Posts Tagged ‘Pollution’

Threats to the Bay

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

Water quality in San Francisco Bay is affected by urbanization and industrialization of the Bay Area. View these segments to learn

  • about the mercury and other toxins that still threaten the water quality of San Francisco Bay.
  • about the five main threats to water quality in the Bay.
  • how the future of San Francisco Bay is undetermined due to climate change, sea level rise, oil spills and other events.

Download the Viewing Guide for pre- and post-viewing discussion questions, activities, and additional resources to use with students.

The Aftermath of the Gold Rush: Mining and Mercury in the Bay

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

Mercury-laden sediments from mining operations in the Sierra Nevada and Coast Ranges still enter the vast network of streams and rivers that feed into San Francisco Bay. The mining activity dates as far back as California’s Gold Rush era. View this segment to learn

  • how hydraulic mining techniques caused massive amounts of sediment to enter the San Francisco Bay watershed.
  • where mercury (which was needed to separate gold from ore) was mined in the Bay Area.
  • about the mercury that persists in area rivers and its toxic effects in the food chain.

Download the Viewing Guide for pre- and post-viewing discussion questions, activities, and additional resources to use with students.

A Healthier Bay

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

San Francisco Bay is healthier now than it once was.

In this segment you’ll learn:

  • what the U.S. Geological Survey has found out about the health of the Bay after monitoring it for four decades.
  • about the largest local freshwater input into the South Bay—the San Jose / Santa Clara Water Pollution Control Plant.
  • how wastewater treatment plants have limited the amount of pollutants that get into the Bay.

Download the Viewing Guide for pre- and post-viewing discussion questions, activities, and additional resources to use with students.