Ktop Oakland

01/30/2024

14th Street Local Press Event!

Located on the High Injury Network and serving some of Oakland’s highest priority equity neighborhoods, Mayor Sheng Thao, Council President Nikki Fortunato…

12/08/2023

https://vimeo.com/885790733

Check out our new show!! New Episodes Premiering every Friday!!
w/ host Autumn King

This is "Trail_Chats_PREMIERE" by KTOP TV-10 on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

04/28/2023

Vegetation Management 2023

02/17/2023

HUD, City & Alameda County Supervisors Announce Funding to Address Unsheltered and Rural Homelessness

12/08/2022

City Arts and Culture Grant Applications Now Available

The Neighborhood Voices grantmaking initiative seeks to bring Oaklanders together to create and support a sense of belonging.



Oakland, CA – Applications are now being accepted for the City of Oakland’s 2022-2023 Cultural Funding Program grants supporting organization programs and individual artist projects. Applicants must be Oakland-based and all activities must be presented in Oakland between January 1, 2023 and August 31, 2023. Interested nonprofit organizations and artists may access the grant guidelines and applications at http://bit.ly/3gb7z8b . The submission deadline is Thursday, January 12, 2023, at 5 p.m.



“These grant opportunities seek to affirm the expression, recognition, and understanding of the array of diverse communities that make Oakland unique and vibrant,” said Oakland Cultural Affairs Manager Roberto Bedoya.



To assist applicants, Informational Webinars will be presented in mid-December. Details on the webinars will be posted on http://bit.ly/3gb7z8b



The Neighborhood Voices for Individual Artist Projects grant opportunity seeks applications from artists and cultural workers that are focused on building neighborhood vibrancy and community cohesion. The program will award grants of $10,000 to Oakland-based artists and cultural workers. The Neighborhood Voices for Organization Programs grant opportunity encourages applications from Oakland-based cultural community builders that are focused on enhancing neighborhood vibrancy and community cohesion. Applications must be for recurring arts and culture programs that have been in place for at least two years at the applying organization. The program will award grants of $20,000 to Oakland-based non-profit organizations.



Proposed projects and programs may include, but are not limited to: cultural heritage practices; performance programs in dance, music or theater; visual art and public arts projects, programs, classes, workshops, and exhibitions; and literary activities. All proposals should be rooted in a sense of place.



The Cultural Funding Program relies on a competitive panel process to determine award recipients and funding allocations. Among the criteria being considered by the selection panel is a racial equity category that seeks to encourage grants that create cultural opportunities for communities impacted by racial disparities and help reimagine pathways for a more equitable society. The category includes consideration of whether the programs are led by, and serve, groups and communities impacted by racial disparities.



Grant recommendations from the review panel must be reviewed by the Funding Advisory Committee and approved City Council before contracts are awarded.



The Cultural Funding Program is administered by the City’s Cultural Affairs Division. For more information, please visit www.oaklandculturalarts.org or contact Raquel Iglesias at (510) 238-2212 or [email protected].



About the Cultural Affairs Division

The Cultural Affairs Division is housed in the City’s Economic & Workforce Development Department. The division includes the City’s cultural funding program, which provides approximately $1.5 million in grants to support the arts in Oakland; the public art program, which has more than $1 million in funds currently dedicated for public art installations across Oakland and staff working on special events and film production permitting.

12/05/2022

Oakland, CA –– Oakland Public Works is encouraging all Oakland homeowners and renters to take advantage of free bulky waste services this December, as convenient alternatives to the Bulky Block Party event series.

The Bulky Block Party program remains ongoing, but the previously-announced Dec. 17 event at 7101 Edgewater Drive has been cancelled. In prior years, public participation in these events has declined during the holiday season. The cancellation of December’s event will allow the City to redirect staff resources to other trash collection and community cleanup operations. The next Bulky Block Party at the Edgewater facility will take place on Saturday January 28th, 2023.



