- General Questions About Wetlands and Natural History:
- What is a wetland?
- Why do we need wetland habitats?
- How do our existing wetlands compare with those that were in the bay historically?
- How is a wetland restored? What is restoration?
- What is the San Francisco Bay Joint Venture?
- What is the Pacific Flyway and why is Highway 37 also called the North Bay Flyway Highway?
- Questions Related to Getting Involved:
- Is there someone who can lead a tour for my child’s class or scout troop?
- Can I volunteer to help with a restoration or do other wetlands related work?
- What other ways can I get involved in wetland restoration?
General Questions About Wetlands and Natural History
Q. What is a wetland?
A wetland is a broad term meaning wet land with specific types of soil and plants that are only found in wetlands. A wetland can be open water, like the shallow lagoons you see on either side of Highway 37 between Vallejo and the Sears Point turn off, shallow or intermittently flooded land, such as the tidal marshes you see looking south, toward the bay, or vegetated areas with grasses that are only sometimes or occasionally wet, such as those south of HWY 37 near the Lakeville Rd intersection. For a more detailed look at different types of wetland habitats, especially those found in the San Francisco Bay area, please refer to: Salt pond habitats information and/or Wetland habitats around the bay. For more information see: Salt Pond Habitats [184 KB PDF]
Q. Why do we need wetland habitats?
- Wetlands protect shorelines from erosion by buffering levees and roads from waves, stabilizing shorelines, and reducing the impact of waves
- Wetlands cleanse pollutants from runoff by separating and capturing contaminants, acting as nature’s filtration systems.
- Wetlands provide critical habitat for fish, birds and other wildlife, very often endangered species (restoring wetlands lays the groundwork for allowing endangered species recovery)
- Wetlands slow the flow of floodwater, reducing potential damage downstream and allowing water to filter back into underground aquifers
- Wetlands also provide significant economic returns. The US Fish & Wildlife Service found that “nationally, a total of about 66 million Americans spent more than $38.4 billion in 2001 observing, feeding, or photographing wildlife.” To put this into perspective, if wildlife watching were a company, its sales of $38.4 billion would rank it 33rd in the Forbes top 500 companies list for 2001 placing it just ahead of Motorola and Kmart.
Q. How do our existing wetlands compare with those that were in the bay historically?
Historically, nearly 80,000 acres of tidal marshes and open mudflats surrounded San Pablo Bay. But the settlers of the late 1800s found the soggy, salty expanses of relatively low value and many of these tidal marshes were diked, drained and reclaimed for agricultural use in the 1880s and 90s. Overall, 82% of the North Bay’s historic tidal wetlands were wiped out. This dramatic loss of habitat directly translated to a dramatic reduction in the native wildlife populations. Many birds, animals and plants have become threatened or endangered as a result of the loss.
Q. How is a wetland restored? What is restoration?
What many of us consider to be “wetlands restoration” is not the same as what the phrase itself means. When people restore wetlands around the Bay, it generally involves restoring tidal water connections to an area where tidal action and wetlands were found in the past. This can include breaching levees to reestablish tidal connections or compacting soils to enhance ponded water as shorebird and duck habitat. But what we call “wetlands restoration” is actually “wetlands re-creation”, or – quite ironically – “wetlands reclamation”. In many cases, historically, it was reclamation of farm fields that eliminated wetlands throughout the country. This is true for much of the land along HWY 37, where the vast majority of historic tidal marsh was diked off from the bay, “reclaimed”, and put into agricultural production. Whether you call it reclamation, recreation, or restoration, the restoration efforts will attempt to directly benefit a broad range of birds, mammals, amphibians, invertebrates, and plants (and people) and in some cases provide more effective flood control and allow for miles of public trails where none previously existed.
Q. What is the San Francisco Bay Joint Venture?
The San Francisco Bay Joint Venture (SFBJV) is one of fourteen Joint Ventures established under The Migratory Bird Treaty Act and funded under the annual Interior Appropriations act. It brings together public and private agencies, conservation groups, development interests, and others to restore wetlands and wildlife habitat in San Francisco Bay watersheds and along the Pacific coasts of San Mateo, Marin and Sonoma counties.
