On January 13, the Richardson Bay Regional Agency (RBRA) announced that just five boats remain on the anchorage due to the agency’s temporary housing support program. And the agency’s goal of 15 new acres of eelgrass has been nearly met, two years ahead of schedule.
RBRA Board Chair Jack Ryan noted. “Without all these boats on the water, everyone has full access to Richardson Bay, and, critically, we are protecting the ecosystem that sustains this wonderful place.”
When the housing program was launched in 2023, there were nearly 60 illegally anchored vessels in Richardson Bay — that number itself a reduction from the hundreds of boats in years prior.
In May and June of 2025, the agency and its partners planted 8.5 acres of eelgrass on the seabed, bringing the RBRA’s two-year total to 14.5 acres of new plants.
Also in May of 2025, the RBRA and its contract partners removed 4,200 pounds of marine debris from the Bay floor. The list of items picked up by a team of scuba divers included two boats, a shopping cart, a Sony PlayStation and several outboard engines, among numerous other objects.
“We made great strides in 2025, and we’re excited to build off that momentum for 2026,” said Jess Bode, Project Manager at Coastal Policy Solutions, the RBRA’s environmental consultancy. “We all know how important eelgrass is to the vibrancy of Richardson Bay. By planting new beds and removing debris that allows eelgrass to thrive, we are restoring the conditions that are ideal for the environmental health of the Bay. We look forward to exceeding our 15-acre goal of eelgrass beds in 2026 as we continue to seek new and innovative ways to protect and sustain this amazing natural resource.”
The eelgrass planting is a key part of the RBRA’s 10-year Restoration and Adaptive Management Plan. That plan includes the establishment of Eelgrass Protection Zone (EPZ), an area of the water off-limits to anchoring that will help restore and protect a critical ecological component of the Bay. The EPZ was officially established in October of 2024.
Eelgrass supports fisheries, reduces erosion, sequesters carbon and is a crucial ecological resource for harbor porpoises, seals, and sea lions. However, when anchors, chains, and other ground tackle scrape along the Bay bottom, they essentially act as a lawn mower for all living plants.
With the help of $3 million in state funds secured by State Senator Mike McGuire, the RBRA established the housing assistance program in 2023, enabling boaters previously living on the water to move into safe, secure housing on land.
That program runs parallel with the RBRA’s vessel buyback program, which offers eligible participants money based on the length of their boat ($150 per foot) if they turn their vessel into the RBRA for proper disposal.
All illegally anchored floating homes have already been removed from Richardson Bay, and the remaining vessels will be removed from the anchorage by October 26, 2026, at which time anchoring will continue to be allowed for up to 72 hours without a permit, per an agreement the RBRA has with the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC).
“The clear, safe and secure conditions on Richardson Bay that we now enjoy would have been unthinkable just a few years ago,” said Brad Gross, Executive Director of the RBRA. “It’s a completely different scene. We’ve been able to make this progress because we engaged the entire community to find solutions that work for all. This has been an amazing group effort and we are committed to maintain this kind of collaborative partnership so everyone can enjoy all that Richardson Bay has to offer.”