Oakland residents are encouraged to take advantage of the many other free options available for disposing of bulky waste this month. These free services were expanded in the past year and include the following:



All Oakland residents may schedule appointments with Waste Management of Alameda County, Inc. (WMAC) to drop off their bulky items at no charge at WMAC’s Davis Street Resource Recovery Complex and Transfer Station (located at 2615 Davis Street in San Leandro). Residents are offered one free drop off per year, after which normal rates apply.
Residents in Multi-Family Dwellings (buildings with more than four residential units) can now schedule a curbside appointment once a year directly with WMAC instead of requesting appointments through their landlords as they formerly had to.
Residents in Single-Family Dwellings (buildings with up to four residential units) can schedule an appointment for bulky items collection at the curbside, increased from once per year to twice per year.
Residents can now set out 4 cubic yards of items per curbside bulky pick appointment, plus recyclable items including mattresses, tires, TVs and computers, up from 3 cubic yards for Single-Family buildings and 1.5 cubic yards for Multi-Family buildings.


Improved access to bulky trash service is a key element in a multipronged strategy OPW has been rolling out to help Oaklanders dispose of unwanted material safely and help prevent and reduce illegal dumping. This includes increased enforcement with the February piloting of illegal dumping enforcement surveillance cameras, as well as the launch of a neighborhood-based Bulky Block Party program, which launched in October in Sobrante Park and will continue in January with a community clean up and bulky debris drop off for Melrose neighborhood residents. The program also makes ongoing investments in Garbage Blitz Crews that actively clean up known hot spots and major corridors across the City, as well as Rapid Response Crews that maintain a 3-day response time to clean up dumping reported by community members who contact OAK311.



Over the 18 months from March 2021- September 2022, Oakland Public Works’ Keep Oakland Clean and Beautiful (KOCB) Division picked up 9,022 tons of bulky waste.



All Oakland community members can learn more about trash, recycling, and compost services available in Oakland by going to www.oaklandrecycles.com. Oaklanders can learn more about services available to combat and reduce illegal dumping – and learn how they themselves can help – at www.oaktownproud.com.

11/10/2022

Inaugural “Equity Week” Spotlights Local Cannabis
Equity Businesses

Launch event on November 14 kicks off week, showcases
cannabis products made by Oaklanders disproportionately
impacted by the War on Drugs

Oakland, CA – Oakland’s inaugural Cannabis Equity Week kicks off on Monday, November 14 at a press conference hosted at Root’d in the 510, an equity-owned
cannabis dispensary in the Temescal District.
Equity Week shines a spotlight on local business owners creating high-quality cannabis products for a good cause. From November 14 – 18, select Oakland
dispensaries will be offering special deals on products made by local cannabis business owners disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs. When you buy Equity, you’re helping fellow Oaklanders survive and thrive.

What: Press conference to launch Cannabis Equity Week
When: Monday, November 14 at 10:30 am
Where: Root’d in the 510, 4444 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland
Who: City of Oakland officials
Participating Equity business owners and dispensaries
California Department of Cannabis Control

Participating Brands : Chiefing, Conscious Mindz, Da Bomb,
Dolo Rolling Co., Happy Trails, MAAT Apothecary, Next Level
Participating Dispensaries: Ivy Hill, Nug Store, Oakanna, Root’d in
the 510, Rosemary Jane
Secure Parking
Parking with on-site security is available in the lot next to Root’d in the 510, located on the corner of Telegraph Avenue and 45th Street.
Photo Opportunities
Equity brands will have displays of their products and equity business owners (products and dispensaries) will be available for interviews. Profiles and quotes are available here.
Tour
After the kickoff event, the City of Oakland invites media and officials to tour the
following Equity Week participating dispensaries:
• Rosemary Jane at 2340 Harrison from 11:45 am - 12 noon
• Oakanna at 3238 Lakeshore from 12:15 - 12:30 pm
• Ivy Hill at 1834 Park Blvd. from 12:45 -1:00 pm
• NUG at 1600 Broadway from 1:15 - 1:30 pm
Background
Oakland made history in 2017 as the first city in the country to launch a Cannabis
Equity Program, helping those negatively impacted by the War on Drugs enter the
cannabis industry and build thriving local businesses. Cannabis products made by
equity operators have suffered from a lack of consumer awareness and marketing,
which in turn has discouraged retailers from carrying equity brands with adequate
shelf space and visibility on online menus.
For more information about the business owners and brands and to check deals at
participating dispensaries, visit equityweek2022.com.
More background on the Oakland’s Cannabis Equity Program and quotes from the
participating equity businesses is here.

