Just east of Highway 101 in Redwood City lies one of the largest restoration projects on the Peninsula's bay shore. Bair Island is made up of three islands, Inner, Middle and Outer, totaling about 3,000 acres of former salt ponds.
Who manages it
According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, about 2,000 acres on the Middle and Outer islands form the state's Bair Island Ecological Reserve. The rest is part of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Wikipedia notes that the refuge manages the whole island group, and much of it has been restored to tidal marsh.
A near miss with development
Bair Island was historically tidal salt marsh. Between 1948 and 1952 it was diked for salt evaporation ponds, which were drained in 1965, according to CDFW. A plan called South Shores would have built about 4,000 homes on the marsh. Redwood City approved it, but voters narrowly rejected it in a 1982 referendum, by just 44 votes, according to Wikipedia.
The Peninsula Open Space Trust bought the land in 1996, and it became part of the refuge. A pedestrian bridge opened in 2013 to connect to trails around the island, Wikipedia notes.
What you'll see
The marsh is home to the endangered Ridgway's rail and salt marsh harvest mouse, and it is a stop for migrating birds on the Pacific Flyway. Corkscrew Slough, which cuts through the islands, is a major haul-out spot for harbor seals. Pelicans and pickleweed have flourished since the restoration.
Visiting tips
- The 2013 pedestrian bridge leads to trails on the island.
- The state ecological reserve closes every year from Feb. 15 to May 20.
- Boaters can launch from the yacht harbor off Seaport Boulevard near the Port of Redwood City.
- Drones are not allowed on CDFW land without a special permit.