Petaluma Marsh

Reclaiming Tidal Wetlands in the San Francisco Bay

As the Bay Area was settled and farmed over 80 percent of the original tidal wetlands, which once covered 300,000 acres, were destroyed. An ambitious effort is underway to restore San Francisco Bay, including the tidal marshlands that once surrounded it. The lower 12 miles of the Petaluma River flow through the Petaluma Marsh, the largest remaining salt marsh in San Pablo Bay at the northern reaches of San Francisco Bay. The marsh covers 5,000 acres and is surrounded by approximately 7,000 acres of reclaimed wetlands.

ALC worked with California’s Wildlife Conservation Board and Department of Fish and Game to acquire 582 acres of the marsh for a wildlife refuge. The property had been diked and drained for cattle grazing.

Restoration efforts have turned the marsh into a favorite bird watching site. Great Blue Herons, along with Great and Snowy egrets make the marsh a year-round home. Teal, Black-necked Stilts, and Long-billed Curlews are among the many species that flock here in winter months. The endangered salt marsh harvest mouse can be found nosing through the pickleweed.

For more information about Petaluma Marsh, please visit the Department of Fish and Game.

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