11/08/2022

Oakland a Bay Area Leader for Greatest Pavement Condition Improvement

Regional pavement condition report shows Oakland’s roads are improving dramatically



Oakland, CA –Oakland’s raggedy roads are improving fast, thanks to Measure KK. Every year, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) analyzes pavement conditions in the Bay Area. This year’s report shows that the average road condition in Oakland has improved dramatically: Oakland’s single-year condition score jumped nine points to 58 last year, from just 49 in 2020.



“We are extremely proud to have the second highest improved paving conditions of the more than 100 cities of the Bay Area (exceeded only by Larkspur). We were able to achieve this distinction, as well as set new Oakland records for most miles of roads repaved, because of the Measure KK infrastructure bond program,” Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said. “Measure U’s passage will enable Oakland to continue this accelerated paving schedule.”



Oakland’s 2019 3-Year Paving Plan prioritized paving on 120 miles of Oakland streets and received state awards and national attention for its equity-driven approach. In December 2021, Oakland City Council adopted a 400-mile, 5-Year Paving Plan to deepen the investment in Oakland’s streets and continue the equity framework for prioritizing paving.



“OakDOT’s 2022 5-Year Paving Plan represents an even more aggressive plan to quickly improve Oakland roads,” said Department of Transportation Director Fred Kelley. “With continued funding, we’ll deliver more than 400 miles of paving in the next five years. And paving doesn’t just mean the street looks better: our paving program delivers critical traffic safety improvements to both our High Injury Network and our neighborhood streets.”



More information on MTC’s Pavement Conditions Report can be found here: https://mtc.ca.gov/news/bay-area-pavement-quality-stuck-doldrums-despite-smoother-ride-some-communities



More information about the 2022 5-Year Paving Plan can be found here: https://www.oaklandca.gov/projects/20225yp

11/08/2022

November 7, 2022



Oaklanders, Get Rid of Your Bulky Junk for Free in November Using Bulky Pickup or Davis Street Drop-off Appointments

The Bulky Block Party event for November is cancelled, but all residents can schedule a free curbside pickup or transfer station drop-off at their own convenience by contacting Waste Management



Oakland – Oakland Public Works is encouraging all Oakland homeowners and renters to take advantage of free bulky waste services this November, as convenient alternatives to the Bulky Block Party event series.



The Bulky Block Party program remains ongoing, but the previously-announced Nov. 19 event at 7101 Edgewater Drive has been cancelled. In prior years, public participation in these events has declined during the holiday season. The cancellation of November’s event will allow the City to redirect staff resources to other trash collection and community cleanup operations.



Oakland residents are encouraged to take advantage of the many other free options available for disposing of bulky waste. Schedule a pickup or drop off by contacting Waste Management of Alameda County, Inc. (WMAC) at (510) 613-8710 and learn more at https://www.oaklandrecycles.com/bulky-service/. These free services were expanded in the past year and include the following:



All Oakland residents may schedule appointments with Waste Management of Alameda County, Inc. (WMAC) to drop off their bulky items at no charge at WMAC’s Davis Street Resource Recovery Complex and Transfer Station (located at 2615 Davis Street in San Leandro). Residents are offered one free drop off per year, after which normal rates apply.
Residents in Multi-Family Dwellings (buildings with more than four residential units) can now schedule a curbside appointment once a year directly with WMAC instead of requesting appointments through their landlords as they formerly had to.
Residents in Single-Family Dwellings (buildings with up to four residential units) can schedule an appointment for bulky items collection at the curbside, increased from once per year to twice per year.
Residents can now set out 4 cubic yards of items per curbside bulky pick appointment, plus recyclable items including mattresses, tires, TVs and computers, up from 3 cubic yards for Single-Family buildings and 1.5 cubic yards for Multi-Family buildings.


As of the end of September, so far this year Oaklanders have completed more than 25,000 curbside bulky pickups and almost 1,200 Davis Street drop-off appointments.



Improved access to bulky trash service is a key element in a multipronged strategy OPW has been rolling out to help Oaklanders dispose of unwanted material safely and help prevent and reduce illegal dumping. This includes increased enforcement with the February piloting of illegal dumping enforcement surveillance cameras, as well as the launch of a neighborhood-based Bulky Block Party program and ongoing investments in Garbage Blitz Crews that actively clean up known hot spots and major corridors and Rapid Response Crews that maintain a 3-day response time to clean up dumping reported by community members who contact OAK311.



