Sunken boats will get pulled from Oakland estuary

"Dozens of sunken or abandoned boats polluting the Oakland estuary will soon be lifted out of the waters under a two-year contract approved by the Oakland City Council on Tuesday night. The council authorized a $1.5 million agreement with Lind Marine, a Vallejo-based dredging, barging, and tugging company that has previously worked in Oakland. Through the end of 2027, Lind Marine will remove an estimated 36 vessels from the estuary, some sunken or abandoned, and others floating boats that people live on without authorization."

""The abandoned vessels make the estuary unsafe and cause potential hazards," wrote OPD Interim Chief James Beere in a report asking the council to approve the Lind agreement. They can pollute the waters, he wrote, or come loose and crash into rowers or boats in the marina."

"The money for the contract is coming from a $3.2 million 2024 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, along with a $150,000 California Parks and Recreation grant. The city has set aside the rest of the $3.2 million federal NOAA award for an ongoing shoreline cleanup project in partnership with I Heart Oakland-Alameda Estuary and the East Bay Regional Park District."

Oakland approved a two-year, $1.5 million contract with Lind Marine to remove an estimated 36 sunken, abandoned, or unauthorized residential boats from the estuary through the end of 2027. Funding for the removal comes from a $3.2 million NOAA grant awarded in 2024 and a $150,000 California Parks and Recreation grant, with remaining NOAA funds reserved for a shoreline cleanup project. City officials cited pollution risks, hazards to rowers and marinas, and potential state fines for permitting residential boats outside official marinas. Enforcement falls under the 2023 Nuisance Vessel Ordinance, but marine patrol staffing is limited.

Read at The Oaklandside