Fog Harvesting in Pacifica

About

The North Coast County Water District (District) is actively involved in fog harvesting research, collaborating with scientists to explore its potential as a water resource.

Projects

Milagra Ridge Fog Harvesting

The District is working with Daniel Fernandez, a professor at Cal State Monterey Bay, to measure just how much water can be harvested from fog. The research is taking place on water district lands on Milagra Ridge, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. See the presentation below.

Garden Bed Fog Collector Program

In early 2025, the District partnered with the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) on a fog harvesting research project,  providing twelve fog collector garden beds to residents and schools in Pacifica. To learn more about the results of the program, see the video from the August Board of Directors Meeting below.

Resources 

Video Presentations

Fog Collector Presentation:

Fog Collection Presentation at December 18, 2024 Board of Directors Meeting (video cued to start at presentation start, approximately 1:52:15):

Articles / Online Presentations

Newsweek, Could Fog Harvesting Solve California's Water Shortages? March15, 2025

The New York Times, interactive online presentation about San Francisco Fog, featuring collaborators Peter Wiess, UC Santa Cruz, and Daniel Fernandez, Cal State Monterey Bay

San Francisco Chronicle article, "Scientists are turning fog into water. Here’s what it could mean for California," December 18, 2024 (PDF)

NBC Bay Area, "San Francisco's Fog Could Be a Casualty of Climate Change But It Could Also Be a Solution," updated January 2, 2023

Coastside News, "Water potential not lost in Pacifica fog," updated August 14, 2024