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The Monterey
Bay National Marine Sanctuary stretches from Marin County
south to San Luis Obispo County and encompasses over 5,000
square miles of ocean along the Central California coast.
The Sanctuary is world-renowned for the beauty of its waters
and wildlife. Surface waters from eleven major watersheds,
draining over 7,000 square miles, flow into the Sanctuary.
The larger river systems include the Pescadero, San Lorenzo,
Pajaro, Salinas, Carmel, and Big Sur rivers. Habitats in the
Sanctuary and its watersheds range from submarine canyons
and kelp forests to estuaries and redwood forests.
In an effort to conserve these unique
and valuable resources, eight federal, state and local agencies
signed an agreement in 1992 to develop a Water Quality Protection
Program for the Sanctuary. This program is coordinated by
the Sanctuary and involves agencies, public and private groups,
and citizens in an effort to protect the Sanctuary and its
watersheds.
The Water Quality Protection Program has
developed Action Plans to address the different sources of pollution
flowing into the Sanctuary, as well as develop a better understanding
of the amount of pollution. They include:
- Implementing Solutions to Urban Runoff
- Regional Monitoring and Data Sharing
- Marinas and Boating
- Agriculture and Rural Lands
A summary of these sources and recommendations
for addressing them can be found at montereybay.nos.noaa.gov/resourcepro/wqnewsletter.html.
Contaminants from urban runoff sampled in the Monterey Bay region
indicate that levels from Central Coast cities are similar to
those from other cities throughout the country. Common contaminants
found in urban runoff include:
- Oil and grease
- Metals
- Detergents
- Suspended solids
- Nutrients
- Bacteria
There are four boat harbors within the Sanctuary boundaries;
Pillar Point, Santa Cruz, Moss Landing and Monterey. Contaminants
associated with boating and water sports include:
- Fuel spills
- Sewage
- Oily bilge water discharges
- Copper from bottom paints
- Zinc
Exclusive acreage of irrigated agriculture rangeland and rural
roads contribute a variety of of contaminants, including:
- Sediments
- Nitrates
- Persistent pesticides
- Bacteria
For more information on the Sanctuaryís role in Agriculture Water Quality, please visit the Agriculture Water Quality Alliance website (www.awqa.org)
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