriculture, industry, recreation and fish and wildlife;
and
WHEREAS, these historic Bay-Delta hearings will have far-reaching implications
for the ertire Bay-Delta region and the State of California; and
WHEREAS, the U.S. Congress recognized the San Francisco Bay as an estuary of
national significance and added it to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's
(EPA) National Estuary Program since the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary is the
largest irland estuarine system on the West Coast of North and South America,
home to more than one hundred species of fish and estimated eight hundred thousand
waterfowl and shore birds and is a major stop-over on the migratory Pacific Flyway;
and
WHEREAS, Governor Deukmejian has designated the State of California to be a
partner with the EPA in the San Francisco Estuary Project, a five year effort to
address the Bay's and Delta's most critical problems through a Comprehensive
Conservation and Management Plan to restore the chemical, physical and biological
integrity of the Estuary; and
WHEREAS, the twelve county Bay-Delta region is home to more than seven million
Californians and its economy is dependent upon the quality of the environment and
health of this important estuarine resource, and the Delta provides drinking water
to two-thirds of California's population, representing forty percent of all drinking
water consumed statewide; and
WHEREAS, the Bay-Delta Estuary is under increasing stress due to increased
diversions and exports of freshwater out of the Delta to many parts of the state,
resulting in exports or diversions estimated at sixty percent of the Bay's historic
annual inflow and up to eighty five percent of its springtime freshwater inflow;
and
WHEREAS, diking and filling of nearly all the Bay-Delta Estuary's historic
tidal marsqes; increased discharge of pollutants from point and non-point sources;
and increased waterway modification, including dredging, also have affected the
Bay-Delta Estuary; and
WHEREAS, these practices, including diversions and exports, have caused
adverse ir~pacts to the Bay-Delta Estuary such as: increased salinity of
Delta drinking water supplies; an eighty percent decline in the striped bass
population since the 1950's; decreases in salmon available for sport and
commercia' fishing; reduction in the Bay's circulation capacity causing
longer residence time for pollutants in the Bay; and loss of critical fish
and wildlife habitat; and
WHEREAS, the SWRCB has an historic opportunity to address these adverse
impacts and protect the Estuary's vital public trust resources through the
Board's decision on water quality standards for the Bay-Delta Estuary; and
WHEREAS, each city, county and concerned citizen in the Bay-Delta region
has a unicue opportunity to express support for improved protections for the
magnificart resource that is the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of South
San Francisco supports complete and adequate water quality standards that
protect all beneficial uses of the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary and urges
the State Water Resources Control Board to adopt water quality standards that
assure the protection of the Estuary before increased diversions of exports
are consicered;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be transmitted to
the State Water Resources Control Board and to appropriate state and federal
legislators.
I hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was regularly introduced
and adopted by the City Council of the City of South San Francisco at a
regular
vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
meeting held on the 22nd day of June , 19 88 , by the following
Councilmembers Mark N. Addiego, Richard A. Haffey, Gus Nicolopulos,
Roberta Cerri Teqlia, and Jack Drago
None
None
City Clerk
-2-