The Pulse of the Estuary

About this Report This publication represents a new style of reporting for the San Francisco Estuary Regional Monitoring Program (RMP). The fundamental purpose of the RMP is to provide information to improve the management of the San Francisco Estuary and protect what we value about the Estuary (SFEI 1998a). The intent of The Pulse of the Estuary (hereafter referred to as The Pulse) is to help fulfill that purpose by improving the dissemination of RMP contamination monitoring results and the use of those results by those who decide how the Estuary is managed. In order to reach a broad audience, we have prepared a document that is shorter and less technical than previous RMP annual reports. The Pulse seeks to: • emphasize the big picture by presenting key findings from the RMP monitoring effort as a whole; • highlight the main contamination concerns; and • make connections between monitoring results and Estuary management decisions. In order to increase its usefulness to environmental managers, The Pulse initiates an explicit effort to explore managerial implications of monitoring results and connect results (i.e. contaminant trends) with management actions such as contaminant discharge regulation. The Pulse is one of three RMP reporting products for 1998. The second product, 1998 RMP Monitoring Results, is available on SFEI's web site and includes comprehensive charts and data tables in the style of previous annual reports. The third product is the RMP Technical Reports collection. Each of these reports addresses a particular aspect of the RMP or Estuary monitoring. A list of all technical reports produced or in preparation since the last annual report is found on page 27. An Initial Effort We consider this report a work in progress. In future years each section, particularly the management sections, will be more detailed and complete, and more links will be made between monitoring results and management actions. A key component of future reports will be input from the main water quality regulatory agency of the Estuary, the Regional Water Quality Control Board, and further integration with other studies of San Francisco Estuary contamination. New graphical depictions of Estuary condition will also be introduced. Although most people still refer to the expanse of water inside the Golden Gate as " San Francisco Bay, " increasingly the term " San Francisco Estuary " is used. An estuary is a place were fresh and salt water meet. San Francisco Estuary refers …