The Otter Project’s 2026 Priorities
As we enter 2026, it feels like the stakes for the environment could not be higher. The Otter Project is meeting the moment by staying focused on our guiding principles: protecting sea otters, defending clean water, holding polluters accountable. Here are our top priorities for the coming year:
1. Stop ocean dead zones before they wipe out sea otter habitat. Pollution from wastewater plants, farms, and dairies is turning parts of California’s coast into acidic, toxic dead zones. In 2026, we’re pushing for enforceable water quality standards that cut nutrient pollution at the source—before it reaches the ocean and kills marine life.
2. Fight federal rollbacks that leave California’s waters unprotected. After the Supreme Court stripped Clean Water Act protections from streams and wetlands, pollution now flows more freely to the coast. We’re advancing the Right to Clean Water Act to restore California’s power to protect its waters—and the sea otters who depend on them.
3. Hold coastal golf courses accountable for ocean pollution. Behind the beauty of iconic coastal golf courses is a toxic reality: pesticides, fertilizers, and thousands of lost golf balls entering the ocean. We’re working to create the first-ever Clean Water Act permit to stop golf course pollution in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
4. Stop farm pollution before it reaches the ocean. Agricultural runoff from the Central Coast is poisoning rivers, streams, and coastal waters in prime sea otter habitat. We’re in court to force stronger buffers between farms and waterways—simple, proven protections that keep pollution out of the ocean.
5. Enforce the laws meant to protect sea otters. California banned polluted runoff in sea otter habitat over 50 years ago—yet violations continue with little enforcement. In 2026, we’re pushing the state to crack down on polluters and modernize ocean water quality protections for the first time in decades.
6. Stop Diablo Canyon from destroying sea otter habitat. The Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant sits adjacent to critical sea otter habitat and continues to kill marine life by drawing in massive volumes of seawater and discharging heated effluent back into the ocean. This process degrades kelp forests and nearshore ecosystems that sea otters depend on for food and shelter, contributing to long-term habitat loss along the Central Coast. In 2026, The Otter Project will challenge any Clean Water Act permit that allows this ongoing destruction without requiring long-delayed protective technology. We will also fight to ensure that marine life mitigation funds are used as intended—to restore damaged sea otter habitat, not diverted for unrelated purposes.