Over the last 18 months, (March 2021- September 2022) Oakland Public Works’ Keep Oakland Clean and Beautiful (KOCB) Division has picked up 9,022 tons of bulky waste.



All Oakland community members can learn more about trash, recycling, and compost services available in Oakland by going to www.oaklandrecycles.com. Oaklanders can learn more about services available to combat and reduce illegal dumping – and learn how they themselves can help – at www.oaktownproud.com.

10/27/2022

Halloween Safety Tips from the Oakland Police Department



As our community prepares for Halloween, OPD would like to share the following safety tips:

As a trick-or-treating pedestrian:
Always be aware of your surroundings.
Do not let electronic devices distract you as you walk to and from your destination.
Pay attention to the traffic moving around you.
Try to walk in well-lit, populated areas.
Follow the rules of the road – cross in crosswalks and obey traffic signs and signals.
Make eye contact with drivers as they approach; never assume a driver sees you.
If possible, wear bright clothing and/or reflective material(s).

As a trick-or-treating driver:
Look out for pedestrians!
Slow down, yield to pedestrians, and be prepared to stop when nearing all intersections.
Be cautious when backing up – pedestrians, in particular young children, can be difficult to see.

General candy safety tips:
When in doubt, throw it out! Avoid candy that is not securely wrapped.
Consider avoiding small, hard candies for young children, as they can be a choking hazard.

10/27/2022

Dear Supporters of A Safe Place,

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. As you know, Safe Place works to put an end to the cycle of abuse and the difference we make in the community. For the domestic violence victims who come to A Safe Place, their exposure to violence and abuse is an extremely debilitating health condition. There is no more critical or pressing health interventions for these victims than the intervention, support, and hope offered by A Safe Place.

As may also know, in order to maintain the level of services in the community we needed to move out of our offices to find a new home. An appeal is underway to raise the funds and we would as you to please consider donations to support us as we look forward to doubling our capacity due to the unprecedented rise in demand. You can find out more here.

You—as part of our community—have made our success possible and we are so grateful. Please join us again!

I would love to explore ways you can support this expansion. Please reach out to me directly at [email protected] or 510.986.8600, extension 315.

Thanks,

Carolyn Russell, MSW, MA
Executive Director

10/14/2022

Join the Oakland Police Dept!

The Oakland Police Department (OPD) is hiring officers committed to helping our community live up to its potential. Now more than ever, Oakland needs officer...

10/14/2022

November 2022 marks the 25th Anniversary of the LoveLife Foundation. The LoveLife Foundation was the vision of 16 year old peace activist LoEshe' Lacy, an innocent victim to a shooting. To commemorate 25 years of service November 7-13th is LoveLife Week: a series of events to celebrate life and address reoccurring violence in our community.

The week includes:
LoveLife a Love Supreme at the MagicTheater in San Francisco, featuring Marcus Shelby and Tongo Eisen-Martin on November 9.
A prayer vigil and healing ceremony on November 10th.

A Youth and Adult Town Hall meeting on Police and Community violence November 11th at 6:00 PM at Everett and Jones

Oakland's Finest Black Tie Gala and Toy Drive at the Marriott in Oakland on November 12th @5 PM. featuring entertainment from the Best Intentions and Marcus Shelby and Scheherazade Stone For Tickets go to: OaklandsFinest.eventbrite.com
For more information go to http://www.lovelifefoundation.org or call 510- ONE-LOVE. Join us to celebrate 25 years of the LoveLife Foundation. LoveLife is the official motto of the city of Oakland .

The LoveLife Foundation is a 501c3 verified non-profit Oakland-based community building organization focused on at risk youth to promote life, educational excellence and leadership. We train youth in broadcasting, interviewing and theater arts and award academic scholarships to deserving students.

10/14/2022

Please join us on October 20, 2022 from 5-7pm in Frank H Ogawa plaza, to celebrate the City’s motto . Join us in honoring those who are uplifting love and helping prevent violence in our communities. This event is open to the public, so please invite family and friends. Food trucks will be onsite.

Hosted by Oakland Cultural Strategist Kev Choice, and featuring:

Karega Bailey of Sol Development
Oakland’s Poet Laureate, Ayodele Nzinga
Loove Moore
DJ Red Corvette
Kev Choice Ensemble
The City's own Roberto Bedoya
And more…


In addition to the entertainment, Mayor Libby Schaaf will be handing out keys to the City to honor Oaklander’s who are spreading love in our communities.

