About the San Francisco Bay Program Office

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About

EPA manages a competitive grant program to support projects to protect and restore San Francisco Bay. This grant program, known as the San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund (SFBWQIF), began in 2008. EPA has awarded over $128 million to 91 grants . These projects include over 100 partners who are contributing an additional $248 million to restore wetlands and watersheds and reduce polluted runoff. This year we are also announcing combined FY23 and FY24 base funding for 14 new projects at $38 million. The new EPA SF Bay Program Office will launch this year with an annual program budget of approximately $50M.

A Focus on EJ Communities

Since 2008, EPA has partnered with organizations across the nine Bay Area counties through the San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund (SFBWQIF), restoring streams, wetlands, and water quality from the Napa River in the North Bay to the salt ponds in the South Bay. In 2022, Congress appropriated additional funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) specifically to support project implementation and climate resilience in underserved communities. To help combat inequalities in accessing Federal funding in underserved communities the SFBWQIF will award an additional ~$5 million in grants each year through 2026. See information about EJ Funding and our funded EJ projects.

Text Equivalent of this pie-chart is available in the image caption: Total 2023 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funding for underserved communities in EPA's Pacific Southwest (Region 9).
Click Image to Enlarge |& The pie chart shows the amount of BIL funding granted to each of this year’s recipients. Each grant focuses their work on the respective categories listed. The dotted areas signify project whose work falls in multiple categories.​​​​
Text Equivalent of Graph: 2023 Region 9 BIL Funding for Underserved Communities (pdf) (55.4 KB, March 13, 2024)
Bar graph showing investments in San Francisco Water Quality Improvement Base Funds increasing from $5 million in 2008, remaining in the $5-7 million dollar range through 2021, then increasing to $23.6 million in 2022 with an additional $4.5 million appropriated by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Also shown is increases to grants to underserved communities increasing from 2016-2022.
Click Image to Enlarge | This figure shows that EPA has awarded all BIL funding, along with an increasing portion of the base SFBWQIF, to underserved communities

SF Bay Project Gallery

  • Grasses and other plants planted among stones instead of bare soil in a median strip with traffic on both sides.

    Bioswale reduces polluted stormwater runoff along Cesar Chavez Street in San Francisco, 2014. Photo: Ananda Hirsch.

  • Sears Point Post Levee Breach view from a distance of the work area, now flooded wetlands, with the Richmond Bridge and San Francisco in the distance.

    Sears Point Post levee breach view from a distance of the work area, now flooded wetlands, with the Richmond Bridge and San Francisco in the distance. Photo: Corby Hines.

  • Aerial view looking down on an earthmover digging a breach in the levee at sears point. Water is pouring through the breach from right to left and flooding a pool.

    Sears Point levee breach overhead View, 2015. Photo: Corby Hines.

  • Construction equipment moving away after breaching a levee: water is pouring through the breach and flooding a lower area.

    Sears Point levee breach levee view, 2015. Photo: Corby Hines.

  • Napa River, Rutherford Reach 6 during restoration construction: laying back eroding bank, 2014. Photo: Jeremy Sarrow.

  • Napa River, Rutherford Reach 6 after construction, 2014. Photo: Jeremy Sarrow.

  • South Bay Salt Pond A17 mudscape. Photo: Chris Benton.

  • South Bay Salt Pond A17 near completion, 2012. Photo: Judy Irving

  • Aerial photograph of salt ponds and sloughts

    Breuner Marsh during construction, 2014. Photo: Syd Temple, Questa Engineering.

  • Breuner Marsh during construction, 2014. Photo: Syd Temple, Questa Engineering.

  • Breuner Marsh after construction, 2014. Photo: Syd Temple, Questa Engineering.

  • Breuner Marsh after construction, 2014. Photo: Syd Temple, Questa Engineering.

Additional Resources

San Francisco Bay Program

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Last updated on September 26, 2024