Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge

{{Short description|United States National Wildlife Reserve in San Francisco Bay}}

{{Infobox protected area

| name = Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge

| iucn_category = IV

| map = San Francisco Bay Area#California#USA

| relief = 1

| map_caption = Map of the United States

| map_width = 300

| photo = Don Edwards SF Bay National Wildlife Refuge map extracted from PDF pamphlet.png

| photo_caption = Map of the DESFBNWR (2003)

| photo_width =

| location = Alameda County, San Mateo County, Santa Clara County, California, United States

| nearest_city = Newark, California

| coordinates = {{coord|37.5|-122.116667|region:US-CA_type:isle_source:GNIS|format=dms|notes={{cite gnis|id=2708739|name=Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge|access-date=29 December 2016|entrydate=15 November 2011}}|display=it}}

| area_acre = 30000

| established = {{Start date and age|1974}}

| visitation_num =

| visitation_year =

| governing_body = U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

| website = {{Official URL}}

}}

Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge (DESFBNWR) is a United States National Wildlife Refuge located in the southern part of San Francisco Bay, California. Its headquarters and visitor center are in the Baylands district of Fremont, next to Coyote Hills Regional Park, in Alameda County. The visitor center is on Marshlands Rd, off Thornton Ave.{{cite web|title=Refuge pamphlet with map |url=http://library.fws.gov/refuges/DEsanfran.pdf |access-date=19 January 2016 |date=23 August 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130823181455/http://library.fws.gov/refuges/DEsanfran.pdf |archive-date=August 23, 2013 }}

Most of the refuge stretches along the marshy shoreline north and south of the Dumbarton Bridge, but Bair Island, in San Mateo County, is also part of the system. The southernmost extent is in northern Santa Clara County.

History

It was founded in 1974 as the first urban National Wildlife Refuge established in the United States, and it is dedicated to preserving and enhancing wildlife habitat, protecting migratory birds, protecting threatened and endangered species, and providing opportunities for wildlife-oriented recreation and nature study for the surrounding communities.

As of 2004, the refuge spanned {{convert|30000|acre|km2}} of open bay, salt pond, salt marsh, mudflat, upland and vernal pool habitats located throughout south San Francisco Bay. About {{convert|9000|acre|km2}} of salt ponds within the refuge are managed by Cargill Salt, which has perpetual salt-making rights. Cargill uses the salt ponds to concentrate brines as part of its solar salt operation which produces salt for food, agriculture, medical, and industrial uses throughout the Western United States.{{Cite news |last=Clark |first=Hilary |date=February 12, 2024 |title=How this 100-year-old woman helped save one of the Bay Area's remaining wetlands |url=https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/don-edwards-sf-bay-national-wildlife-refuge-story-18653767.php |work=SFGate}}

Located along the Pacific Flyway, the refuge hosts over 280 species of birds each year. The variety of birds that may call the refuge home or use it as a stopover include white pelicans, white-tailed kites, hawks, ospreys, and eagles. Millions of shorebirds and waterfowl stop to refuel here during the spring and fall migration. It also provides critical habitat to resident species like the endangered California clapper rail and salt marsh harvest mouse. Hundreds of thousands of people visit its diverse wildlife and habitats each year.

The DESFBNWR is one of six wildlife refuges in the San Francisco Bay Area. The others are: Antioch Dunes, Ellicott Slough, Farallon, Marin Islands, and San Pablo Bay. It was renamed in 1995 in recognition of Congressman Don Edwards and his efforts to protect sensitive wetlands in south San Francisco Bay.

Gallery

File:Don Edwards SF Bay NWR sign.jpg | The sign at the refuge's entrance

File:San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge.jpg | Near the visitors' center

File:Don Edwards refuge 2005.jpg | Ecotone, 2005

File:Don Edwards refuge 2005-2.jpg | Freshwater slough and dry hill, Summer, 2005

File:Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge 3.JPG | Salt evaporation ponds, with the Dumbarton Bridge in the background

File:Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge 9.JPG | Birds in the salt pond

{{wide image|Don Edwards Refuge April 2011 panorama.jpg|800px|alt=La Riviere Marsh|Panorama of La Riviere Marsh, a salt marsh, near Marshlands Rd.}}

{{wide image|Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge.jpg|800px|Aerial view looking west, into the evening sun, across the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. With the exception of the red ponds in the foreground, most of the wetlands visible are in the refuge, including the dark green area by the Mowry Slough in the lower left, the area on both sides of the meandering Plummer Creek near the east end of the Dumbarton bridge, and areas on the far side of the bridge on both sides of the bay, up through the brightly reflecting Bair Island area in the top center.}}

References

External links

{{Official website}}

{{Commons category|Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge}}

{{USBill|92|HR|330|pipe=[http://uscode.house.gov/statutes/pl/92/330.pdf US HR Law 92-330]}}
[http://www.jagatjorajaal.com/don_edwards.html Large collection of photos and trail descriptions of Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141130061835/http://jagatjorajaal.com/don_edwards.html |date=2014-11-30 }}
[http://www.fws.gov/desfbay/ Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge] – US Fish and Wildlife Service official site.
[https://purl.fdlp.gov/GPO/gpo51796 Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge: Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan] US Fish and Wildlife Service
[http://www.fws.gov/sfbayrefuges/ San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex]
[http://www.southbayrestoration.org South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20090210041255/http://www.cargill.com/sf_bay/index.htm Cargill Salt – San Francisco Bay]
[http://www.kqed.org/quest/television/view/585 From Salt Ponds to Wetlands], Quest, KQED-TV.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KN4YZCnhqo YouTube footage]