10/11/2022

Oakland Expands Electric Vehicle Charging Access
New charging station near Lake Merritt will help spur the adoption of electric vehicles by providing convenient and reliable access to public fast charging

Mayor Libby Schaaf; Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas; Shayna Hirshfield-Gold, Oakland’s Climate Program Manager; Arthur Bart-Williams, Executive Director, GRID Alternatives; and Sara Rafalson, EVgo’s Vice President of Market Development and Public Policy celebrate the opening of an EVgo fast charging station

Wednesday, October 12 at 11:30 a.m at 519 Lake Park Avenue near Lake Merritt

10/05/2022

10/04/2022

League of Women Voters Candidate Forums 2022

The League of Women Voters of Oakland (California) sponsors candidate forums and provides objective "Pros & Cons" on ballot measures.

09/08/2022

Sogorea Te' Land Trust and City of Oakland Announce Plan to Return Land to Indigenous Stewardship

Oakland, Unceded territory of Huchiun – Today the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust and the City of Oakland announced plans to return approximately five acres of land owned by the City to Indigenous stewardship.

The Oakland City Council will hold hearings to consider conveying the site, known as Sequoia Point, to the Indigenous women-led non-profit, Sogorea Te’ Land Trust, and the East Bay Ohlone tribe, Confederated Villages of Lisjan Nation. The City would grant a cultural conservation easement in perpetuity to the Land Trust, allowing the Land Trust to immediately use the land for natural resource restoration, cultural practices, public education, and to plan for additional future uses.

What started out with a casual conversation between Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and tribal Chairperson Corrina Gould in 2018, has grown into a partnership between the City and the Land Trust to begin to address the historic harms of Oakland’s founding. Chochenyo-speaking Ohlone people have inhabited Oakland and parts of the East Bay for thousands of years. They were forcibly removed from their land with the arrival of Europeans and descendants of Europeans beginning in the 18th Century.

“I am committed to returning land to Indigenous stewardship, to offer some redress for past injustices to Native people,” said Mayor Schaaf. “I hope the work we are doing in Oakland with the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust can serve as a model for other cities working to return Indigenous land to the Indigenous community we stole it from.”

In the short term, the easement would allow the Land Trust to immediately begin tending to the land, gather Native plants and foods, clean up the area, and perform environmental and natural habitat restoration. The long term vision of this project is to create a thriving, beautiful, ceremonial gathering place and structure where Indigenous people and their guests can come together, and share cultural information and celebrations.

In recognition of this historic moment, tribal Chairwoman Corrina Gould said, “This agreement will restore our access to this important area, allowing a return of our sacred relationship with our ancestral lands in the hills. The easement allows us to begin to heal the land and heal the scars that have been created by colonization for the next generations.”

Gould is also cofounder of Sogorea Te’ Land Trust, the first urban Indigenous women-led land trust in the country. The organization is returning land to Indigenous hands in the Bay Area through innovative approaches including the use of cultural conservation easements.


A community meeting hosted by Sogorea Te’ Land Trust and the City of Oakland is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 13 at 5:30 PM to provide opportunities for the community to learn more about the project and to solicit feedback on potential plans. Residents can join the online meeting by clicking on this link.

Councilmember Sheng Thao, who represents District 4 and whose office will host the community meeting, said: “I am thrilled that the city is returning land to the Indigenous community and am very grateful to welcome this project right here in District 4. I am very excited to share the details of this project with the community, revitalize one of the most beautiful parts of Joaquin Miller Park, and begin to make amends for the pain and trauma our indigenous communities have faced.”

The project will also be reviewed by the City’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee (PRAC) on September 14, as well as local stakeholders including the Friends of Joaquin Miller Park. The City Council will ultimately need to review and approve the easement; the Council is expected to consider the easement in November.

09/06/2022

City of Oakland Responds to Excessive Heat Warning



Oakland, CA – The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning in effect until 8 pm this evening, Tuesday, September 6, and a heat advisory is in effect from 8 pm this evening to 8 pm Thursday, September 8. The Bay Area will experience dangerously hot conditions, with temperatures rising up to 105.