The goal of the San Francisco Bay Joint Venture is to protect, restore, increase and enhance all types of wetlands, riparian habitat and associated uplands throughout the San Francisco Bay region to benefit birds, fish and other wildlife.
Q. What is the Pacific Flyway and why is Highway 37 also called the North Bay Flyway Highway?
The Pacific Flyway is highway in the sky for migrating waterfowl and shorebirds who move from as far North as Alaska to as far South as the southern tip of South America in their annual winged migration. Birds traveling these great distances need fuel for their journeys and resting ground. With the decline of wetlands, these places are fewer and farther between. The San Francisco Bay is perhaps the most biologically significant stopping place along the way and hosts the highest concentration of wintering waterfowl and shorebirds along the flyway. While many of the birds winter here, others just stop for the needed calories to make their way much farther south.
Questions Related to Public Access Along Highway 37, "The North Bay Flyway Highway"
Q. While driving, where can I pull over and view the wetlands?
Heading east on Highway 37 from Novato:
Sonoma Baylands: Public access to the Sonoma Baylands Bay Trail starts at the Port Sonoma Marina, west and south of the intersection of Highway 37 & Lakeville Highway.
San Pablo Bay National wildlife refuge area: there is a public viewing point south of Hwy 37, just east of the Sears Point Raceway (hwy 121) turnoff. Also, the Sonoma Creek Bridge has public access and parking either side of the bridge, on 37, about 1-2 miles east of the 121 intersection.
Heading West on Highway 37 from Vallejo
San Pablo Bay National wildlife refuge area: see above, Sonoma Creek.
Q. Where are the hiking trails and bathrooms along the highway?
Heading east on Highway 37 from Novato:
Sonoma Baylands: A 3.5 mile North Bay extension of the Bay trail is being prepared/installed and will be ready for public access by April 2006. There are bathrooms at Port Sonoma for trail users. (for directions see above under viewing spots)
San Pablo Bay National wildlife refuge: There are approximately 8 miles of hiking trails at the pull off south of hwy 37, just east of the Sears Point Raceway (hwy 121) turnoff.
Heading West on Highway 37 from Vallejo:
See above regarding the Sonoma Creek pull off, which offers fishing.
Q. Where can I go hunting/obtain a hunting license?
Hunting licenses are available at sporting goods stores. For more information check the Ca Department of Fish and Game website: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/
Questions Related to Getting Involved
Q. Is there someone who can lead a tour for my child’s class or scout troop?
Many of the partners of the Joint Venture are dedicated to environmental education. For a comprehensive list, please visit our partners page.
Q. Can I volunteer to help with a restoration or do other wetlands related work?
There are many opportunities to join wetlands related projects and outings – from pulling weeds, to planting natives, and helping install boardwalks or building plant nurseries - several of our partners rely on volunteers to fulfill their mission and reach their goals. Our partner page will link you to many of the key players working to protect wetlands in the Bay area.
Q. What other ways can I get involved in wetland restoration?
At a minimum support wetland restoration by making your views known to legislators be they local, state or federal. Public opinion drives public policy. Below are a few other ways to be more involved with wetlands and their protection:
- Take the family on a tour of a refuge or bay wetland area;
- Take a group out for a wetlands bird watching trip;
- Collect magazines and promotional items about wetlands restoration;
- Encourage your family or group of friends to access public educational opportunities to learn about wetlands;
- Join an advocacy group and through your simple membership you will be heard;
- Join an advocacy group and get involved by being a docent, educator, legislative advocate, or on the ground by removing non-native plants threatening wetlands, replanting the native plants that wildlife so desire, run for political office with wetland restoration as part of your platform, etc.;
- Care for existing wetlands by participating in a local coastal clean up day, sponsored by the California Coastal Commission http://www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/ccd/ccd.html.
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