Associated Habitat

Salt ponds of various levels of salinity have served as habitat for millions of birds that visit the Bay Area each year or live in the region. The opportunity to restore 16,500 acres of salt ponds into wetlands habitat will open up new options for wildlife. Some types of habitat that will be restored to the Bay as part of the massive effort are:

Tidal mudflats - Covered twice a day by high tides, the resident shellfish, snails, other invertebrates, algae and eelgrass draw thousands of shorebirds and wintering waterfowl.

Tidal marshes - Often washed by tides but not as regularly as mudflats, tidal marsh provides vital habitat for young salmon and steelhead, shorebirds and ducks, and the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse and California clapper rail.

Muted tidal ponds/managed ponds - Diked wetlands with culverts or small channels allow less tidal influence than open tidal marshes or mudflats. Muted tidal marshes are home to a variety of plants, fish and invertebrates that draw in thousands of waterfowl and shorebirds.

Seasonal wetlands - Marked by cattails, saltgrass and bulrushes, these wetlands dry out during the summer and fill with rainwater during the winter. During the rainy season, ducks, shorebirds, herons and egrets feed and roost in seasonal wetlands.

Freshwater marsh - Slow-moving segments of stream, freshwater ponds, and low areas that accumulate rainfall support cattails, sedges and rushes – a diversity of vegetation and a broad array of animals and birds that call it home.

The Salt Pond Ecosystem
Associated Habitat
Protected Species
Restoration Project
Starting the Process
A History of Cooperation