The City of Oakland is implementing a range of interventions to mitigate the impact of this excessive heat on the elderly, children, people with disabilities, and those living alone, who are at higher risk during heat events.

To decrease the risks associated with extreme heat, drink plenty of water, stay indoors, and check on relatives and neighbors. The City is taking additional steps to care for our vulnerable populations, including opening cooling centers at multiple City facilities and hosting misting locations at community cabin sites and other known encampment areas.

Eight libraries around the city will operate as cooling centers; a Hearing Room on the first floor of City Hall will also welcome visitors looking to cool off.
Lions Pool in Dimond Park and Temescal Pool adjacent to Oakland Tech High School will continue to operate during usual hours (contact them directly for details).
Oakland Fire’s MACRO Team members and Department of Human Services personnel will be doing direct outreach and passing out water in the community, with a focus on the unhoused community.


Please visit the City’s Excessive Heat page on the City website for additional details and a complete list of upgraded services and locations:

The official website of the City of Oakland. Find out about meetings, request City services through OAK 311, or contact the Mayor and City Council.

09/06/2022

City of Oakland Receives $5.6M Homekey Award for Transitional Housing Acquisition and Rehabilitation
Funding will enable the Kingdom Builders Transitional Housing project to make accessibility and other improvements to the building to address the needs of some of our most vulnerable neighbors
Media Contact:

Jean Walsh

Public Information Officer

[email protected]

510-541-7708 (cell)

WHO: Mayor Libby Schaaf; State Senator Nancy Skinner; City Council President Nikki Fortunato-Bas; Oakland Housing & Community Development Director, Shola Olatoye; Pastor LJ Jennings, Kingdom Builders



WHAT: Oakland receives award of $5.6 million of Homekey funding to rehabilitate the Kingdom Builders Transitional Housing program

WHEN: Friday, September 2 at 10:30 a.m.

WHERE: Kingdom Builders Transitional Housing, 2317 International Blvd.

09/02/2022

The City of Oakland Public Works (OPW) is aware of large numbers of fish and other wildlife observed dead across the Lake Merritt shoreline beginning Sunday, Aug. 28, consistent with reports of fish die-off observed throughout the Bay Area.

OPW staff is working in conjunction with regulatory agencies that include the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, and the Alameda County Department of Environmental Health to identify appropriate options to treat the area. OPW is also consulting regulatory agencies on option for cleanup of the shoreline. The department will provide additional updates throughout the week.

Additionally, OPW is anticipating over the next few days results from water testing performed at the lake by the Water Board on Aug. 22. OPW will share those results as they become available.

Recent media coverage of this event has included speculation that the cause of the fish die-off and/or the algae blooms might be increased sewer overflows into the lake. However, OPW has made significant progress in recent years improving sewer system infrastructure affecting the area and there have been no major recent overflow incidents affecting the lake.

Additionally, harmful algae blooms have recently been reported across the Bay Area, including along the Oakland shoreline and estuary, and for several miles in either direction along the coast.

OPW and the Water Board first detected low levels of contaminants associated with harmful algae blooms in May 2022, and OPW promptly posted warning signage to alert and advise lake visitors. These caution signs alert the public that harmful algae may be present in the water and to stay away -- and keep children and pets away -- from the algae, scum, and water.

What causes harmful algal blooms at the Lake: Generally, increased inputs of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus (from fertilizers and human or animal wastes), low water flows, stagnant water, increased intensity and duration of sunlight, and sustained high temperatures create the ideal conditions for these blooms. Current research suggests that the rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns caused by climate change are a catalyst for their growth.



How you can help: We can all play a part in keeping the Lake safer for everyone. For example, property owners can avoid over-irrigation of landscapes (such as overwatering lawns) to prevent excess nutrients from entering waterways. And we all need to continue working to keep Lake Merritt clean – littering, especially food and food containers, may contribute nutrients to the Lake that feed these harmful algal blooms.

It is also important to note that algae is a normal and regularly occurring organism in Lake Merritt. Most summers the City employs an algae skimmer to harvest the larger concentrations of algae from the lake.

State of California information about harmful algae blooms, including the signage OPW has posted, is available online at the State's My Water Quality web page. This site also includes a Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Incident Reports Map where community members can learn about all nearby bloom reports.

https://www.oaklandca.gov/news/2022/community-update-lake-merritt-water-discoloration-near-lakeshore-avenue