At the time, the area was marshy and relatively isolated, facilitating the disposal of offal; the new slaughterhouses generally were built with slatted floors above areas where waste could be swept away by the twice-daily bay tides. Contemporary coverage indicates this did not occur as intended, describing water "black with decomposed blood, [bearing] on its surface masses of foul straw, stable ordure and floating offal" with a smell that reportedly caused a traveler to return on the Oakland ferry without bothering to disembark.
At the time, the area was swampy and somewhat isolated, making it easy to get rid of animal waste; the new slaughterhouses were typically constructed with grated floors above areas where waste could be cleaned away by the twice-daily tidal currents. However, historical accounts indicate that this did not occur as planned, resulting in water "black with decomposed blood, [bearing] on its surface masses of foul straw, stable ordure and floating offal" with a smell so bad that it made a traveler return to Oakland without even getting off the ferry.